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Forever Employable: How to Stop Looking for Work and Let Your Next Job Find You
After spending the first 10 years of his career climbing the corporate ladder, Jeff Gothelf decided to change his approach to staying employed. Instead of looking for jobs, they would find him. Jeff spent the next 15 years building his personal brand to become a recognized expert, consultant, author and public speaker. In this highly tactical, practical book, Jeff Gothelf shares the tips, tricks, techniques and learnings that helped him become Forever Employable. Using the timeline from his own career and anecdotes, stories and case studies from other successful recognized experts Jeff provides a step-by-step guide to building a foundation based on your current expertise ensuring that no matter what happens in your industry you'll remain Forever Employable. This handy guide to your career and professional development shows you how to create your own content, use it to build your expertise and credentials and then scale it to build a continuous stream of income, interaction and community. As organizations seek to reduce costs, automate tasks and increase efficiency, how do you ensure you don't end up outside of those plans? Forever Employable shows you how so that you're always ready for the next step in your career. Reduce your stress, build your community, monetize your platform -- that's being Forever Employable.
108 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2020
198 people are currently reading
1049 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Gothelf
15 books102 followersIn a world of continuous change, improvement and optimisation the delivery of products to market is no longer the right measure of success. Instead we must focus on outcomes — meaningful changes in human behavior — to tell us if we’ve delivered anything valuable to our customers.
I teach executives and teams — through remote training, workshops, keynotes, & books — to focus on their customers, learn from mistakes and create a customer-obsessed culture based in humility and agility that continuously improves their products and services and the way they work.
I am the co-author of Sense and Respond, Lean UX and Lean vs Agile vs Design Thinking. My most recent book is called Forever Employable: How to stop looking for work and let your next job find you.
I am currently writing a book on Objectives and Key Results.
I teach executives and teams — through remote training, workshops, keynotes, & books — to focus on their customers, learn from mistakes and create a customer-obsessed culture based in humility and agility that continuously improves their products and services and the way they work.
I am the co-author of Sense and Respond, Lean UX and Lean vs Agile vs Design Thinking. My most recent book is called Forever Employable: How to stop looking for work and let your next job find you.
I am currently writing a book on Objectives and Key Results.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 24, 2020
Not new advice
This book is meant for folks who aren’t really familiar with the tactics to becoming self-employed. If you’re an already avid blog reader, you’ll already know the tips Jeff suggests. Write a blog. Create content. Speak at meetups. Own a niche. This stuff isn’t new.
This book is meant for folks who aren’t really familiar with the tactics to becoming self-employed. If you’re an already avid blog reader, you’ll already know the tips Jeff suggests. Write a blog. Create content. Speak at meetups. Own a niche. This stuff isn’t new.
September 12, 2021
Read review on my blog
Value for money
3/10
Year, Price, Pages, Cover design
2020 by Gothelf Corp; EUR 16,53; 91 pages; Paperback
Cover design by David Miles, Interior design and typesetting by Jennifer Blais, Author photograph by Dailon Weiss, Very good paper quality and exquisite reading experience
5 sentences about the book
Jeff Gothelf tells his story of how he became forever employable: from the director of UX department in an American company to the successful author of the book Lean UX and public speaker. This approach is beneficial to the reader because the author is revealing his personal experience, his successes and fails. There is also the flip side of the coin. There is no guarantee that you will hit the lottery as Gothelf did. Moreover, you may not be the type of person who is willing to step into the spotlight. I refused to read this book as a recipe on how to become a public speaker. I enjoyed the parts where the author is describing his existential crossroads and general thoughts (“no one else has your story”).
What did I learn?
- Would you start a business as a public speaker or consultant? If yes, this book is for you! (author’s experience, tip & tricks, toolkit, etc. ∞)
- Under the hood of public speaking: I got an overview of how tough and demanding work it is.
“no one else has your story” — I started using my own previous experience as an advantage and I intentionally connected my past experience with current product management work.
- Reading this book I realized that it is not my path. Forever employable is like forever busy: “I’ve stayed active and I’ve engaged in the conversation on the latest tools, the latest challenges, the latest topics of discussion, and the latest design trends.” (80) The “latest” does not mean the “most valuable”. Bearing in mind the limiting amount of time that we have on earth, I would like to have a choice and I don’t want to be forced to focus on last trends.
- For the rest of us, who do not plan to become public speakers or consultants, I would like to recommend in this context a book Business Model You: A One-Page Method For Reinventing Your Career by Tim Clark, Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur.
What was missing?
- The book title (and especially subtitle) could be (intentionally?) misleading (There is a fragment on page 72, the author describes strategy how to title articles, I would call this slightly unethical). There is minor content for those of us who are not thinking about starting a business as a public speaker or consultant.
- The author intends to provide quick recipes (89) on how to become a public speaker. Personally, I do not like this conference tourism and circus that create unnecessary noise and false illusion of value (“Every discipline in the world has conference, and there are thousands of them every year” 66 — yes, I am talking exactly about this noise…)
- Unnecessary reference to dubious “authorities” like Gary Vaynerchuk (23)
Favourite quotes
“You might think you don’t have a story to tell, or at least nothing unique. Not true. Your experiences are unique, even in a crowded profession. Most important, no one else has your story.” 15
“Becoming forever employable and future-proofing your career doesn’t mean abandoning the things that have made you successful up to this point. In fact, quite the contrary. Your experience and expertise — both professional and personal — are exactly where you should be looking (and mining) to determine the flag you’re going to plant. So, instead of throwing away your experience, build on it.” 19
“The key to becoming forever employable is to shift your perspective on what you’re able to do with your existing body of knowledge and some additional effort on your part” 78
Value for money
3/10
Year, Price, Pages, Cover design
2020 by Gothelf Corp; EUR 16,53; 91 pages; Paperback
Cover design by David Miles, Interior design and typesetting by Jennifer Blais, Author photograph by Dailon Weiss, Very good paper quality and exquisite reading experience
5 sentences about the book
Jeff Gothelf tells his story of how he became forever employable: from the director of UX department in an American company to the successful author of the book Lean UX and public speaker. This approach is beneficial to the reader because the author is revealing his personal experience, his successes and fails. There is also the flip side of the coin. There is no guarantee that you will hit the lottery as Gothelf did. Moreover, you may not be the type of person who is willing to step into the spotlight. I refused to read this book as a recipe on how to become a public speaker. I enjoyed the parts where the author is describing his existential crossroads and general thoughts (“no one else has your story”).
What did I learn?
- Would you start a business as a public speaker or consultant? If yes, this book is for you! (author’s experience, tip & tricks, toolkit, etc. ∞)
- Under the hood of public speaking: I got an overview of how tough and demanding work it is.
“no one else has your story” — I started using my own previous experience as an advantage and I intentionally connected my past experience with current product management work.
- Reading this book I realized that it is not my path. Forever employable is like forever busy: “I’ve stayed active and I’ve engaged in the conversation on the latest tools, the latest challenges, the latest topics of discussion, and the latest design trends.” (80) The “latest” does not mean the “most valuable”. Bearing in mind the limiting amount of time that we have on earth, I would like to have a choice and I don’t want to be forced to focus on last trends.
- For the rest of us, who do not plan to become public speakers or consultants, I would like to recommend in this context a book Business Model You: A One-Page Method For Reinventing Your Career by Tim Clark, Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur.
What was missing?
- The book title (and especially subtitle) could be (intentionally?) misleading (There is a fragment on page 72, the author describes strategy how to title articles, I would call this slightly unethical). There is minor content for those of us who are not thinking about starting a business as a public speaker or consultant.
- The author intends to provide quick recipes (89) on how to become a public speaker. Personally, I do not like this conference tourism and circus that create unnecessary noise and false illusion of value (“Every discipline in the world has conference, and there are thousands of them every year” 66 — yes, I am talking exactly about this noise…)
- Unnecessary reference to dubious “authorities” like Gary Vaynerchuk (23)
Favourite quotes
“You might think you don’t have a story to tell, or at least nothing unique. Not true. Your experiences are unique, even in a crowded profession. Most important, no one else has your story.” 15
“Becoming forever employable and future-proofing your career doesn’t mean abandoning the things that have made you successful up to this point. In fact, quite the contrary. Your experience and expertise — both professional and personal — are exactly where you should be looking (and mining) to determine the flag you’re going to plant. So, instead of throwing away your experience, build on it.” 19
“The key to becoming forever employable is to shift your perspective on what you’re able to do with your existing body of knowledge and some additional effort on your part” 78
June 22, 2020
It's logical but simple to forget: As we climb the career ladder, the number of potential jobs decreases. And when you get to a certain point in life, you start to realize that there are heaps of young and skilled professionals ready to take over your job – at a fraction of your salary.
