Paul D. Tieger - Do What You Are

Since its first publication in 1992, Do What You Are has helped over a million people find satisfying careers and conduct more successful job searches. Weve heard from hundreds of people who report that by helping them discover the kind of work they were meant to do, Do What You Are forever changed their lives and made them feel more productive, more appreciated, and more satisfied.

Dozens of books have been written to help people make good career decisions. But Do What You Are is different from every other guide in a fundamental way. It does not offer generic, one-size-fits-all advice. For as certainly as people are different from each other, advice thats right for one person often is completely wrong for another. Our expertise in the well-respected, scientifically validated system called Personality Type enables us to truly individualize the career discovery processto give you invaluable insights about yourself, and to enable you to find a career that makes the best use of your natural talents.

Why pick up a book to help when the internet is full of advice? Heres the truth: There are countless sites that can help you discover your personality type or give you other tools to categorize and understand yourself. But none of those sites provides the degree of depth that the book in your hands can offer. So, by all means, go online to verify your type and see whats out there (theres some great stuff!). But refer back here for a nuanced and individualized look at what career satisfaction could look like for you.

Were assuming that you picked up this book because youre at a turning point in your work. Maybe youre a student just about to choose that first important job, or perhaps youre reentering the workplace after some time off and are considering all your options. Maybe youve been laid off and need to find another path. Maybe youre dissatisfied with your job and believe there must be a better alternative. Or perhaps youre finishing up one career and thinking about starting on another. Congratulationsyouve come to the right book!

Some special encouragement is in order for career changers. If youre wondering about the wisdom of trying to change horses in midstream, you should know that millions of people change jobs every year. In fact, it is estimated that most people will hold twelve to fifteen different jobs in their lifetime. These statistics dont provide much solace, however, if you find yourself stuck in an unfulfilling job that you feel you cant quit.

There are some very practical reasons why people cant just impulsively leave their job and strike out in a new direction. You have bills to pay, maybe a family to support. It takes a lot of courage to give up a steady paycheck, even when it comes from an unsatisfying job. Its difficult to start a new job while youre still working the old oneanyone who has tried it can tell you its like having a job on top of a joband yet the idea of actually being out of work while you conduct a job search can be terrifying. Most of us dont have the financial resources to carry us over a period of unemployment, especially when theres no guarantee that well be successful in finding a new job quickly.