Power Moves: How Women Can Pivot, Reboot, and Build a Career of Purpose

by Lauren McGoodwin

From the founder of the influential website Career Contessa, an invaluable career resource for women feeling stuck or unfulfilled that combines actionable advice, learning tools to make impactful life changes, and an in-depth discussion of how to build a meaningful career on your terms. With her popular website Career Contessa, Lauren McGoodwin built an audience of ambitious, professional, millennial women who thought they did everything right--they got the degree, the internship, and even the promotion--but still wondered why they felt stuck and unfulfilled. The first site of its kind to focus on the unique, complex aspects of women's careers, Career Contessa offers women the smart advice they deserve, in a voice that resonates.

Drawing on the insights and lessons developed from Career Contessa, Power Moves is the essential handbook that helps professional women truly feel understood so they can bypass perfection and planning and head straight to evolving. McGoodwin addresses young professionals' number-one concern: career transitions and growth, and engages them with specific goals, including:

What is a Power Move and why they matterCutting out comparison, shame, and self-loathingHow to abandon the elusive "dream job"Embracing your inner questioner, your inner quester, and your inner-quitterMaking money moves and taking control of your financial futureTuning out from the noise and tuning into your voicePower Moves is filled with the information, guidance, advice, and essential tools, that can help women take decisive, bold steps without self-doubt and fear, Power Moves shows women how to build a successful career on their own terms.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Leadership, Self Help, Professional Development, Audiobook, Womens

1 pages, Audio CD

First published May 19, 2020

Reviews

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guide for professional women on how to empower their careers and perform at a higher level. I enjoyed reading this book and found the information extremely valuable, relevant, and full of actionable steps.

The book not only focuses on the professional aspects, but also touches on personal advice, after all it makes sense that to be able to succeed (by your definition of success), there must be a balance in all areas of our life.

Something that has helped me a lot, and that I found it validated on the book, was how much more productive, focused, and creative we can become when we adopt the perspective of being in a never-ending process of learning and growing.

The book touches on a lot of other subjects that I can’t narrow down on a review, but I highly recommend it to women of any age and at any level of their careers.

ARC provided by Edelweiss

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good career advice book that covers a lot of important topics, including networking and cultivating relationships, how to advocate for yourself, negotiating salary, mental health, abandoning the concept of a "dream job" and moving towards a more fulfilling career. It contains plenty of advice and tools to help women take action and take control of their career. There's some background on how society has shaped the mindset of millennial women and has led them to fall into career traps, which I think would resonate with a lot of my peers as the book is definitely geared towards middle class millennial women.

I just have two pieces of critique to point out:
1) I wish the book had gone into more depth about the gender discrimination in the workplace, especially how it affects women of color, immigrant women, and women of other minority groups. The book dedicates a chapter to discrimination and includes actions you can take as well as a list of common behaviors you may encounter, but I feel like there should be more info and a stronger call to action. One could argue that workplace discrimination against minority women could fill an entire book and that this book is more focused on career advice, but I would counter that you cannot separate the two topics if you want to help as many women as possible.
2) I wish the book listed additional resources/supporting reading material in the form of footnotes or endnotes or another chapter, particularly in instances when the author brings up recent studies as supporting evidence for her points but fails to include the original source. Perhaps there are more resources on her Career Contessa website, but I think they should've been included in the book itself to make it more complete.

[Quincy · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my millennial ladies, READ THIS BOOK. Honest, candid, and thoughtful. It’s a completely different approach to a career and I love it - and that’s coming from someone who has done career coaching, taken a career exploration course, and has been binge reading career books and blogs. This is a good one.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy-to-read, comprehensive, and accessible guide to how
to take charge of your career from networking, to landing a job, transitioning industries, negotiating, etc. Nothing groundbreaking here if, like me, you’ve taken workshops or attended conferences on the topic, but if you haven’t, this is a great how-to.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a bit corny at times, but what self-help book isn’t? McGoodwin gave realistic and practical advice, and I can honestly say I feel more comfortable and confident advocating for myself at work now. Can’t wait to put some of these tips to use!

