The Authentic Career: Following the Path of Self-Discovery to Professional Fulfillment

By Maggie Craddock

Book Overview

Most people suffer from some sort of job dissatisfaction. But figuring out whether they should change or their jobs should change isn't easy. From a leading executive coach comes The Authentic Career, perhaps the first book to provide readers with a formal sequence that combines professional, psychological, and spiritual resources to achieve career success and fulfillment. The four-stage process -- clearly outlined and filled with exercises, examples, and inspirational quotes -- has proven successful for the author's clients of all levels, from Fortune 500 CEOs to professional women returning to the workforce after having children. Craddock combines her business background as a Lipper Award-winning fund manager with her training as a social worker and years of experience as an executive coach to outline a therapeutic process that clearly separates what we want and need in order to find fulfillment from the external demands and expectations that family, society, and the workplace impose on us. Identifying our authentic career goals and strategies requires that we carefully examine our inner lives, Craddock believes, separating them from the daily demands and frustrations of our work lives.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1577314387
• ISBN13: 9781577314387
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: New World Library
• Length: 209 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.4" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Soul based career development

The book is four-stage self-inquiry process by Executive Coach Maggie Craddock. Ms. Craddock's exercises comprise mind, body, and spirit in interactive exercises and follow-up action items. Her book was very helpful for me with respect to a recent career change from public relations to producing executive conferences for the pharmaceutical industry. The Authentic Career process a vital compass point in the navigation of a life-long work life. The job market is moving at lightning speed. It is now essential for young professionals to assess their skills, talents, and values before taking life-altering paths. As for seasoned workers, The Authentic Career offers a balance between effective career evaluation and proactive actions consistent with one's values and needs in a professional context. This book that avoids the trap of "analysis paralysis" and aids to forwards anyone into decisive action.

Zen and the Art of Professional Coaching

Ms. Craddock does a brilliant job of taking us through the often painful process of finding ourselves and then bringing the best of ourselves to the workplace. The Authentic Career is about finding and living the authentic self. It brings us back to the things we might have once been told by a well-meaning friend or a self-help lecture; it makes real and fleshes out exactly what we need to do to work through core issues of our identity and find our "true bliss" in the workplace. What better person than Ms. Craddock to show us the way. She went from making million dollar business deals to working with mental patients to try to find her bliss and to bring the fruits of her labors to us, in a very readable, usable form. I have benefitted greatly from reading this book!

A Real Boost

Maggie Craddock has done it! She has made her fabulous coaching techniques available to all. I graduated N.Y.U. in May and my career is just beginning. Ms Craddock's insights showed me where I need to succeed, areas I need to work on and areas of personal growth that are developing. I will apply her book and her exercises to my work environment and my own personal life.

The path well taken.

Self Discovery hasn't had a more sane or sensible voice.One is so easily and kindly guided through the four stepprogram that it is hard to consider any other method foreffecting such profound insights into one's personal and professional life. The exercises remarkably build structureand confidence and give evidence to the underlying feelingone gets throughout the book that the author thoroughlyunderstands the process of self-realization. A benchmark book.

Unbelievable Source of Strength for Career Growth!!

This book is simply incredible! I have read many self-help books over the years, and having been in the business world for all of those years, I have never seen both areas (self-help and career) integrated so well in one place. In "The Authentic Career" I was able to unlock how my career goals and personal needs could be aligned and fulfilled with the appropriate insights into my life. This book can really help individuals create the space to achieve this. Ms. Craddock's own experiences and using real examples of workplace issues were extremely helpful and enlightening. I could approach my job and career in a completely different light after reading and utilizing this book. The exercises were truly eye opening and I finally have found a process that makes sense for re-energizing and strategizing my career after many years. A great read for anyone who wants to find a new way to grow in their career and personal lives. Very helpful and inspirational!