Power Moves: How Women Can Pivot, Reboot, and Build a Career of Purpose

by Lauren McGoodwin

Overview

From the founder of the influential website Career Contessa, an invaluable career resource for women feeling stuck or unfulfilled that combines actionable advice, learning tools to make impactful life changes, and an in-depth discussion of how to build a meaningful career on your terms.

With her popular website Career Contessa, Lauren McGoodwin built an audience of ambitious, professional, millennial women who thought they did everything right—they got the degree, the internship, and even the promotion—but still wondered why they felt stuck and unfulfilled. The first site of its kind to focus on the unique, complex aspects of women's careers, Career Contessa offers women the smart advice they deserve, in a voice that resonates.

Drawing on the insights and lessons developed from Career Contessa, Power Moves is the essential handbook that helps professional women truly feel understood so they can bypass perfection and planning and head straight to evolving. McGoodwin addresses young professionals’ number-one concern: career transitions and growth, and engages them with specific goals, including:

• What is a Power Move and why they matter
• Cutting out comparison, shame, and self-loathing
• How to abandon the elusive “dream job”
• Embracing your inner questioner, your inner quester, and your inner-quitter
• Making money moves and taking control of your financial future
• Tuning out from the noise and tuning into your voice

Power Moves is filled with the information, guidance, advice, and essential tools, (including helpful graphics) that can help women take decisive, bold steps without self-doubt and fear, Power Moves shows women how to build a successful career on their own terms. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062909190
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/19/2020
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Lauren McGoodwin founded Career Contessa in 2013 after experiencing a gap in career development resources for women who might be job searching, soul searching, leading and managing, or trying to find new ways to advance within their careers. With women accounting for more than 50% of the workforce and the workforce being less defined than ever before, it seemed crazy (and outdated) that a resource for us didn't exist.

Formerly, Lauren was a University Recruiter for Hulu focused on hiring, employer branding, and program management. Lauren has a Bachelors in Education from the University of Oregon and a Masters in Communication Management from the University of Southern California where she wrote her thesis on millennials and career resources.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Part I Does This Sound Familiar?

Chapter 1 How Did We Get Here? 3

Chapter 2 Notorious Career Traps 17

Chapter 3 You, Meet Wall 23

Part II It's Called a Power Move

Chapter 4 What's a Power Move? 37

Chapter 5 Power Women, Power Moves 43

Chapter 6 The Power Moves Approach 67

Part III The Power Moves Tool Kit

Self-Care Is Mandatory 76

Chapter 7 It Starts (and Ends) with You 79

Chapter 8 Treat Your Intuition Like Your New Best Friend 93

Chapter 9 Cut the Subliminal Self-Loathing 97

Chapter 10 Get Your Mental Health House in Order 103

Chapter 11 The Shame Game Is a Losing Game 112

Relationships Matter 115

Chapter 12 Your Personal "Circle of Champions" 117

Chapter 13 The New Rules for Networking 123

Chapter 14 The Art of Saying No 141

Chapter 15 Relationships Outside of Work 144

Take Control of Your Career 148

Chapter 16 Abandoning the Elusive "Dream Job" 149

Chapter 17 Define What You Can't Control 162

Chapter 18 Celebrate Your Mistakes as Successes 170

Chapter 19 Her Name Is Self-Advocacy-and She's Badass 178

Chapter 20 Become Your Own Career Coach 185

Chapter 21 Embrace Your Inner Questioner, Quester, and Quitter 201

Chapter 22 The Big Look 210

Don't Forget Money 217

Chapter 23 Your Relationship with Money 219

Chapter 24 Let Go of Your Fear of Money-for Good 222

Chapter 25 Know Your Work Value 233

Chapter 26 Negotiate for Win-Win Success 243

Final Thoughts 253

Acknowledgments 261

Index 263

Editorial Reviews

Power Moves is an honest and brave manifesto on how to take control of your career and, ultimately, your happiness, on your terms.” — Reshma Saujani, founder, Girls Who Code, and bestselling author of Brave, Not Perfect

“I’ve read a lot of career-advice books and this one really stood out to me. When you read it, you’ll feel like she’s a big sister, guiding you through sometimes tough and tricky career choices in a way that will make you feel like you can tackle anything. It’s clear that Lauren’s experience as the founder of Career Contessa has given her insight into what thousands of women want, and she delivers. Plus, she’s refreshingly candid about her own struggles at the beginning of her career. It shows that if she can do it, so can you.” — Claire Wasserman, founder, Ladies Get Paid

“There is a certain type of savvy I thought couldn’t be taught, but Lauren McGoodwin is making her sharp instincts accessible to everyone. She is part trusted friend who knows what you’re up against, part professional guru who wants to help you realize your full potential. Power Moves is a practical, engaging guide full of actionable advice for navigating career pivot points. This book will change careers and lives.” — Alicia Menendez, author of The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed as You Are

“Power Moves is an invaluable resource full of practical advice that will help you find the courage to pursue your next big dream. Lauren’s expertise will help you build your career on your own terms, and you will be inspired by stories from women who have made big power moves during the course of their careers.” — Fran Hauser, former president, Digital, Time Inc., and bestselling author of The Myth of the Nice Girl: Achieving a Career You Love Without Becoming a Person You Hate

“If you are ready to achieve real success in your career (and life), this is the book you absolutely need to read right now. It’s the ultimate career book I wish my younger self had while I was navigating my career, negotiations, networking, and even self-care as a working woman. This entire book is a gem that all women need to read and share, as far and wide as possible.” — Bola Sokunbi, founder and CEO, Clever Girl Finance

From the Publisher

If you are ready to achieve real success in your career (and life), this is the book you absolutely need to read right now. It’s the ultimate career book I wish my younger self had while I was navigating my career, negotiations, networking, and even self-care as a working woman. This entire book is a gem that all women need to read and share, as far and wide as possible.

Bola Sokunbi

There is a certain type of savvy I thought couldn’t be taught, but Lauren McGoodwin is making her sharp instincts accessible to everyone. She is part trusted friend who knows what you’re up against, part professional guru who wants to help you realize your full potential. Power Moves is a practical, engaging guide full of actionable advice for navigating career pivot points. This book will change careers and lives.

Alicia Menendez

Power Moves is an invaluable resource full of practical advice that will help you find the courage to pursue your next big dream. Lauren’s expertise will help you build your career on your own terms, and you will be inspired by stories from women who have made big power moves during the course of their careers.

Fran Hauser

I’ve read a lot of career-advice books and this one really stood out to me. When you read it, you’ll feel like she’s a big sister, guiding you through sometimes tough and tricky career choices in a way that will make you feel like you can tackle anything. It’s clear that Lauren’s experience as the founder of Career Contessa has given her insight into what thousands of women want, and she delivers. Plus, she’s refreshingly candid about her own struggles at the beginning of her career. It shows that if she can do it, so can you.

Claire Wasserman

Power Moves is an honest and brave manifesto on how to take control of your career and, ultimately, your happiness, on your terms.

Reshma Saujani