In Forever Employable, author Jeff Gothelf tells the story about how he made this very realization some ten years ago. His solution was to stop looking for jobs and instead let the obs look for him. In this book, he explains what that means.
By planting a flag on a topic you are both knowledgeable and passionate about, the author describes how you can be a thought leader in that niche and start building a sustainable audience that will lead to business opportunities. He argues that a hundred faithful followers might be enough to make a comfortable living.
This book is not only for entrepreneurial persons that want to go solo on new ventures. The methods explained are just as powerful for those who want to stay relevant in their current jobs, no matter what profession they are in.
While many books are longer than they need to be, Jeff Gothelf has hit the perfect balance with Forever Employable. There is no fluff on the just above 100 pages in this book, and the actionable takeaways are many. While this book is particularly relevant for readers nearing the half-way mark of their careers, most professionals should find it useful regardless of age and experience.
In Forever Employable, author Jeff Gothelf tells the story about how he made this very realization some ten years ago. His solution was to stop looking for jobs and instead let the obs look for him. In this book, he explains what that means.
By planting a flag on a topic you are both knowledgeable and passionate about, the author describes how you can be a thought leader in that niche and start building a sustainable audience that will lead to business opportunities. He argues that a hundred faithful followers might be enough to make a comfortable living.
This book is not only for entrepreneurial persons that want to go solo on new ventures. The methods explained are just as powerful for those who want to stay relevant in their current jobs, no matter what profession they are in.
While many books are longer than they need to be, Jeff Gothelf has hit the perfect balance with Forever Employable. There is no fluff on the just above 100 pages in this book, and the actionable takeaways are many. While this book is particularly relevant for readers nearing the half-way mark of their careers, most professionals should find it useful regardless of age and experience.
October 24, 2020
Had really big hopes for this one, having appreciated Jeff Gothelf's earlier work.
I found the title to be a bit misleading, since the book is essentially a guide for starting your own business. And no, I wasn't interested in that. Rather into how to acquire and hone skills, habits and practices which will help me stay on the leading edge and remain attractive to employers, but without the hassle of starting my own business first.
I found the title to be a bit misleading, since the book is essentially a guide for starting your own business. And no, I wasn't interested in that. Rather into how to acquire and hone skills, habits and practices which will help me stay on the leading edge and remain attractive to employers, but without the hassle of starting my own business first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2024
The ‘Forever Employable’ book caught my attention from its title. A person can do a lot with their talents and experiences by building a personal brand around their expertise. It aims to give the reader the guidance and lessons learned on how opportunities come to him instead of chasing them.
Key concepts centered on building the personal brand around the expertise are:
1. Plant a Flag: Identify the niche area where you have both knowledge and passion. This niche area becomes your ‘flag’ representing your unique expertise.
2. Network: Connect with others in your fields, share your work, and build relationships. Networking expands your reach and opens doors to new opportunities.
3. Content Creation: Share your knowledge freely through articles, blog posts, videos, or other forms of content. It increases your experience in the chosen area and attracts a following by marketing yourself through content creation.
4. Teaching: Teaching others is a powerful way to solidify your understanding and knowledge and build a reputation as a thought leader.
The outcomes and benefits of being a ‘Forever Employable’ person are Inbound opportunities, career independence, and financial security through building a personal brand that leads to multiple income streams such as consulting, speaking engagements, or selling your products or services.
The idea of an independent career encourages you to benefit from your skills and experiences and present them to others to become an expert and get out of the 9-5 job routine. But this is not a day and night-activity as you need to be disciplined, work hard, be patient, and try. I think the best implementation of the idea is through the ‘build .. measure .. learn’ feedback loop used on Lean Startup, where you try to measure planting your flag before scaling and improving the results continuously.
