New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career    by Alexandra Levit Order:  USA  Can Ballantine, 2009 (2009) Paperback, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Thinking of changing jobs - or even careers entirely - in this new year? Alexandra Levit, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal tells us how to go about it in New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career, offering numerous case studies of those who have made a successful switch (along with a free webinar with book purchase). In his Foreword, Stephen R. Covey reminds us that 'We are the creative force of our own lives.' He tells us that the book 'focuses on the seven motivations that influence career decisions: family, independence, learning, money, passion, setback, and talent.' Chapters address these motivations along with five real life examples for each of them, and advice on how to make the change effectively. In her Introduction, Alexandra Levit states that her book 'is about harnessing your own motivations to execute changes that will enhance your work satisfaction' and offers a quiz to 'help you determine if a career transformation is something you are seriously ready to consider.' Then she launches into chapters on the seven motivations, each introduced by an inspiring quote, such as Benjamin Franklin's 'Genius without education is like silver in the mine.' Each chapter begins with the author's own reflections on the relevant motivator. It's followed by the five case studies; Self-Reflection to determine whether this is, in fact, your own motivation; sage advice on Putting the Change to Work (including topics like financial issues, networking, and sample jobs); an Exercise assessing your situation with respect to the motivator; and a Resource Toolkit of useful books and websites. What does it take to facilitate a positive career change? Levit tells us that those she interviewed for this book, though very different in many ways, all exhibited persistence, courage, self-confidence and business savvy. If you've been mulling over the idea of making a switch, then you'll find New Job, New You a very useful resource. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews