Sin miedo ni excusas: Lo que necesitas hacer para diseñar tu carrera profesional

by Larry Smith

Casi sin darse cuenta, el profesor Larry Smith se ha convertido en un “susurrador de carreras” para sus alumnos de la universidad de Waterloo, Canadá.
Cada año millones de graduados universitarios salen al mercado laboral sin una idea de lo que quieren conseguir. Smith destaca que solo unos pocos afortunados tienen absolutamente claro qué es lo que quieren hacer de su vida. El resto de los mortales tiene que dejar de lado sus miedos y excusas y hacerse las preguntas importantes y difíciles que le permitirán tener una gran carrera profesional que satisfactoria durante toda la vida.
Con un estilo directo y cuestionador, este es el libro imprescindible para todo estudiante terciario, y profesional en período de reinvención, que se pregunte cuál quiere que sea su lugar en el mundo.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Self Help, Audiobook, Productivity, Personal Development, Personal Growth

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

Larry Smith is an adjunct associate professor of economics at the University of Waterloo and a recipient of the University of Waterloo’s Distinguished Teacher Award. During his longstanding tenure, Smith has taught and counselled more than 23,000 students on the subject of their careers, representing more than 10 percent of UW’s alumni. Smith has worked with more than 500 teams of student entrepreneurs, advising them as they have created companies of significant size and success across industries as broad-reaching as communications, software, robotics, entertainment, design and real estate. Smith is also president of Essential Economics Corporation, an economic consulting practice that serves a wide range of public and private clients. “Why You Will Fail to have a Great Career,” his TEDx Talk based on his experience counselling students, has been viewed by over six million people.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This is Larry^^Smith

Reviews

[Kat Heckenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever given this type of book five stars. Most of the nonfiction I read is informational, or inspirational (collections of essays, or books like "On Writing" by Stephen King), but I tend to have a hard time with books like this, books that claim to have "answers" on how to improve your marketing skills or whatnot. This book claims to help you figure out your passion and get a plan going in order to find your "great career." That's a pretty big task to take on.

First of all, I'm not in any way, shape, or form trying to say that this book was a miracle for me. I already know my passion (writing and art), and I already have been researching and following specific steps to reach my career goals (while homeschooling my kids). Of course, my areas are those the author of this book calls "Scary jobs"--those with a risky chance of employment. (Not that I didn't already know that.) What this book DID do was make me look more closely at my plan, and think more in terms of deadlines. It helped me see how my plan needs to fit in with the goals and responsibilities I have with my family. Most importantly, it helped me see my career in broader terms. Yes, I want to be a professional novelist, but I don't need to limit myself. I can write novels, sell my art, and have a main job using one of my other passions (science, math) once my kids are older--and frankly, I finally feel like that's what I need to do in order to be happy. Several of the stories the author highlights are of people whose problem is they have *multiple* passions, and that's been something I've struggled with. The stories in the book helped me see that having multiple passions means you are happier and more functional when you pursue them together rather than choosing one over the other(s).

BTW--the reason I'm writing this review mainly as my personal story, is that the author does that throughout the book. It's through illustration that he gets his points across.

That doesn't mean he doesn't give straight-up direction. He does. And I found it really helpful. There is an entire chapter on how to figure out and dismantle certain fears. Another on identifying challenges for certain careers and finding ways to get around them. There are questions at the end of each chapter that help you identify your specific situation and get you thinking about possible steps in your plan. Finally, there is an appendix that lists questions that need to be answered in order to implement the each step of your plan.

All this in a book that was well-written, fluid, easy to understand without being dumbed-down, and amazingly not vague (my biggest complaint about books of this type). The author's personality shows through--it is written in a conversational tone that entertains while informing. In other words, it was a fun read as well.

I am going to highly recommend this to my husband (who has already built a career in his chosen field, but I think this may help him expand his horizons and home in on what makes him so valuable in his line of work), as well as my son, who is in high school now and is at the point where he needs to be thinking about what career path he wants to take.

Really glad I read this. I have a feeling I'll be referring back to it many times as my career plans move forward and I hit certain milestones.

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[Danielle Leger]

Favourite Quotes:

p. 206, "The passion comes first, and then you "package" it so the world can use it, keeping in mind that there are lots of kinds of packages."

p. 240, "You need to have a thorough dialogue with yourself in which you confirm the identification of your passion. Remind yourself that you cannot stop thinking about it and its implications. Discuss with yourself all the relevant alternatives. Review all your research and make sure you are well armed with accurate information. Review your plan. And face down your anxiety, even your fear. Ask yourself what exactly you are afraid of."