[Jessica Fitting · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's not better compliment I can give this book than to say that multiple times i put it down and went to put the advice into solid & realistic action, and have gifted this book to friends! I read very few 'career advice' books (make that none), but after following the author's website for a while i decided to purchase McGoodwin's book when it was released, and i'm so glad i did. The first few chapters, outlining the millennial career mindset (which i think is relevant to non-millennials as well!) really helped me reframe my thinking about what is a career move, and honestly what even is a career. McGoodwin then goes onto solid, actionable advice in all arenas of career advice in a way that was helpful - even for right now during a pandemic! I truly valued her point of view, her emphasis on adaptability and refining goals to be whatever they mean for you RIGHT NOW and RIGHT HERE. Great advice for when the world turns upside down, but also great advice to help you find more fulfillment, pride and meaning in whatever actions you take, whether they be giant career changes or subtle behavior shifts. Loved it.

[Bonisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook - took ages to finish bc I kept falling asleep. Very little actionable advice, which is weird bc the Career Contessa site has so much to offer. The networking section sounds like hell on earth, no thanks

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a helpful guide to taking charge of your career with truly practical suggestions. It would have been even more impactful while simultaneously using the related guide. It was interesting to hear a perspective specifically addressing the intersection of the millennial generation (with our specific challenges, strengths, etc) and the workforce.

[JC · Rating 2 out of 5]

[2.25/5]

I'm really sad that this didn't work out for me how I wanted. I love the Career Contessa website and their Instagram. I would suggest all young millennial/gen z women take a look at their great resources. But, I found this a lot less actionable than I was hoping. Especially considering how many great resources I KNOW that McGoodwin and team have created. I felt like it took a third of the book to get into the practical advice, which felt a bit vague, with the exception of some of the negotiating advice in the final section. (Though, even that doesn't give a ton of insight on how and where to find the research to back up your request).

I can appreciate some of the networking advice, but again, I really wish she would have gone a little more specific and in depth on how to hunt down network contacts. A resource of places to look by field would be a gold mine, I feel. I know some people feel comfortable doing cold messages, but I'm not sure how that would reasonably work for someone who didn't have the status of having worked at Hulu in a senior position. But, in general, the informational interview does sound like a good tool.

Other than those two pieces, a lot of this feel flat for me. I think this could still be a good grad gift for someone a bit earlier in their career. But, I feel like I'd be more likely to pass them on to the great work the Career Contessa website has produced instead.

[Anupama Sekar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't start this review without saying how much I love Lauren ! She is a gem of a person and a wealth of knowledge. As a long time CC fan, I can't help but feel like this book is really a reflection of the community she's built. It's obviously a great read and for someone who doesn't usually buy my own copies of books, I know that this is one that I will treasure for life! I love the conversational honesty and immediately applicable advice - as someone who is still early in my career, these kinds of books make me think I'm finding cheat codes and obstacles that others jumped through which I can now avoid, which is an awesome feeling. It's a beautiful extension of all the CC resources that I was already a huge fan of.

The only caveat(that Lauren makes clear) is that this book is probably most geared towards millennial, college educated women, who frankly, are already on a somewhat okay path to success. That's a bit of the Career Contessa brand in general though - but this is by no means portrayed in a negative/privileged way, it's just the fact that this is her demographic.

Wishing you the best for everything that's still to come, Lauren!

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this book was just released in the past few months, the author could not have known how absolutely necessary this career guide would be in 2020. The world is experiencing even more uncertainty than even the Great Recession, and now more than ever millennial women feel trapped by expectations and the fear of losing their jobs.

