Written by Ashley Johnson, content editor, She Reads.
Photo: @fotografierende
Realizing your career dreams is easy but making them a reality requires resilience, perseverance and sometimes, some much-needed advice. Luckily, there’s no better time than the present to truly go after your goals and build a career and a life you can be proud of.
Whether you’re just starting out in a new field, working towards your management goals or starting your own company, there’s a lot to learn from the women who have come before you. While getting one-on-one time with some of the leading career women in your industry can be a difficult task, it’s easy to pick up a world’s worth of tips and advice from the books they have written.
There will always be classics like Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg but this fall, we encourage young go-getters to add a few new inspiring titles to their bookshelves. From the tales of a TV news anchor to the story of a brave refugee who went after the American Dream and everything in between, these 10 best career books cover a wide range of experiences, making it easy for you to find your perfect read.
Some books inspire and some books motivate, but the best books spark something inside of you to turn those dreams into goals and get started today. If you’re in need of inspiration and advice to kickstart your success before the new year rolls around, these books by women will inspire and guide you to create the career you’ve always dreamed of.
Make Your Moment: The Savvy Woman’s Communication Playbook for Getting the Success You Want by Dion Lim
As an Asian-American woman in the world of TV news, Dion Lim knows better than most just how hard it can be to break into an industry that has previously been dominated by men. Armed with knowledge from her own experience in the workforce, she writes her first book Make Your Moment to inspire women like her to stand up and take what you want. With lessons on office politics, how to think on your feet and more, this small but powerful book teaches women how to take control of their futures and make the best of their everyday lives at work.
Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
In Marie Forleo’s #1 New York Times bestselling self-help book, she teaches you how to embrace a new way of thinking that will set you up for success every single day. Forleo believes that if you’re struggling to make your dreams come true, it’s because you need to rethink the way you approach the tasks in life that seem impossible. Growing up with her mother’s wise words, “Nothing in life is that complicated. Everything is figureoutable,” Forleo has found that installing this mindset has made her life easier and has allowed her to truly tackle her dreams and face her fears. In Everything Is Figureoutable, you will learn habits that will make it easier to achieve your goals, how to keep a lack of money and time from putting your life on hold and how to brush off criticism—an uplifting read for anyone struggling to get to the next step in their career.
Joy Seeker: Let Go of What’s Holding You Back So You Can Live the Life You Were Made For by Shannon Kaiser
If you feel overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed and always be your best self, Joy Seeker will be your saving grace. Empowerment coach Shannon Kaiser knows that sometimes we can get into destructive patterns and is on a mission to teach others how to let go of the expectations and discover their true strength. In her latest book, she teaches women from all walks of life how to unlock their inner power and actualize their dreams. Packed full of journaling opportunities and exercises that will break you out of your comfort zone, Joy Seeker is a must-read for hardworking women going after their goals.
Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
It’s not easy to be the boss but Kim Scott has the experience women need to go into the role with confidence and succeed. Having taught management classes at Apple, Scott has learned what employees need from management and vice versa. With lessons on how to give effective criticism, invest in the development of others and improve your own management techniques, Radical Candor will help you build the team of your dreams and create a culture your employees will be excited to be apart of. If you dream of one day being the head of your own company, this bestseller is a definite must-read.
Mani/Pedi: A True-Life Rags to Riches Story by Krista Beth Driver
Krista Beth Driver brings to life the story of Charlie Vo—a refugee woman who put everything at risk to come to the United States and create a better future for her and her family. Escaping Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon, when she and her family arrived at the refugee camps in the United States, they had to start their lives over again. Instead of dwelling on her hardships, Vo began working in the nail industry and soon teamed up with another female entrepreneur to establish a beauty salon that would go on to become a hugely successful empire. This biography is both inspirational and educational as it tells the story of a woman who bypassed every obstacle thrown her way and made her wildest dreams a reality.
Create Your Yes!: When You Keep Hearing NO: A 12-Step Strategy for Success by Angela Marie Hutchinson
It’s hard not to get discouraged when you’re repeatedly told “no.” Instead of taking this rejection to heart, author Angela Marie Hutchinson inspires readers to create their “yes” and take control of the outcome. With the belief that dreams don’t just happen on their own, Hutchinson preaches that bypassing the negativity will bring you one step closer to your dreams. Throughout the pages of Create Your Yes!, the author teaches readers her 12-step approach to finding success and realizing that anything is possible if you put in the hard work to make it happen.
Just a Girl: Growing Up Female and Ambitious by Lucinda Jackson
It’s no secret that some industries are full of white men who don’t always accept women in with open arms. Lucinda Jackson experienced this as a young scientist and throughout her entire career—over the course of nearly 60 years. With pressing matters like sexual misconduct in the workplace and other inequalities, she sets out on a mission to change the cycle in Just a Girl. Through the explanation of various court cases and movements that have helped women in their quest to find success, she creates a positive space to talk about the issues that are truly troubling women in corporate America every day. Based in fact from her own life and experiences, Jackson’s debut book is a call-to-action and leads the charge on a brighter future for women in the workplace.
There’s No Crying in Newsrooms: What Women Have Learned about What It Takes to Lead by Kristin Grady Gilger and Julia Wallace
Women can do remarkable things and that fact is evident in the eye-opening There’s No Crying in Newsrooms. For decades, young women were forced to put up with misogynistic practices in the world of news and reporting. This new book brings to life the stories of amazing women who pioneered the way for females moving into the field after them. From calling in news stories while in labor to bringing their children to work to get the job done, the women in this nonfiction book are badass through and through. They document an age when women’s voices were crucial to the world and the workforce. This book will help any career woman who is struggling to find her voice and speak up about what she wants from her job.
Outspoken: Why Women’s Voices Get Silenced and How to Set Them Free by Veronica Rueckert
If there’s one thing that is apparent in our current day and age, it’s that women are still being silenced by the men around them—especially in male-dominated industries. Instead of backing down and continuing the cycle of being talked over, Veronica Rueckert challenges women to find their voices and advocate for themselves. Including tips on how to speak during meetings, have informed conversations about politics and speak eloquently at a dinner party, Outspoken gives readers a guide for taking back the power and adequately expressing yourself no matter the situation.
Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic by Lisa Congdon
Not every career path consists of boardrooms and business attire. For the women out there who work in creative fields, this book by Lisa Congdon is for you. Everyone has their own vision and strengths when it comes to their creative work. In Find Your Artistic Voice, readers will learn how to draw from creators that they look up to as well as hone in on their own creative style. Filled with interviews from some of the best creators and advice about how to fully develop your own creative style, this is a book that both creative and business minds can learn something from.
Have you read a book that changed your career? Share it with us in the comments.
About the Author:
Ashley Johnson is the content editor at She Reads, an online media outlet that specializes in promoting books and authors with a female-centric approach. In addition to editorial roundups, exclusive author content and thought pieces, She Reads is committed to building a community of readers who love nothing more than getting lost in a good book.
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