Product Description

Do you dream of a better life, higher pay, a challenging position with responsibility and one that takes full advantage of your interests, education, and experience? You can turn your dreams into reality and be one of the manythousands of federal employees each year that are promoted or attain higher level government jobs.

Take Charge of Your Federal Career is a practical, action-oriented career management workbook for federal employees. Packed with proven tips and valuable assessment and evaluation tools. This unique workbook provides federal workers with the individualized know-how and guidance they need to identify, obtain, and successfully demonstrate the skills and experience required to qualify for new and better federal jobs.

What separates those who want to improve and progress in theircareers from those who actually achieve success? The fact is that it’s not enough to dream about promotions, great new jobs, and higher pay, you have to plan a course of action to achieve those goals. The factors that will determine whether or not you succeed are motivation, personal initiative, and taking the steps (ACTIONS) necessary to make your dreams come true.

If you’re not satisfied with your current job or if you’ve been bypassed for a promotion don’t despair, help is out there if you know where to look. You have many options and career paths to pursue in the federal sector.Even if you lack the required education or experience there are ways to obtain skills needed to reach your career goals.

The Keys to SuccessThere are a number of steps that you must take to develop a viable career development program. Without proper planning you may not succeed and a structured program will improve your chance of success considerably.

These seven essential steps will get you where you want to go:

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If you have ever considered working from home then this is the book for you - with 196 pages detailing every step of the process.This book includes everything from picking a name and deciding on a niche area of specialization, to what equipment/software you will need.Other chapters include deciding on a business structure, creating your website, budgeting, and deciding on pricing.An entire section is devoted to explaining freelance sites, and walking you through the process of signing up, creating a profile and portfolio, bidding on projects, landing a client, completing the project, and collecting your payment.Whether you are wanting to work part-time from home to supplement your income or launch a full-time home-based business, this book will walk you through each step of creating and growing your business. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good choice
From Suits To Sweats: How To Work At Home As A Virtual Assistant is a fast, easy, and informative read. I read it over the course of a week and found it really helpful. I already have a full time job, but I do some freelance work on the side. This book gave me a lot of inside information from someone who does what I do part time - only she does it full time. The book started on a large scale with identifying the types of work a virtual assistant might do. I hadn't thought of myself necessarily as a virtual assistant before but based on her book I now consider myself that. The author gave a lot of information on the practical considerations for running a business from home no matter how small that business is. There was a lot I hadn't considered before.

This book was also a great "get-going" book because it explained a lot of technical jargon that I had heard of but didn't really have any idea what it was. It covered things like types of businesses, tax information, and insurance. The tone was friendly and first person which made it seem more conversational even though I was reading a lot of technical stuff. This book was perfect for me as a newbie with minimal experience because I got all the information I needed. Oh, and there were several checkpoints that gave me a chance to see what I was or was not set up for so I have a better idea about my own situation and direction to take.

All in all, a great read for someone starting out in the field.

A quite helpful book!
From Suits To Sweats: How To Work At Home As A Virtual Assistant is a must-read for people who are new to the virtual assistant arena and are seriously considering venturing into it. There is a lot of valuable information in this book! Paige Jackson has experience working in this area so she knows what she's talking about. However, she doesn't write over your head. I was able to read this book easily in a week and understand what I was reading. That's the key for me - I have to easily understand what I'm reading - especially informational books. Talking about IRS tax information, types of businesses, and the logistics of website design and marketing seemed very intimidating to me, but the book laid everything out in an informative and understandable way.