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that ostensibly sets out to show you how to change things to get a great career, yet so much of the advice can equally be applied in other life situations. The author has, for several decades, been a so-called “career whisperer” for his students, giving them advice and steering them towards a career path they may not have considered or may not have been fortunate to actualise without his help.

We can be our own worst enemy, making excuses for our lack of progress, being fearful without due cause, not seeing the wood for the trees and all of that. The book is aimed at the college graduate who might be grasping at straws for a future, yet it could equally be of use for someone who is changing careers or adapted for other life situations.

The author is brutally honest and warns about the book being potentially uncomfortable reading for many. There is no sugar-coating of the pill here. Yet, maybe this advice is just the same as body odour: you would want a good friend or partner to gently tell you to apply a bit more deodorant before the whole office starts to gag after your arrival! A bit of pre-emptive, yet direct, action can go a long way.

It all made for an interesting active, personal-type of book, showcasing both winners and losers, making it come to life and be more than a theoretical tome or worse still one of those interminable self-help books that seems to blow proverbial smoke up the reader’s posterior.

Think about it: it may be one of the more helpful, incisive books you read this year and it potentially could change your life.

[Jonathan Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every fear and excuse raised by young people as to why they can't find a great career gets addressed in this book. If you find yourself also having these apprehensions, this just might be the antidote for you.

[Talhah Fayyaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great read for any age and helped me rethink my career aspirations.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asked challenging, thoughtful questions of its readers. I think, however, that even though anyone can have a great career, not everyone can. The author's advice just isn't reasonable for some fields or populations.

[Sam Nadarajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in an entire weekend, here are the big takeaways for me:

1. Working hard is not enough in today's ever changing and highly competitive environment. You need to think smarter and strategically on a constant basis to stay ahead.
2. Following your passion is not cliche. It doesn't always translate to high pay but when you are passionate about your work you will constantly be researching and innovating - resulting in a more competitive you.
3. Those who fail to plan plan to fail.
4. Copying what other companies do will not guarantee that you will have a job. Employers today want to be ahead, not competent.
5. We live in an age of victimization. Stop.
6. Get over your shyness.

I'm more motivated to take charge of my career after reading this book. I prefer the no B.S. self-help books because of their raw honesty. Idealized pictures of situations have barely helped me in the past.

As a professor, it's neat to see Larry provide many examples of students he has conversed with. I learn best by example and I could easily relate to some of the less than stellar ones.

[Dru G · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I’d like to say that *this is a must read for anyone who works or will!*

I recommend this for EVERYONE, those who haven’t found their passion and those who have, even if you feel like you are at a great position career wise.

Now my review:

Absolutely fantastic. I’m not usually a big fan of this kind of books, but I found this was exceptional and I’m very glad my boyfriend forced me to read it.

The book talks about having _a great career_ and I love the fact that his definition includes your personal satisfaction and relationships and not only at the professional side of it, which is frankly refreshing.

It truly gives you not only good and relevant information and questions you should be asking yourself, but also it gives great, concrete advice for *taking action*, and most importantly, creating a plan, so that your actions and efforts yield the results you first hoped for.

[Wenyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical advice given in a straightforward manner.

Probably one of the most useful books I’ve read.
For anyone at a crossroads!

[小一 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wondering if there's any book for confused young people. As most of the best sellers romanticize passion, this book provides an incredibly calm, logical, learnable approach to passion. He doesn't not go extremes. He recognizes passion as something deep in your heart that you want to pursue but the "passion" should not be total abstract or simply based on naive understanding of how each occupation functions.

He has so much experience working with students and the cases in the book cannot resonate with my experience better!!

[Kim Thada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great career advice

It seems like he could read my mind and presented all kinds of questions I had to stop thinking to figure out answers. His questions are very decisive and help me see my career path clearly and start to work hard to achieve my ideal plan for great career. I wish myself could find such a piece of advice earlier before I had finished my undergrad and entered grad school.

Nice piece of writing. Highly recommended!

[Arun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smith is an economics professor at the University of Waterloo known among many for a TEDx talk titled "Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career". If you get past the depressing title, his short talk challenges audience members to push beyond self-imposed limits and stop making excuses for why they aren't pursuing their passions.

Convinced to write a book exploring these ideas, Professor Smith uses some of his former students as fodder for his overarching argument that working men and women need to move beyond work that is simply tolerable and 'good money' and seek out their true passions. True passions, Smith argues, will provide longer-lasting fulfillment and can still mean a decent income if pursued correctly and, most importantly, with a plan.

