Customer Reviews
Good information. Just one quibble. - By: A. O'Malley, 31 Jul 2008 
Have you ever tried to read a book but found that every time you reach the end of a page you are unable to remember a word of what you have just read? When this happens the problem is usuallly either: (a) that you are not concentrating properly & alllowing your mind to wander, (b) that the book is not written well, or (c) that the book does not somehow speak to you, e.g., it may use unfamiliar language or may be written in such a way that you cannot relate to what it is saying.
There are a lot of positive reviews of John Lees' book here at Amazon & elsewhere. Let me begin by saying that I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments of most of them. This book is indeed packed with great information useful to almost anyone trying to work their way through a career dilemma. But I do have a quibble, & it is rather a big quibble unfortunately: the prose often fallls into category (b) & occasionallly (c). For some people this sort of thing is not a problem - if this is you, then you can stop reading now. But for those of you who are anything like me, you may want to take note before purchasing.
I like to get my money's worth when purchasing a book. I read from cover to cover rather than dipping in & out of this or that chapter. If you are the same, you may be in for a frustrating time. Sure enough, a lot of chapters in this book are fine, especiallly some of the later ones which address certain issues directly & can be read independently. But some chapters, especiallly some of the earlier ones which deal with more general matters, I found terribly frustrating.
The style is accessible, yes, but sometimes the choice of words, the sentence structures, the way one sentence or paragraph doesn't quite flow into the next, the way an analogy doesn't quite fit, & the way an exercise is recommended but not properly explained etc. alll go to making this book a frustrating read. I found I couldn't just read each chapter through & then go back, as is my habit, I had to keep stopping alll the time just to try & square in my mind what he was driving at or how his anology applied. At other times I struggled to see how what he was saying related to me at alll.
In summary: the book is indeed packed with useful information, but because of problems with the prose, I feel I can only give it three stars. I found it was too difficult to follow at times, I was constantly stopping to re-read paragraphs & pages over & over. This was very frustrating, especiallly since I knew there was a lot of useful information hidden away behind the lack of clarity. I think Mr Lees would do well to consider rewriting some chapters for the next edition.
Really good book - you need a decent dollop of self awareness though - By: Wolfgang, 29 Feb 2008 
Good book. Requires a decent amount of 'soul searching'. Good book though, & talks you through alll the elements you need to consider. Found it useful when used in conjunction with a completely different style of book (very much more practical) "How to Handle Your Recruitment Consultant". Basicallly meaning that once I had worked my through John Lees' book I was able to get Recruitment Consultants to do what I needed them to do. The two together worked reallly well.
Great help at crucial time ! - By: S. Rossignol, 28 May 2007 
I used this book in combination with one to one sessions with John. I was looking for answers on "What do I reallly want to do next?" This book suited me in its approach & style: practical, concrete & usable. You can pick & choose chapters depending on the subject you are interested in. The results of the exercises are meaningful & positive. I reallly liked the "no limit approach". In other words, think about the ideal & then consider the limits. All of this is done in a very positive manner. And yet once you have identified your ideal job there are practical ways of going about it & fair reminders for the dreamers! I also like the fact that John's views were based on extensive research & not just his gut feeling. This book & John's coaching have been a crucial help for me to go from this daunting question to an exciting journey to a new career. A fantastic tool for a key decision.
A practical guide to thinking about your career - By: Dr. Derek Wilkie, 12 Mar 2007 John Lees' book is an excellent combination of practical exercises & good advice to help you manage your career. The practical exercises will help you to think about the kind of work you'll reallly enjoy. While some of them look simple at first, the key thing is to actuallly do them & then take time to consider what the results are telling you. As John Lees says, most of us spend more time planning our holidays than we spend planning our career. Other parts of the book provide sound advice about everything from CV writing to handling job interviews, or even choosing the right career consultant.
I have recommended this book to both friends & clients (I'm an occupational psychologist) & they have alll found it very useful. I have also noticed that they are making more confident decisions about what they want out of a job & how to get it.
For anyone who feels the need to get more satisfaction from their work, this is a great place to start!
Discover the best you there is - By: J. Ugonna, 12 Mar 2007 Reading a book isn't a substitute for working with a career coach like John Lees one-to-one. But "How to get a job you'll love" is the closest you can get to this ideal. It is like one of the best travel books packed with both inspiration & practical "things to do". This book can inspire you to look at the possibilities of taking a brand new career journey, & to make considered, but adventurous choices. It also helps you to decide whether you "work to live" or "live to work" - a profound discovery that might impact very strongly on your career planning. Above alll, it pushes you to "discover the best you there is".