I recommend reading the book to everyone who wants to make the most of their knowledge, build experience, achieve sources of income from expertise and experience, and add value to others and beneficiaries.
The book is also helpful for those who don’t have a job or are building a career yet and those who want to be independent, self-managed, or entrepreneurs. It’s an opportunity to try and learn from this experiment!
Key concepts centered on building the personal brand around the expertise are:
1. Plant a Flag: Identify the niche area where you have both knowledge and passion. This niche area becomes your ‘flag’ representing your unique expertise.
2. Network: Connect with others in your fields, share your work, and build relationships. Networking expands your reach and opens doors to new opportunities.
3. Content Creation: Share your knowledge freely through articles, blog posts, videos, or other forms of content. It increases your experience in the chosen area and attracts a following by marketing yourself through content creation.
4. Teaching: Teaching others is a powerful way to solidify your understanding and knowledge and build a reputation as a thought leader.
The outcomes and benefits of being a ‘Forever Employable’ person are Inbound opportunities, career independence, and financial security through building a personal brand that leads to multiple income streams such as consulting, speaking engagements, or selling your products or services.
The idea of an independent career encourages you to benefit from your skills and experiences and present them to others to become an expert and get out of the 9-5 job routine. But this is not a day and night-activity as you need to be disciplined, work hard, be patient, and try. I think the best implementation of the idea is through the ‘build .. measure .. learn’ feedback loop used on Lean Startup, where you try to measure planting your flag before scaling and improving the results continuously.
I recommend reading the book to everyone who wants to make the most of their knowledge, build experience, achieve sources of income from expertise and experience, and add value to others and beneficiaries.
The book is also helpful for those who don’t have a job or are building a career yet and those who want to be independent, self-managed, or entrepreneurs. It’s an opportunity to try and learn from this experiment!
October 23, 2020
This is a great book for you if you’re a mid-career or senior designer who’s thinking about becoming a known expert in the field. If you’re an early career designer, this book could help you think long-term about what your career could be like later.
Jeff, the author, shares much of his story in this book. He explains how he built his successful consulting career using the same design techniques he uses in software projects. It's amazing to see how he popularized the lean UX method, then used that method to design his career path.
This book’s as inspiring as it is practical. I’m excited to add it to my canon of design career books.
Jeff, the author, shares much of his story in this book. He explains how he built his successful consulting career using the same design techniques he uses in software projects. It's amazing to see how he popularized the lean UX method, then used that method to design his career path.
This book’s as inspiring as it is practical. I’m excited to add it to my canon of design career books.
October 17, 2020
It’s the first time I’ve read Jeff Gothelff’s content and for sure it can be called motivational. It’s worth skimming but not as a whole book, a blog post would be enough to convey the message that the author would like to pass on to the readers. Instead of a blog post, Jeff Gothelff, following his advice to others, decided to write the whole book and as a result, ended up repeating the same things over and over again.
August 28, 2020
A good, quick read about going independent and become a thought leader in a particular field. Well written, but didn't contain an awful lot new insights for. If you're paying close attention to what some folks are doing on Facebook/Twitter/et in terms of content distribution and self marketing, you probably already know the gist of this book.
June 18, 2020
Jeff shares with humbleness ideas and motivation techniques on becoming a freelancer/entrepreneur including some of his personal stories
Relevant and realistic expectations and just in time for the new ways of working
Relevant and realistic expectations and just in time for the new ways of working
February 13, 2021
Great, breezy read packed with concrete tactics
I blew through this in a day in between three kids, work, and a doctor’s appointment. Jeff’s writing was fun, personal, clear, and interesting. The book walks through five steps to move toward forever employability, and each chapter ends with several things to do right away. And they’re all something you could do with minimal time and financial investment.
The advice isn’t necessarily new or rocket science. However the book is like grabbing coffee with Jeff and being able to ask follow-up questions, what happened next, and what about this.
I blew through this in a day in between three kids, work, and a doctor’s appointment. Jeff’s writing was fun, personal, clear, and interesting. The book walks through five steps to move toward forever employability, and each chapter ends with several things to do right away. And they’re all something you could do with minimal time and financial investment.
The advice isn’t necessarily new or rocket science. However the book is like grabbing coffee with Jeff and being able to ask follow-up questions, what happened next, and what about this.