Enter this book. I started reading this about the time I was asked to do a case study for a company that I had already had 5 interviews with (yes, 5...it was 3 weeks of sleepless nights and nightmares). This provided me not only with advice and encouragement, but a framework for how to set myself up for success. Nothing is certain in this time, but this book helped me to build awareness of my goals and desires so that I can pivot, regardless of what comes next. I hope to use the tools presented in the book to continue to build the career I want for myself (and yes, I got the job!), and I’m grateful not only for the opportunities I have but for the ones I can create for myself.

[Frieda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is geared towards the millennial generation and is filled with usable techniques and advice for that particular demographic - those who are starting out in their careers and would like to learn how to better navigate their careers and workplaces. Most of the information in the book can be found on the author's website - Career Contessa. I particularly enjoyed reading about her career journey and how she came to launching her career coaching business for women.

Key takeaways:
1. Society has taught us that upward is "good" and sideways / backwards and all in between is "bad". This is not necessarily the case - it all depends on what your personal values are and how you define success. Careers are no longer linear paths.

2. Power moves can be big or small and each helps you move towards that fulfilling career that you have been crafting in your head. Examples - removing "busyness" with "focus", offering solutions for departmental problems, and creating your own role in your company.

3. Surround yourself with optimists and people who challenge you.

[Lateefah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of gems. Read with a highlighter close by. Although not all the advice is for everyone, for example, if you're not looking to change jobs or are not just starting out in your career, you can skip certain chapters/sections. Some of the advice was recycled from the Career Contessa blog, but overall an easy read with actionable advice. One thing that resonated with me was the idea that success is not a place you land, it is an ever-evolving journey and to enjoy where you are at each moment. What we want out of our careers will change over time and that's OK. "Success is not a moment, it's an ongoing process. Engaging in the process and taking one step forward, however small, will make the difference."

Highly recommend

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good tidbits, the first half is definitely better. A lot was not applicable.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely validating to me as I explored my next career move. It is a book written by millennial women for millennial women. We are a unique generation in how we approach work, and this book taps into that.

I appreciated the actionable strategies and techniques with everything from figuring out a salary range to determining if your burned out or stalled and to how to network.

I flagged so many things and will keep this book on my self to return to frequently. A few gems:
- Your dream job in your 20s will not be your dream job in your 30s. Or 40s. Or 50s.
- Be in charge of your career. Don't wait around for others to drive the car.
- When you are no longer growing and learning and there is no room for advancement, it's time to leave.
- Plant yourself in growth and learning over achievement and success in every professional situation.

I highly recommend this book and McGoodwin's podcast - The Career Contessa - for all millennial career women.

[Tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and extremely practical advice delivered in a totally relatable package. Constant reminders that your career is an ongoing and ever evolving process not a static end goal (love the advice to “ditch the idea of a dream job” - which is: likely more about some imagine lifestyle than actual work). Think i’ll try out some of her career worksheets. Small but definitely sufficient nods to navigating the economy as a millennial and workforce in the patriarchy. Definitely a good read when beginning your career to set up good foundation and framework of thinking about it - useful too when feeling stuck more mid-career and want an easy read to remember some motivation.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read many, many self-help books related to my career, and I'd be unlikely to offer this one as a suggestion to a friend. The information is simple (and useful!) but the delivery is complicated and long-winded. Especially during the second half of the book, I felt I could skip major sections and still get the important bits, which, to me, runs against the grain of the genre. Most difficult for me, though, was the occasional feeling that I was being patronized to! At times, the author almost seems to chide the reader, and it made it especially hard to receive the information when the book targets women and is written by a woman.

I think Lauren McGoodwin has plenty of exceptional content for those seeking a change, but Power Moves missed the mark for me!

[Nina Nhatavong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just wanted to start off with saying that I absolutely love Career Contessa, and I think she does an good job with trying to address different career stages that one might experience. I’m a recent college grad, and I think this would be a must read for other recent graduates to gain more insight in career development. There’s not too much formal education on this unless there’s a professional development organization on college campuses, so this book is definitely a good start. The tone of the author was written in a way where she’s able to get her message across in a comprehensive way. I think this will surely be the first of many books coming from Lauren!