The book moves from his argument in favor of following your passion to a presentation of steps and counterpoints to historical excuses in an attempt to motivate readers to pursue passions of their own and find a career they can call "great". I am normally skeptical of books that work their way through material in the form of checklists or numbered points, but Smith's writing is conversational and engaging and the stories he shares go a long way helping you dig into your own work and to figure out why you do what you do. At the end of the day, I think this is one of the most important things a book can do--force introspection. While a self-help book, sure, Smith's does a good job calling out self-defeating tendencies and challenging readers as well as any other in the genre.

I definitely recommend the book; despite its age (2016), the concepts are still applicable and will last a long time as Smith highlights competition in the economy and the fluidity of individual industries as reason for focusing on true passion over fleeting interest.

[Ashik Uzzaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yesterday I finished No Fears, No Excuses: What You Need to Do to Have a Great Career by Professor Larry Smith. I can't say I learnt new things but what I can say is that I should have read this book early in my career.

Working hard is not enough in today's ever-changing and highly competitive environment. You need to think smarter and strategically on a constant basis to stay ahead. Smith starts the book by talking about finding your passion.

* Good work is no longer good enough
* Safe jobs are a myth
- Every passionate career needs a backup plan
- The current market demands high skills, not passion
- Develop great skill, then passion will follow
* Logic and evidence will find you the work you love
- Read, talk, think analytically
- Passion or interest?
* Common career mistakes
- Are you running with the herd?
- Do you have a plan?

Smith continues with how to create a career plan.

* Determine the destination
* Distinguish your priorities
* Identify barriers to your goals
* Find your edge
* Sell yourself by selling your ideas
* Define yourself with your words and actions

Smith finishes the book by reminding us to confront fears and excuses.

* The universal excuse is luck
* Great careers and loving families go hand in hand
* Be disciplined about time management
* Seek work-life integration, not work-life balance
* Money matters
* Fear of wasted time, missed opportunities, unknowns, ambition, failure
* Take action

http://www.dragon-bishop.com/2020/10/...

[Laura Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there were a few good points and questions to consider, I felt this book (and most books on the subject of careers) are a bit too basic and not tailored enough to an individual's situation. It's hard to give career advice that just anyone can use. It's a good starting point.

There's one point I disagree with, and that was part of his definition of a great career:
"A career is great when it offers satisfying work, impact on the world, a dependable and adequate income, and personal freedom."

I read that to mean, "If you don't leave something behind to impact the world, your career was a waste", which I don't agree with. You can have a job that you enjoy, that provides you with the income you need/want, and personal freedom, without having to "impact the world". If someone's job doesn't "impact the world", but only impacts a few people (and temporarily), that doesn't mean it wasn't a great career - especially to the person doing the work. Yes, it left something behind for those few people, but eventually the impact will pass. I feel like it puts too much pressure on the reader to change their career to make it as meaningful to others as possible.

Maybe if I change the definition of world (meaning everyone on the planet) to MY world (everyone I know/my community), that would make it a bit easier to handle.

[John Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went back to finish this after taking a break from business books and I noticed something about how the differences in style affect my view/enjoyment of a book that I never realized before. Prior to picking this up again, I finished "The Scout Mindset" by Julia Galef, when I restarted this book I was struck by how the tone of this book was so different than that of hers. While the subjects are different, a career here, how you view things there, they are similar books on personal dev. Hers was much more enjoyable and I think I got more out of it because of the style. Larry anonymizes all his examples; Sean, a business major from a small town; Sally, a Graphic artist at a regional marketing company... where Julia told stories with names, companies, locations... now I recognize that for all I know Julia's examples could all be fiction and Larry's are probably true but the conversational style of Julia's book was more appealing.

All that being said, this book is a good resource for someone starting out on a career journey, unhappy with their current career situation (most applicable in my opinion), or ready to move on to an "Encore Career", recommended.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book is like asking your reliable professor for career advice. It’s not a typical motivational book; this book lays out the steps you can take to pursue a career you really want while still finding financial stability or the steps you need to take to find what your passion is. It debunks many of the myths that support finding a stable job and forgetting your dreams. A must-read for everyone— those still trying to figure out what they want, those in stable jobs, those looking for jobs, and those who want to continue to grow and make an impact.

I’ll certainly go back to this book from time to time to know if my plan is still working for my set goals. Most motivational career books are encouraging and vague, this actually functions like a guide, with very concrete examples and illustrations. I’ll definitely keep this book within reach for when I reexamine my career goals.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A great career means at the end of it and at the end of your life, you leave your mark behind. You leave your work behind to speak for you." In this book, Smith argues that to have a great career you must have passion for the work and discipline in building the plan to get there. Taking a long-term vision of a career instead of focusing on a single job, he believes working in an area you are passionate about will give you the competitive edge to stay relevant through economic and technological changes. It is also a path to a more fulfilling life as you spend so many of your waking hours at work.

