The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success (Touchstone Books (Paperback))

This is the first book that I can honestly say changed my life. I was stuck in a job that was just not right for me. I hated going to work everyday. Did you see that commercial that CareerBuilder ran during the Superbowl about how you know it's time to leave your job (I think they said if you cry all the time, get no respect, want to punch small animals... ect). That was me, I had pretty much all those symptoms. Well, after the 2nd or 3rd time of calling in sick because I just couldn't face another day, I decided I wanted to look at my options, and I picked up The Pathfinder.Ok, The Pathfinder is not an easy book to read. They want you to do all these exercises and keep a notebook journaling your wants, commitments, and requirements. I will admit that the journal thing is not all that clear (or at least it wasn't to me). Plus, there are several parts of the book that are kind of confusing, such as, what's the difference between a commitment and a goal, and a meta-goal and your purpose? I still haven't figured a few of those things out.However, there are quite a few nuggets of gold hidden between the craziness. First of all, this book will convince you that there is a better job out there for you, that you are not necessarily stuck forever in your current crappy job unless you decide to be. This was the biggest revelation for me. Until I read this book I thought that my last job was the best that it would ever get, which in retrospect was pretty sad because I was really unhappy in my last job. Secondly, it will get you off your butt and help you think in more positive ways about how you can improve your situation. I think that that is actually the main purpose of the journal - maybe some of the things they have you do don't make much sense but at least you're thinking about how to change things. Finally, there are some extremely good and different ideas in here, stuff that I have never seen before. This Nicholas Lore guy has an extremely different way of thinking. I love his discussion about the "yeahbuts," which are the things that make you fail your commitments. That chapter alone has helped me through many obstacles. You could even use this book outside of the job search purpose, if you had something else in your life that you wanted to change.A side note - I did the talent assessment that Lore recommends to go along with this book. I would say, it is very interesting, and it helps you see why you are the way you are a little more. However, I don't think it is worth the 500$ price tag. Especially since it didn't affect my job search in the slightest, and I am slightly skeptical of the way they are calculating their "grades" on the exam. My opinion after going through the entire process of finding a new job is that you innately know what you want from a job, and you probably don't need a talent assessment to tell you that. For an example from my own experience, during my job search I knew that I wanted a lot more problem solving and responsibility at my new job. When I took the talent assessment it showed me that I had high analytic and diagnostic reasoning. I could have figured out from the test that I wanted more problem solving, but I already knew that before I took the test.I was definitely a victim of the American way of job selection, and I now believe that every senior in high school should have to take a class in deciding what they want to do with their lives before they go to college and get forced to select. It is unfair to ask a kid that has never been out in the workforce and has very little life experience to simply just decide what they want to do for the next 40-50 years, especially if they are not the type of kid with some sort of hobby that could translate into a career. When I have kids, they are going to learn from me that the most important thing that they can do to get into a career that suits them is to pick up a book like Pathfinder, and really assess their lives and ask questions about what profession would be best for them.This book has it's flaws, but I feel that the main goal of this book (to get you off your hiney and looking for a job if you're unhappy, or to start thinking about what careers would be best for you if you're a student) is achieved, and the author has some genius pearls of insight that can help you in every aspect of your life. Plus, I can also attest that I have this book to owe for getting me out of my old job and into a new job that I am much happier in.

The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success.The Pathfinder is the book I had been looking for and feared didn't exist; a quantum leap forward when it comes to navigating the angst-filled process of career change. Whether you are thinking of making a change because you are looking for something more fulfilling, or you are on the pointy end of the downsizing stick, this brilliant book is a resource you should not be without.As a career and life coach myself, I should say that I don't think any book can quite substitute for having a real live coach in your corner to take you step by step through the process and help you to keep your commitments to yourself. Having said that, I think that the author Nick Lore, founder of the Rockport Institute ([...]) and one of the pioneers of career coaching, comes amazingly close here. Mr. Lore's writing style is in turn insightful, demanding and hilarious - and anyone who has looked for a job recently knows you need a sense of humor. The book makes you feel as if he's sitting across from you at your kitchen table, asking pointed questions and offering expert advice.Intended to be a low-cost alternative to Rockport's amazingly successful Career Choice program where senior Rockport coaches guide and support clients all the way through to their goal of choosing a fulfilling and practical new career, the book works hard at instilling the reader with a sense of confidence that they can do this, and then shows them how. Many people have heard the adage, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time," but they forget that wisdom when they contemplate a major life change. People regularly condemn themselves to jobs they find just tolerable, and even to jobs they hate, because the process of finding something new feels too overwhelming. This book helps you break that huge decision "What should I do with my life?" into bite-sized pieces and shows you how to do it step-by-step.At the heart of the Rockport approach is the core principle that what makes a career fit is that it fits you fully. Since author Lore coined the term "career coaching" in the 1980s, Rockport has used methods they created that are much more powerful and practical than most career counseling; methods that help people choose careers that provide both satisfaction and maximum success. They say that in order to have a job that has you singing in the shower in the morning, your work needs to fit you like a custom-made suit, making full use of your natural talents and abilities, fitting your personality, in work that is meaningful to you in an environment that supports you. This method is the heart of The Pathfinder.Talents, work environment, job functions, and your own inner sense of purpose and many other areas all play a role in designing the perfect career, and the book tackles each in turn to help you decide what matters most to you. (If you are the sort who "wants to make a difference in the world", the chapter on Meaning, Mission and Purpose is worth the price of the book all by itself!)Having read some of the negative reviews for this book - honestly, because I couldn't imagine why people didn't like it - I find that a lot of the complaints people had were that the book asks people to make "too many" lists or is somehow too introspective. The book does ask the reader to do a fair amount of work, in fact, on page one, the author writes, "I hope you will choose to be a participant and not just a reader." A lifetime of personal and work experience has taught me that if you are looking to other people to give you the answers as to what will make you happy, you are bound to be disappointed. If, however, you are looking for someone who has been down the road himself to give you a compass and a map, tell you what to watch out for and what shouldn't be missed, then The Pathfinder can definitely help you find your way.For students and young adults under 30 I recommend Lore's new book, "Now What? The Young Person's Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career."

The media could not be loaded.  This book is awesome! I think we all want to spend our days doing things that light us up and finding that thing can feel really allusive. This book is a tool to help you figure it out in a really interesting and supportive way. Will update my review once I complete it but loving it so far and actually want to read it! It’s helping.

One of the best book written by an expert in this area. Nicholas has gone into so much details that you will get everything you want for a direction of your future in this book

This book has pages missing and pages in the wrong area. The books content is really good, but just annoyed that this wasnt checked before sending it to a customer. Now the return period is over and I wouldnt have been able to figure this out until I read up until the pages where there are errors. I want a full refund and a new copy..

I try to keep an open mind with things like this because I've tried them in the past and most of them don't work but his one does!I was not happy with my career and life so I did some research and found this book. I took some time of work and put time and effort into it and it paid off. I would suggest you buy a notebook and dedicate it to this book and your career research only.The book is filled with questions to help lead you to the right answer BUT it requires your full attention and complete honesty! Even if you try to burgs things off and go back to your settled way of thinking, questions that make you uncomfortable will come up again and again in different forms until you answer truthfully and choose only the building blocks you really want in your career. We spend way too much time at work to be unhappy with our careers. It's definitely worth the effort. Try it!

I looked at many books on this subject before making this choice. This was a great choice and I highly recommend it for anyone starting out or wanting to change careers. It combines lots of useful tools with exercises and self-reflection necessary to find out way in this world.