November 24, 2021
It's interesting to see concepts usually used in design and product management being used in career and self branding. Relevant tips and tools. Jeff Gothelf also hosts a podcast with the same name of the book, and interview people who are successful in this path.
July 29, 2022
Aardig boekje waarin ik vooral de noodzaak om in beweging te blijven las. Blijven leren, blijven delen en daar slim mee om blijven gaan is het devies.
February 28, 2021
This is a solid, short, and punchy book that details the author's journey from designer to design thought leader. Whilst some of the core principles are not going to be unheard of for anyone exploring this space, it's good to see thoughts formulated into an action plan, with real world examples, hints & tips. Recommended for anyone interested in enhancing their personal brand.
November 15, 2020
Sometimes my wife and I get into these conversations where I tell her about great advice I received, whether I read it in a book, or heard it from a colleague.
And she would say, “But I told you that before!” Which was sometimes true—I just didn’t recognize it as great advice then.
Sometimes it’s because of the way the advice is presented or framed, whether as a gentle suggestion or a swift kick in the pants.
Sometimes you hear something four or five times but the sixth time’s the charm.
Sometimes you’re just not ready to hear things yet. I’m reminded here of Nick Cave, on songwriting, emphases mine:
Some fortuitous combination allowed Jeff Gothelf’s Forever Employable to get in. Some of it has to do with my own receptivity, after being well-primed by some great managers of mine, and excellent career coaches along the way. But a lot of it has to do with Gothelf’s lucid, pragmatic style, and the way he gives you pointers to put into practice immediately.
[See the rest of the entry at my blog, The Wily Filipino.]
And she would say, “But I told you that before!” Which was sometimes true—I just didn’t recognize it as great advice then.
Sometimes it’s because of the way the advice is presented or framed, whether as a gentle suggestion or a swift kick in the pants.
Sometimes you hear something four or five times but the sixth time’s the charm.
Sometimes you’re just not ready to hear things yet. I’m reminded here of Nick Cave, on songwriting, emphases mine:
“You are not the ‘Great Creator’ of your songs, you are simply their servant, and the songs will come to you when you have adequately prepared yourself to receive them. They are not inside you, unable to get out; rather, they are outside of you, unable to get in.”
Some fortuitous combination allowed Jeff Gothelf’s Forever Employable to get in. Some of it has to do with my own receptivity, after being well-primed by some great managers of mine, and excellent career coaches along the way. But a lot of it has to do with Gothelf’s lucid, pragmatic style, and the way he gives you pointers to put into practice immediately.
[See the rest of the entry at my blog, The Wily Filipino.]
July 4, 2020
Very quick read. I like the concept to map the Lean UX way to career growth. There are some good insights and ideas in there. But most presented ideas and strategies are floating around in blog posts etc. for several years now. It's interesting and well written but doesn't add too much to the whole concept of a personal brand.
August 2, 2020
This book will help you know the tactics to become self-employed. If you are a consultant or willing to be one, this book is for you. If you want to leave your 9-5 job and become a freelance this book is for you. This book is for you if you want to stop asking for a job and you want the job to start asking about you.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
March 1, 2021
Forever Employable is a practical guide showing how to leverage one's strengths and become a successful, recognized expert - the go-to person if you will, and stay relevant in the field of your choosing. Jeff delivers a simple, pragmatic manual to make it happen based on his example in five simple steps and actionable tips.
Some of it might be common knowledge if you've been learning from the best in your craft already, e.g. by following, understanding, and implementing what they do and adjust that to your needs and character.
Nonetheless, it's a great guideline for those who want to take a consultancy approach, play to their entrepreneurial spirit and strengths, as well as people who prefer to show their value and leverage their skillset in their current job or company and make it all stand out from the crowd (you as an expert in the particular domain, the company as a brand, attracting candidates from the HR perspective).
What I love about it is that each step of the process ends with practical actions, one can implement right away, that require little cost/effort. A lean, hypothesis-driven approach.
It's a path that requires much of hard and smart work, dedication, constantly delivering new content, sharing, being in the conversation to stay in the game. It's not scaleable in the long run and solely depends on you as an engine that runs the business. Don't get discouraged if you take it, it's worth pursuing.