I agree with this premise and I think Smith poses lots of good questions to push us out of our comfort zone, but I found the book a bit generic. I suspect his advice is more powerful when tailored to the individuals he mentors than when trying to address a mass audience through a book.

[alex baur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the author did a great job articulating his message and provided great questions to ask yourself. What stood out to me in this book was his realism. He was very abrupt in pointing out the false pretenses many employees have. My favorite chapter was when he listed all the mistakes people make. I think people who are just coasting through their lives would gain a great deal from this book because of the examples he provides. From the start I was happy to find his heavy use of examples. His organization for the book was also easy to follow. However, after finishing this book I cannot say I got any life changing advice. I think everything he had to say was helpful but a majority of his questions were quite surface level. I would recommend this for anyone who is uneasy about their job situation but do not think it was very useful for those who already have a plan.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven’t read many books on career, so it’s hard to judge the quality but found this book easy to read. The key take away for me from this book is to learn to be able identify your passions and how they can be implemented I to career and have clear career values and plan in place in achieving it. Yes, it is pretty much saying do what you are passionate about but for some reason the way author wrote it, it spoke to me.
Do your homework to justify your choice of career path, passion and strategy to achieve it. Have an elevator pitch and team to help you build your career are some other points I found insightful.
I think this book is appealing for not only graduates but people who are in full employment.

[Crystal Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read so many garbage business, career, and a self help books. Truly awful, repetitive bologna that made me contemplate why I continue to read nonfiction anything. But this book was not anything like those!! I loved this book. I want to buy this book and re-read, mark up, and follow this author’s advice to a great career.

It was clear the author had a ton of experience in helping folks sort there careers, but truly he had a passion for it and that really came through in this text. Of course, executing everything that is described to have a great career is daunting, but it’s possible! I also love the idea of a great career being made up of more than just good money and stability, something that I feel like many of us are told is the only requirements for a great job.

I felt inspired but also like I knew what to do after reading this. And I appreciated the many examples and scenarios that the author provides. He’s also realistic and never looks down in the choices of people. I haven’t read a book like this before and recommend to all who feel like they’re lost in career.

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never had the fortune of being in one of Professor Smith's classes. I decided to check out this book based on reviews from friends and high-profile uWaterloo alumni recommendations. I really connected with the chapters on fear analysis and mythical stable jobs. Overall, I think Professor Smith does a good job at framing the right questions which should be answered to have a great career. The opening chapter really caught my attention and made me question my job security. However, I found the anecdotal evidence and advice only marginally helpful in order to answer them.

[Pug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this would have been a fantastic book!

...if only I had been able to concentrate while listening to the audiobook. Not sure if I was distracted easily because it was actually boring, or maybe I just didn't feel like thinking about work.

...or maybe thinking about work and finding a job that one loves got me thinking and worrying too much about my own life to concentrate on these strangers' stories.

[Hikaoru · Rating 3 out of 5]

The library has a signed edition of this book.

If you are pressed for time like me, you may skim through the book but read ch9 properly. It's on the anatomy of excuse and by far my favourite chapter on any motivational book. As always, the only barrier towards bettering yourself is you. A.K.A. no discipline.

[Quinn Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book every semester of my college career. Maybe even in once or twice in high school. This is a book that I should also maybe read once a year from when I graduate in April. Nothing is really that game changing in this book, but its content is a great reminder of how to keep relevant and have success while enjoying your work.

[T. Laane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - feeling good, rounding up to 5 :D I'd say the book could have been shorter. But the main idea I do like: to find Your passion (at work), read about a lot of topics, but concentrate on a few. And just like ice hokey (skate where the buck is GOING to be) - do not pick the most popular field NOW, but think about tomorrow.

[Mark McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the way this book challenges us to stop using excuses for taking the easy, comfortable careers choices (or perhaps simply avoiding the ones that cause us to be uncomfortable). It offers practical examples and advise for moving outside of our comfort zones, think out of the box, and risk being truly satisfied with our work!

[Gabriel Hernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

No es autoayuda (aunque el título se presta a eso). Me gusta mucho como te guía para trazar un plan guiado por la pasión, la cual tiene mucha mezcla de lo emocional y lo racional. Recomendado para el desarrollo integral de uno mismo.

[Steven Sivenov · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you are someone who reads books about self improvement and psychology on a regular basis, this is just stating a lot of obvious things and not really presenting any revolutionary ideas that are helpful.

[hazelwillow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title is a bit in-your-face, but the actual book is helpful. Unlike most career books, the author writes well and has original insights. You're not going to hear the same old advice from Larry Smith.

[Kevin Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really love this motivational book, I have no idea what I really wanted to do as a career, but after reading this book, it has some really good advice that I could consider when the time comes for that perfect career. Hopefully.