13 books to read early in your career
Starting your professional life is easier when you have the right knowledge and skills, and books are one of the best ways to gain them. Beyond college textbooks, reading widely is a powerful way to prepare for your career and personal growth. These 13 books will guide you in choosing the right path, thriving in your job, and taking care of yourself along the way.
While many of these will find permanent spots on your bookshelves at home, you can always sell your books online. Platforms like Amazon, eBay, and book price aggregators such as BookScouter.com help you sell a variety of formats, from used paperbacks to textbooks. This way, you pass on valuable knowledge to other young professionals while continuing to grow your own collection.
1. What Color Is Your Parachute
by Richard Nelson Bolles
Even though it was published 50 years ago, this bestselling book still helps readers figure out what they want to do, how to get a position doing it, and how to change careers if necessary. It will help you align your career with values and passions, so you always feel fulfilled. When it comes to career planning, you might be surprised about how much insight into your own psyche that you can get from this and other books.
2. Start With Why
by Simon Sinek
Beyond discovering your personal whys when it comes to career options, this book dives into discovery of why some people succeed where others do not. It helps guide you to a more productive, leadership-focused professional life. While you may not be ready to lead businesses or movements early in your career, it offers both inspiration and knowledge to help you grow.
3. Dare to Lead
by Brené Brown
Although focused largely on what creates good leaders, this bestselling book also helps you dare to become one yourself. It offers a generous, outward-thinking attitude toward gaining and sharing power, knowledge, and success. It all comes down to courage. Her other works Daring Gently and Rising Strong are also excellent choices.
4. How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
First published in 1936, this book has long been a favorite of professionals with interest in self-improvement. While some of the examples may be outdated, the ideas and meaning behind them shine through just as strong. It’s a simple yet in-depth treatise on making people like you and enacting positive changes in your career and beyond.
5. Never Eat Alone
by Keith Ferazzi
Success in your career is largely about networking and forging positive connections. This is another classic book that helps with exactly that. It gives you mindset shifts and specific, actionable steps to contact and forge relationships with people who matter to your professional life.
6. The First 90 Days
by Michael D. Watkins
Starting out on the right foot matters, and this book helps you transition to new jobs or even your very first one, with ease. It includes strategies to slip into a new role quickly, make connections more easily, and avoid potential problems. It is a combination textbook and workbook for your career advancement.
7. Thinking Fast and Slow
by Daniel Kahneman
Nobel Prize winner and famous psychologist shares an in-depth look into how people think. While not specifically targeted to career growth or professional success, this mega-bestseller teaches you about how your brain works, and how you can make it think better. The skills taught can absolutely help you perfect your innovation, creativity, and technical cognition as well.
8. Atomic Habits
by James Clear
This runaway bestseller focuses on reaching goals no matter what they are. For young people just starting out in their careers, it gives a workable foundation of building the habits that get you the most positive results. “An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones” is the subtitle, and it describes exactly what you will find between the pages. Get ready to leave unhelpful ones behind and master the best ones that help you achieve your goals.
9. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen R. Covey
This slightly older book also promotes the idea of positive habits like goal setting, proactivity, positive thinking, understanding, and ‘sharpening the saw.’ You can learn more about what all these mean in depth. Best of all, the book provides a step-by-step plan to follow that will help you succeed without compromising your principles and ethics.
10. The 80/20 Principle
by Richard Koch
“The Secret to Achieving More With Less” introduces you to the idea that just 20% of the work you do brings about 80% of the results. This well-known principle gets new life in this book that guides you to figuring out what matters, letting go of the rest, and doing what it takes to succeed with less effort and busy work.
11. To Hell With the Hustle
by Jefferson Bethke
Your college years were busy enough but beginning your professional one can make hustling seem like the only path forward. Take care of yourself by reading this book and stepping back from the more-more-more mindset. This book will help you take care of yourself and set healthy boundaries, so your career does not take over your entire life. You can do this without sacrificing success, too.
12. Mindset
by Carol S. Dweck
If you’ve already heard about the idea of a growth mindset, you know Dr. Dweck’s work. Now, dive deep into this book that explores the psychology behind success in all its forms. This is both useful for people just staring out in their chosen careers and those who want to step into leadership roles more fully.
13. Quiet
by Susan Cain
The subtitle of this book says it all: “The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.” While this early career book won’t be right for everyone, it absolutely helps a larger, quieter part of the population find their type of success in a professional world. This bestseller has plenty of impressive examples of introverts who rose to amazing heights.