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It used to be that if you studied and worked hard, you could be assured of an extremely satisfying career. But in a world of constant layoffs and dying industries, it has become increasingly difficult to "plan" your way to success.
So what is the solution? Well, when it comes to dealing with uncertainty, nobody handles it better than successful entrepreneurs. That's why you want to take the same approach they do! Based on extensive research and interviews, Own Your Future shows how to apply the simple model they use--Act. Learn. Build. Repeat--to reinvent the way you maneuver in an unpredictable job market.
Here's how it works. Instead of picturing your perfect career and working backwards, simply begin with the direction you want to go and take a small step. Thinking alone will never change your life--you must ACT. Then evaluate the lessons you learn from that first step, build on them, and take another step in your desired direction. Repeat this process until you have achieved your goal.
When you consider that your job--perhaps even your industry--may disappear, you have no choice but to take control. Filled with stories of professionals of all kinds who have profited from this proactive approach, Own Your Future gives you the tools you need to succeed--no matter what comes your way.
List of contents
CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction: "We Love the Idea. It's Just Too Darn Depressing to Publish.”
Section I: Did the Earth Move? Yes. It Did.
Chapter 1: Why Everyone Will Have to Become an Entrepreneur
Chapter 2: What Happened?
Chapter 3: Don't Bring a Knife to a Gunfight
Section II: Get Out of the Headlights, Dear
Chapter 4: Begin Moving Toward What You Want
Chapter 5: Obstacles Welcome
Section III: Where Do You Want to Go?
Chapter 6: Choosing Between Love and Money
Chapter 7: Creating Your Own Job
Section IV: You Don't Have to Be An Entrepreneur (How to Think and Act Entrepreneurially Without Starting a Business)
Chapter 8: Practice Outside of Work
Chapter 9: Using the Act. Learn. Build. Repeat. (ALBR) Model to Find a Job
Chapter 10: You Must Remember This: Concluding Thoughts
Appendix A: Teaching the ALBR Model
Appendix B: Using ALBR in the Public Sector
Index
About the author
PAUL B. BROWN is a long-time contributor to the New York Times and a former writer and editor for BusinessWeek, Forbes, and Inc. CHARLES F. KIEFER is President of Innovation Associates, the firm that pioneered the concept of organizational learning. LEONARD A. SCHLESINGER returned to Harvard Business School as a Baker Foundation Professor of Business Administration after serving as president of Babson College. Together, they are the authors of Just Start as well as popular blogs for Harvard Business Review and Forbes.
Summary
Not everyone has the means and resources to become a successful entrepreneur. So does that mean everyone else must hinge their success on the hopes that they survive the next set of layoffs and that their chosen field doesn’t become the next dying industry? Not at all! The successful methods that the leading entrepreneurs used to find their niche in today’s marketplace can be applied by all in their pursuit of a long-lasting, rewarding career.Own Your Future shows how to take the same small steps forward they use--Act. Learn. Build. Repeat.--to reinvent the way you maneuver in an unpredictable job market.• Act--Thinking alone will never change your life; you must take that first step.• Learn--What lessons did you learn from that first step?• Build--Take what you learned and apply it to improve upon that first step.• Repeat--Continue this process until you have achieved your goal!Too often, people picture their perfect career and then think through all the steps backward in order to plan out their path to career success. But today there is very little assurance that your chosen job--perhaps even the industry itself--will even be there by the time you maneuver through the long path of continuing education and promotions. Don’t rest your success on the mercy of an ever-changing marketplace. Learn to take control! Filled with stories of professionals of all kinds who have profited from this proactive approach, Own Your Future gives you the tools you need to succeed--no matter what comes your way.