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Career Contessa podcast and could not wait to get my hands on this book. The book started off a bit slow for me - maybe it is because I, like Lauren, graduated college in 2008 and did not want to be reminded of how rough that was, but it was important context. The second half of the book was exactly what I needed, and I especially loved the networking section with its email templates. Many of the tips were very practical and ones that could easily be implemented - I think I will start a work journal soon. Even though much of the advice and suggestions in the book were ones I had heard before, they hit differently in the context of this book and this stage in my career. This is a great book for a new graduate or for someone seeking a refresher as they change jobs or companies. Highly recommended for inclusion into your career toolkit.

[The Lexington Bookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some really great career advice on how to build your career, particularly if you are an entrepreneur, but I was very distracted by how quickly this felt dated because of the pandemic. Reading it, there were enough references to red-flag the timeline of the publication date, which became very distracting and sadly, dated. It's wild to me that a book from one of my favorite online sources - The Career Contessa- could feel so out of touch after only 5 years, thanks to the way that Covid impacted the work environment for women.

[Rebekah Grmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Power Moves is a great read for anyone, but especially young women who may need a little extra boost when it comes to leveling up in the workplace.

I loved that this book didn't try to separate recommendations between your personal and professional life - it was a practical take on how your self-worth, confidence and motivation can help you power up and get ahead.

The helpful to-do's and checklists gave me homework assignments; they were great for accountability!

[Elizabeth Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty standard self-help.
It did unfortunately spell "principle" instead of "principal" which was disappointing (in the financial section).
One more criticism; it had a very wonky section about calculating how much you're 'worth' which didn't take industry or occupation into account at all (????) which didn't make sense
However, it did include some great advice about networking, asking for a raise and journaling.
Overall, was empowering, but it didn't hit quite as strongly as "Lean In".

[Mackenzie Albrecht · Rating 3 out of 5]

I use Career Contessa (read their articles, enrolled in one of their courses, and hired one of their coaches) and this book didn’t teach me much that I hadn’t already learned from the other resources. However, this book would be great for a woman who hasn’t already dove in to other career resources.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been following Career Contessa for years and have benefited so much from their resources and guidance, so I was excited to read Lauren’s book, although I was a little worried it would be full of cheesy career platitudes. Yes, it does have a few of those moments, but overall I thought this was a great book and resource full of a lot of sound, level-headed, and practical advice.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough about this book. I absolutely LOVED IT! It's the best professional growth book I have ever read. Run, don't walk to the bookstore to grab yourself a copy. Also, BUY it so you can mark it up, because YOU'LL WANT TO. - Apologies for the book bossiness, but it's necessary for this one.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept hoping this book would provide any valuable nugget of advice or interesting suggestions, but it’s a directionless meandering of every cliche of women working with no new, innovative, or interesting benefit to the reader. At best, I would recommend this for a young woman fresh out of college who is completely insecure and has been considered a passive wallflower their entire life. Skip

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I would have had this book earlier in my career. I have already learned most of the book's lessons the hard way. This would be a great book for someone a few years into their career. It did motivate me to take a look at where my career is at, and had some helpful suggestions.

[Sofia Balderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about what it means to progress in your career. I wanted to read it to help me decide on the next job, I'm not sure it helped, but it gave me a lot of information about how I can help my future employees to progress as well. Very similar to Squiggly Career.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book (& podcast!). I think this is a great resource for those coming out college, making a transition from entry to mid or mid to senior level roles, or needing a general refresher on how to make Power Moves.

[Jaki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't recommend only because I'd definitely recommend the Career Contessa website instead. Didn't seem like a lot of added value in book form, and a lot of high level, generic, your-mileage-may-vary advice rather than the more targeted resources you can find on the site.