The 5 Best Books for Rethinking Your Career Path

If you’ve ever felt stuck, restless, or uncertain about your career, you’re not alone. Most of us go through moments when the path we’re on doesn’t feel quite right when we’re questioning if our work actually aligns with who we are and what we value.

Sometimes, the shift we need doesn’t come from a new job or a bold move, it comes from seeing things differently. The right book can do that. It can challenge the assumptions you’ve been holding, open your mind to possibilities you hadn’t considered, and help you see your work and yourself in a new way.

Some of these books are tactical, some of them are mindset focused, but all of them offer gold nuggets and are worth putting on your reading list. This list includes a mix of career development books and ones that may seem unrelated at first. There is something here for everyone whether you are in an exploration phase, seeking a promotion, wanting a bit of a pivot, or are winding things down. 

These books are in no particular order and none of the links below are sponsored. Feel free to click freely knowing that I am not profiting off of your eyeballs. 

How to Read These Books

I believe that every book has something to offer, however, the entirety of a book may not be relevant for the time and place you are in right now. Here are some of my tips on how to take what you need and leave the rest from a book: 

• Reflect on which ideas resonate and which make you uncomfortable

• Journal your reactions, noting insights and questions

• Let the ideas settle, and see how they connect to your values, interests, and next steps

• Use the books as prompts for exploration, not a prescription for your career

1. Luck Is No Accident
By John D. Krumboltz, Ph.D. and Al. S. Levin, Ed.D.

Why this book matters for your career:
Every single one of us has experienced a random event that has had an impact on our life or career. This is called “happenstance”. The authors coined the term “planned happenstance” to describe these pivotal, unplanned moments and how you can effectively leverage them in your life and career. Of all of the career development theories, this one is my favorite! This book is a guide with practical advice and examples. For those interested in the career development field, planned happenstance is a key career development theory. For those who want to dive deeper, there is some interesting research available online on this topic.

Sarah’s reading recommendation:
Read one chapter each week during lunch or before you wrap up your day with a notebook beside you to write down insights and work through suggested prompts. 

2. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
By Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

Why this book matters for your career:
There are many myths about the growth mindset and this book describes what is (and isn’t). The author’s core insight is that talents, skills, and intelligence aren’t static “givens” that one is born with, instead one can grow through effort and learning. From the career context, this means: you don’t need to be born for a role. You can build toward it, which opens up more possibilities. It also teaches how to use failure as essential feedback for development. This mindset reduces fear of failure freeing you to take career risks, try new paths, or pivot when needed.

Sarah’s reading recommendation:
Give this one a listen during a road trip or a series of long walks. 

3. Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life
By Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Why this book matters for your career:
This book teaches design thinking and helps you to look holistically at your life. Your career is one part of the “life puzzle”. For those who are not familiar with design thinking, it is a human-centered, iterative problem-solving approach focusing on understanding user needs to create innovative solutions. It is used in product and service design across many industries (including tech, healthcare, education, business strategy, and innovation) and at many companies (including Apple, Uber Eats, and in GE’s pediatric MRIs). Instead of starting with a job title, this book helps you use your values, energy, lifestyle, and long-term vision to create the life and career you want. Take your time with this one or read it a few times over. 

Sarah’s reading recommendation:
This book is perfect for reading in a “book club” setting with a few friends who are working on figuring out career or life stuff. Read a chapter per session and meet at a local coffee shop or on Zoom to hold one another gently accountable. 

4. Never Eat Alone
By Keith Ferrazzi

Why this book matters for your career:
This book focuses on the most important driver of career success: relationships. The author has been famously quoted for talking about true networking being about generosity instead of greed. If you hate networking and you are a human who interacts with other humans, please make it your next read. It will challenge how you think about networking and you may not agree with everything that it explores. Use it to refine how you want to show up in your work and networking relationships. 

Sarah’s reading recommendation:
Pace yourself with this one. It’s best read once over and then again as you implement tactics and tools from the book.

5. Feel the Fear.. and Do It Anyway
By Susan Jeffers, PhD

Why this book matters for your career:
Fear is just the belief that we cannot handle what is on the other side of the fear. This pops up in career settings all of the time. From presentations to networking events or promotions to getting fired, fear is lurking everywhere. This deeply impactful book explains the three levels of fear and contains a roadmap to helping you navigate how to start accomplishing the things you want to do in your career. 

Sarah’s book pairing:
This book is super short and can easily be read in one sitting, but it packs a punch in terms of impact. Take your time implementing the concepts and it will benefit you tenfold.

If this brought up questions about your own career direction, you don’t have to navigate that alone. I help people build careers that feel aligned, sustainable, and true to who they are. Schedule a career clarity call to learn how.