This book walked me through the steps needed to start my own freelance virtual assistant business. Even though I'm currently only able to do it part time, I found out that I'm on the right track and that if I want to expand in some way I have the ability and know-how to do it. There were some pieces I already knew because I've already dived in on my own. However, if I had read this before I would've done a better job starting out. The areas I really needed were the website creation/design, time and space management, and marketing. These are the areas I need to work on. She also had these checklists every so often so that I had a chance to kind of take stock of where I'm at so that I could see where I need to improve or change. This book was so helpful! If you're starting out or want to start out in the virtual assistant job area - start here.
... Read more

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If you’ve taken the time to read these words, we feel you are looking to bring a strong spiritual presence into your life. And, that is the goal we had when we began to write this book. This is not a book about religion but it will speak to the spiritual dimension of life.
For us, it all begins with making what we call the “God-connection.” We understand that sometimes you can feel a spiritual void and separated from God. That’s something even the holiest of holy go through. That’s why we started with ideas on how to bring a stronger presence of God into your life and to help you realize that God is always present and at our beckon call—if we initiate the contact. That is our first priority.
The second priority is to make the “Family-connection.” If you are married or have a desire to be married one day, we share many “how-to’s” to help you create a strong marital relationship. Together, Jodi and Billy represent seventy-four years of marriage. Based upon our mistakes and the things we’ve learned, we’ve included key elements that have helped our relationships grow. We also have a generous amount of information on raising children. The ideas have proved to be so sound that a local church has included them as part of their parenting classes.
Our third order of priorities is work. If you are looking for ways to grow your career, find satisfaction with your work and make a positive impact on the job, you will find many techniques to accomplish all three. Read and apply, and we promise good things will happen with your career.
We close the book with lots of ideas on the best success principles we could find and a great list of books to add to your success library.
All together, we believe we’ve provided a “Life Manual” to help you reach your personal, professional, and spiritual destiny.
... Read more

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Praise for Career Distinction

"Hands down, this book is the bible on branding for your career!"
-- Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of Job Search Magic

"As a professional resume writer and career coach, I have extolled the concept of personal branding for my clients for years. Now, for the first time ever, I have an outstanding resource to recommend--Career Distinction by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson. This book details the concept of personal branding in a magnificent and easy-to-digest presentation that is a must-buy for every serious job seeker."
-- Wendy S. Enelow, CCM, MRW, JCTC, CPRW Executive Director of the Career Masters Institute

"Arruda and Dixson are widely respected in the global career coaching community as gurus who not only teach but live the personal branding model, and their expertise and passion show through on every page of this practical, indispensable book. I highly recommend it to all who want to distinguish themselves from the competition."
-- L. Michelle Tullier, PhD, Vice President of Right Management and author of The Unofficial Guide to Landing a Job ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

CAREER DISTINCTION by Susan Canterbury Pipyne
This is a terrific planning book to develop a professional identity.So much of who we are is established in our values, which is why it is important to be able to visually and emotionally communicate our unique "brand." Although this book is primarily for establishing a unique career presence and online style, it's message is timeless and can help remove the "How do others see me?" syndrome, by encouraging confidence in self-promotion.

Practical, actionable, valuable
A lunchtime conversation led me to google ways to do a 360-degree assessment of how others perceive my personal and professional skills and attributes. This book was the only first-page result that provided a concise, clear summary of a theory and approach to determine "who I am" in the eyes of others. Within an hour, I had read the first few chapters and sent out a survey to 140 people in my personal and professional network. Within 5 minutes, I got the first few results.

My only complaint is that the survey tool does not integrate with social media platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn.

However, the brevity, simplicity and focused message of this book makes up for the burden of manually uploading a CSV file then deleting email addresses.

Overall, I highly recommend that all executives take the time (and risk) to survey those whom you have had good and bad relationships.

I look forward to learning more about my weaknesses so that I address them while I increase focus on my strengths.

I can tell
Near the beginning of this book, the author brags that it was written in airport waiting rooms. I can definitely tell. Like most business books it has nothing new to say but says it over several pages using anecdotes which upon closer reading don't really support their ideas. Why do business books use such large type? Because they have nothing to say that couldn't be said in a a seven page article in a business journal but then they wouldn't make as much off of it would they? Avoid this book.

Simple, Interesting and Informative
A must read book with a great real stories and tasks encouraging you to take action to brand your career.

