* Many people are unsatisfied in their current position, but find it hard to ask for a promotion
* These books offer actionable work advice
* Discover what you might be doing wrong, as well as helpful next steps
According to 1,500 people surveyed by The Conference Board, only 51% said they were satisfied with their job. Also among these people, only 26.3% said they were satisfied with the promotion policy, and 27% said they were satisfied with the bonus policy.
It’s clear that many of us would like to change aspects of our career, but don’t exactly know where to start. After all, the professional landscape is changing. Millennials now make up more than a third of the American workforce. Fewer US teens now work than in previous decades, but by contrast, 18.5% of Americans over the age of 65 will continue working. Between managing expectations but still demanding to be heard, navigating the corporate hierarchy can be treacherous, which is why SPY has found five books that can help.
1. Promoted: The Proven Career Acceleration Formula To Reach The Top Without Working Harder Or Playing Office Politics
While many of us are eager for a promotion, we’re also exhausted by the games and power plays many people employ to get one. Bozi Dar has written a Career Acceleration Formula, which provides detailed steps, both conventional and unconventional, to help you advance your career. By taking a streamlined approach that centers on your mind, and where you’re focusing your mental energy, you’ll read through plenty of comprehensive case studies that show how Dar’s past students have utilized his advice.
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2. Rise: 3 Practical Steps for Advancing Your Career, Standing Out as a Leader and Liking Your Life
By the time Patty Azzarello was 33, she was the youngest general manager at Hewlett Packard. By the time she was 35, she ran a $1 billion software business. The best part? She did it all without sacrificing her morals, or becoming someone she hated. In “Rise,” she focuses on three practical steps that can work for everyone, and will help you realize that the only person standing in your way, is you.
3. Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn’t Want You to Know – and What to Do About Them
It’s hard to play the game when they keep changing the rules. Author Cynthia Shapiro is a former Human Resources exec, and she’s sharing helpful, relevant information that may help with your career acceleration. In fifty honest, often surprising sections, she covers the gamut on everything from free speech to age discrimination.
4. The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead
Bonnie Marcus, author and professional coach, avoids empty buzzwords like “be assertive” or “embrace ambition,” and instead puts stock in practical advice based on her years of experience advising both men and women. Marcus encourages you to focus and foster important professional relationships, and fight against stereotypes and professional roadblocks that stand between you and your professional goals.
5. How to Win Friends & Influence People
First published in 1936, this groundbreaking book went on to sell over fifteen million copies (and counting). It was a pioneer of the self-help genre, and Time magazine counts it at number nineteen in its hundred most influential books. Some advice is simply timeless, such as Carnegie’s list of nine ways to change people without inciting resentment. This book will certainly be helpful in your journey to the top.