BOOKS
Your Career Satnav…Switch It On!
(The Book Guild, February 2022)
Andrew started writing this book well before Covid-19 shut down the world, when the speed and impact of digital were already causing significant disruption to the workplace. Having taught career management at business schools globally and conducted thousands of one-on-one sessions, it seemed extraordinary to him – even before the pandemic – that the way we plan our working lives had conspicuously failed to keep pace with change.
He strongly believes that the need to manage our careers as though we are self-employed has never been so apparent. And yet despite this urgency, he is dismayed by the abysmal level of coaching and mentoring in schools, evidenced by successive intakes of university students with scant idea of what they want to do; meanwhile, those opting to be their own boss seem largely ignored. The seismic disruption caused by Covid has been a brutal reminder of the need to think again.
Looking ahead, business school graduates often mistakenly think that 12 months at a consulting firm will fast-track them to the C-suite, while thousands are encouraged to head for the dubious ‘safety’ of law and accountancy.
He cautions that any discussion of careers must factor in the explosive economic and educational growth in China and India. The wave of excellence emerging from these two nations has changed the competitive landscape for senior roles beyond recognition – top jobs now attract a far greater choice of candidates.
Meanwhile, the concept of ‘jobs for life’ and final-salary pensions have all but disappeared. Given current lifespan projections of 90-plus years, the need to retool our view of retirement is especially pressing, because work will be the biggest part of our existence. Retirement, therefore, needs to be seen as our next job.
Some sections apply to parents and teachers, while others apply to those of us living life in the fast lane, caught in mid-life crisis, or considering what to do once we take our foot off the gas. Encompassing all the practicalities, such as how to prepare for a career, how to win when being interviewed (whether it’s a first job or a board position), and how to construct a CV that will get noticed, this book can either be read from cover to cover or filleted according to personal relevance.
About the author
Andrew’s personal senior career started at the age of 30 with his first appointment to a CEO role. There followed further chairman and CEO positions at small, then large, companies worldwide. In writing Your Career Satnav…Switch It On! he has drawn on expertise gained over a lifetime of boardroom experience, as well as the sharp end of executive search and career management.
Your Career Satnav…Switch It On! is available here