It's what they think that counts
This book was very informative and helped me shift from my last "job title" to a more deeper understanding of my unique value to an organization. This knowledge about myself improved with each chapter. You can download a free workbook which serves as a great self-coaching tool with well-designed written exercises. I completed this workbook and appreciated having this as I read the book. The book is well organized and easy to follow. The 360 tool is a nice offer..very interesting activity to discover how other people view your talents and attributes. I used to do similiar 360 processes when I coached senior managers. However, I wasen't able to get it done in the 15 day time limit. You can retake for a minimal fee of $15...You can also conduct an informal "360" of your attributes by asking friends and colleagues. The three "C's" clarity,consistency, and constancy are what you need to be when you "show up" to your target audience or customer. These concepts are reinforced throughout the book and are very useful when you are designing your business cards, networking, or preparing for a job interview. I recommend all job seekers to design their personal branding as they prepare to compete in this very
tough job market. ... Read more

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“Your services are no longer required” can be the most chilling words you will ever hear. They can also be the invitation to take permanent charge of your career. No matter how prosperous the times, downsizing and outplacements are now a permanent part of the corporate landscape.

Your Services are No Longer Required will show you step-by-step how to cope, compete, and come out on top; how to spot danger signals, the pros and cons of networking, present yourself in resumes and interviews, and how to put a financial floor under your recovery. This essential guide offers hope and comfort on the road to re-employment and shows how to get on the career road you want to travel. ... Read more

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The author, laid-off from WorldCom, encourages readers through six steps,from home-office setup to selling a service.Currently a technical / freelance writer, Donna's worksheets, moneymaking ideas, and timely advice help readers survive their job search. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Didn't care for it all
I didn't find anything useful in this book.It is very, very basic and the chapter of religion at the end was just bizarre. Don't waste your money.

Practical and informative
How To Make Money While Looking for a Job is a wonderful informative workbook that gives you practical, low cost methods to keep you afloat while searching for you next job. I love how each chapter moves you systematically through the process of deciding what to provide, setting up your office, implementing your plan of action and advertising your new business. Worksheets round out the chapter and keep you on task.

In reality, this book can be used to begin any business. Ms. Boyette's candid sharing of her personal experience helps you realize you are not alone in your particular situation. A must read for anyone going into business for themselves.
... Read more

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A refreshing message . . . from someonewho has fought many corporate wars. TheNew York Times With the latest stories from D Alessandros neverendingcollectionof corporate derring-do and newinsight on the global battlefield, the nationallybestselling Career Warfare is more essential than ever whennavigating your wayto success. Alessandro dares to speak the truth. If you don't manage your ownreputation, those around you will.This is no theoretical exercise. In corporateAmerica, people talk about you every day. You can affect whatthey say. With acut-the-crap sharp eye for the passions,yearnings, and follies that drive everyorganization, Alessandro draws apart the drapes and revealswhat it really takesto get ahead in business. James Carville, author and Democratic Strategist Withgood jobs becoming harder to find, Alessandro's sage advice is more timelyandimportant than ever, especially for those who aretrying to build theirpersonal brands and enhancetheir careers at the same time. Tom Neff, Chairman,U.S., Spencer Stuart Smart, strategic, and useful career advice fromsomeone whohas actually achieved success in thereal world. Harvey Mackay, author ofthe  New York Times bestseller Swim With The Sharks Without Being EatenAlive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

If You Must Fight and Win in the Corporate World - this is the book
I have only recently come across Mr. D'Alessandro's books, but they are all prominent in my library for what they have to offer to those of us who walk the life of True Corporate Samurai (Nope no joke we do exist), or in other words just being an effective corporate professional.

Here are some of my clear favorites from the book that spoke to actual experiences I've had in my corporate life both inside and outside of Intel.

"Face Facts: You will make enemies in organizational life, and the more successful you are, the more enemies you will make."

"Your enemies will rarely confront you directly.Instead, they will try to hurt you without leaving fingerprints...I guarantee that very few of the enemies you meet in your career will have the courage to criticize you to your face, or on the record."

"When you enemies cannot get you on the merits, they will often try and destroy your brand through gossip."