Some of it might be common knowledge if you've been learning from the best in your craft already, e.g. by following, understanding, and implementing what they do and adjust that to your needs and character.
Nonetheless, it's a great guideline for those who want to take a consultancy approach, play to their entrepreneurial spirit and strengths, as well as people who prefer to show their value and leverage their skillset in their current job or company and make it all stand out from the crowd (you as an expert in the particular domain, the company as a brand, attracting candidates from the HR perspective).
What I love about it is that each step of the process ends with practical actions, one can implement right away, that require little cost/effort. A lean, hypothesis-driven approach.
It's a path that requires much of hard and smart work, dedication, constantly delivering new content, sharing, being in the conversation to stay in the game. It's not scaleable in the long run and solely depends on you as an engine that runs the business. Don't get discouraged if you take it, it's worth pursuing.
March 21, 2021
Good, but overly ambitious in its objectives and the title is slightly ill fitting. More fitting would be - 'how to become a consultant/contractor instead of an employee.
This book's message can be boiled down to, 'you can't be fired if you're self employed - so here's how to do that'. Gothelf briefly covers his journey from design team leader, to being a "thought leader" in the field of user experience design. The advice in this book is pretty sound, it has similar messages to books like 'Show your work' by Austin Kleon and countless other entrepreneurial, self-employment books; increase your exposure by having a self-titled website that serves as your portfolio/CV; market and build a brand around yourself; and explore different ways of using your skillset (i.e. teaching) to make additional income etc.
Before I started reading this book, I hoped that it was going to cover things like interview technique, career trajectory planning, negotiating salary raises, asking for promotions etc. I thought the book was going to be more about climbing the corporate ladder rather than ditching it, which I'm slightly disappointed by. Nevertheless, I can't really fault the contents of this book, even if it isn't anything ground-breaking or original.
This book is good, but I've read and reviewed better books that teach the same or similar lessons.
This book's message can be boiled down to, 'you can't be fired if you're self employed - so here's how to do that'. Gothelf briefly covers his journey from design team leader, to being a "thought leader" in the field of user experience design. The advice in this book is pretty sound, it has similar messages to books like 'Show your work' by Austin Kleon and countless other entrepreneurial, self-employment books; increase your exposure by having a self-titled website that serves as your portfolio/CV; market and build a brand around yourself; and explore different ways of using your skillset (i.e. teaching) to make additional income etc.
Before I started reading this book, I hoped that it was going to cover things like interview technique, career trajectory planning, negotiating salary raises, asking for promotions etc. I thought the book was going to be more about climbing the corporate ladder rather than ditching it, which I'm slightly disappointed by. Nevertheless, I can't really fault the contents of this book, even if it isn't anything ground-breaking or original.
This book is good, but I've read and reviewed better books that teach the same or similar lessons.
January 25, 2021
Forever Employable is a super short and sweet book, took a few hours to breeze through it. Gothelf breaks down his advice in several steps: plant a flag, become the expert by experimenting with the topic of expertise you've chosen until you find a niche, network with everyone, put out free content, teach your ideas, and you will be found and people and organizations will want to hire you. Of course, a given is being an expert that has depth and backed by facts and market movements. This journey very much reminds me of what it takes to be an academic! Although often, academics are driven by pushing the limits into a topic that they find super interesting and fascinating and exciting, and has impact and applicability to some extent, but not necessarily of interest to everyone or those who have the money to hire you. Perhaps, for this reason, a number of academics are sought after to run workshops and give talks, and especially those doing research within business and management are frequently contracted to consult.
April 24, 2021
I find this book is not really relevant to me as for now because I am still starting in the traditional career ladder. But I'd recommend this to anyone who already in higher ladder or already think of being a consultant/thought leader in a very specific topic that they master in.
True that Jeff Gothelf himself has career in UX industry, but this book is worth the read for anyone from any disciplines. In a world full of uncertainties, for people who'd like to expand their opportunities to stay 'employable' within their expertise, staying relevant and being the thought leader for it is one way to survive. Even for those who wants to stay int the traditional career ladder, you can find this book inspiring and helpful as well.
True that Jeff Gothelf himself has career in UX industry, but this book is worth the read for anyone from any disciplines. In a world full of uncertainties, for people who'd like to expand their opportunities to stay 'employable' within their expertise, staying relevant and being the thought leader for it is one way to survive. Even for those who wants to stay int the traditional career ladder, you can find this book inspiring and helpful as well.
June 27, 2020
All points are clearly articulated and easy to read. I've seen some reviews criticising the fact that the content of this book is not necessarily revolutionary, but I don't think that breakthrough originality is what Jeff is going for here.
I'm impressed with how coherent the structure of the book is and how the author uses the book itself to put his own principles in action: he mentions and elevates other thought leaders, highlights the value to be had from his books (and other products) and speaks humbly about things he's got direct experience of.
Very enjoyable and insightful, and a quick read.
I'm impressed with how coherent the structure of the book is and how the author uses the book itself to put his own principles in action: he mentions and elevates other thought leaders, highlights the value to be had from his books (and other products) and speaks humbly about things he's got direct experience of.
Very enjoyable and insightful, and a quick read.
February 8, 2022
This book speaks a lot of my language (as a Product Manager and building products the lean way), or maybe I am the one speaking Gothelf's language...
It's a very short book, so have that in mind when you buy it - if the length of the book means anything to you. After all, it should be about the value it provides, not the length.
I am not sure though that it is the right recipe for each person out there to be Forever Employable. I will take a lot of the advice and build on it to become Forever Employable.
It's a very short book, so have that in mind when you buy it - if the length of the book means anything to you. After all, it should be about the value it provides, not the length.
I am not sure though that it is the right recipe for each person out there to be Forever Employable. I will take a lot of the advice and build on it to become Forever Employable.
September 3, 2020
Why Jeff Gothelf got it right
I chose this rating because Jeff is very clear and direct about his lifelong approach to learning and earning. It was better then I expected. I found the introduction repeated 3 times before the best information was available. Once there, and all the principles within, it is a gem.
I chose this rating because Jeff is very clear and direct about his lifelong approach to learning and earning. It was better then I expected. I found the introduction repeated 3 times before the best information was available. Once there, and all the principles within, it is a gem.
January 16, 2021
Short book by Jeff giving good insights how to make yourself a stand out person. Rather than jumping from job to job with ease this is more about taking the skills you have and using them to launch a service that other individuals and companies need. Really useful if you are mid-career and are wondering what's the next step for you outside of your current role. Useful nuggets. Worth a read.
January 31, 2021
Simple guide on building a personal brand, Gothelf introduces his typical UX flair to thought leadership and practical advice on how to do it for yourself. I found this his most easy to consume book, nothing he speaks about here is new, however it really hit a chord for me as I was looking for some structure and insight on how to do this.
March 13, 2021
Not the book for me. Was expecting perhaps a more traditional business book and the aims don't really match with mine right now.
Some good points and useful reference material. I do like this author and his sense and respond books. They and this book don't labor the points and Caine read and digested in a couple of sittings
Some good points and useful reference material. I do like this author and his sense and respond books. They and this book don't labor the points and Caine read and digested in a couple of sittings
July 15, 2025
Basic advice for solo entrepreneurs wishing to build a personal brand and become a "guru" in something.
I like his other work, but this book is not worth the money, since it's about the same formula that has been shared a thousand times everywhere. It works, if you have the right type of personality.
I like his other work, but this book is not worth the money, since it's about the same formula that has been shared a thousand times everywhere. It works, if you have the right type of personality.
June 29, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, in particular the story telling aspect of it.
Jeff has shared some really helpful tips that really make you think about your career and life.
"Luck is when opportunity meets preparation"
Jeff has shared some really helpful tips that really make you think about your career and life.
"Luck is when opportunity meets preparation"
September 6, 2020
Field Guide to Thought Leadership
Great practical guide to being ‘forever employable’ and not just keeping your L>C Rate of Learning greater than the Rate of Change but using that to develop a POV and become a thought leader in your field!
Great practical guide to being ‘forever employable’ and not just keeping your L>C Rate of Learning greater than the Rate of Change but using that to develop a POV and become a thought leader in your field!
January 27, 2021
Short, 100-page book, that is very concise and full of useful, practical tips on how to become more enterpreneural, while being self-employed expert. These tips also work for people working full time.
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