"Your Coworkers will take shots at you for all kinds of biblical reasons; envy, lust, sloth, you name it.The truly dangerous ones will do it simply do it for sport.And you may not always be as lucky as i was and have a boss who tells you outright what the rumors are doing to your brand.So it is smart to be attuned to the signs that someone is trying to do you in."

"An attempt to undermine your authority , on the other hand deserves everything that you can throw at it."

"Make sure that you fire traitors, as an example to everyone else."

"A reputation as an absolute pacifist is useful if you are a candidate for sainthood, but is a disaster if you are a candidate for higher office in an organization.You have nothing to gain and a great deal to lose if you fail to make an example of someone who tries to undermine you."

Why do I like all of these particular comments from the book? Because in my former job, and even in my current one, this is oh so typical of those of us who are capable in what we do, have to deal with the "bad actors" and there are so many that have an axe to grind.

Instead of their working hard, they would rather make their bones by using such tactics, Mr. D'Alessandro has done all of us a favor by writing this book on how to protect and defend our professional brands.

Richard Platt
(former) Intel - Global Innovation Program Manager & Senior Instructor for Innovation Methods

Pretty good..
easy to read, interesting, useful information, well written, good examples. It's like the auther put things you already know together in a very simple, clear way as a reminder. When I am in uncomfortable situation at work, I think of his 10 rules and I can almost always find one that fits in my situation. Even when I don't want to act certain way, thinking about this book and his examples, I make myself do things in a way that probably helps me in my career than I would have acted just emotionally.

A Good Read
The concept of having your own personal brand is rather new and refreshing.A must read for any professional in corporate America.I have shared this book with co-workers.

Branding for business
I almost didn't read this book because of the title. Warfare is not the best metaphor for the workplace these days when we should be striving for win/win scenarios.

Still, there are times when you need to be tough, and situations when someone goes behind your back (not mentioning any names here, but it has happened to me!) I read the book and found several things that I could do better-isn't that why you read business books?

The main theme here is personal branding. The style and tone are too militaristic for my tastes, but he does have a different take on branding than other books on this popular topic, and is therefore worthwhile.

A strong personal brand is your greatest weapon on the business battlefield
Most people tend to believe that if they work hard, deliver results and persevere- their career will follow a predictable progression. However, that's not the case. In his book - "Career Warfare" - author David D'Alessandro writes that hard work and accomplishments are not enough, especially as you advance through the higher levels of an organization where everyone demonstrates those attributes.The author further explains that to differentiate yourself at that level of management requires a personal brand, which can only be built over time - read as, start now. His tips include being recognized for the right reasons; deftly handling detractors as well as being perceived as the go-to person that can be trusted to handle problems or opportunities. Soundview like this book because it D'Alessandro writes the unwritten rules of organizational life that are necessary to advance to the top.

... Read more

Product Description
What do you want from your work? Would you like more interesting assignments, greater responsibility, a bigger paycheck, increased recognition, time with family or friends, or more balance in life?Whatever it is, discover how you can have it by nibbling your way to success, using common sense, but uncommon practices to achieve the results you want from your work, life, and future.

From minimum wage employee to Vice President of multi-billion dollar QVC, the author knows what it takes to survive and thrive in this what-have-you-done-for-me-today-world. Now she shares her insider tips, insights and winning perspectives with you.

Nibble Your Way to Success will help you:

* find the time you've lost for your life
* look forward to Mondays
* take charge of your career on minutes a day
* capture your boss's or client's or customer's attention
* achieve big results with little changes
* double your effectiveness ... Read more

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An entertaining and inspiring story on how to get the most out of life. Covers seven "musts" to leading a happy, productive life with rich and rewarding relationships. ... Read more

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Presents the tale of Agent Smith and his chosen mission to escape the State of Mediocrity and discover the Secret Service essential to live in Prosperity. ... Read more

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With information on changes to medical training, advice on getting into a highly competitive career, and information on the varied range of jobs on offer, this is a guide for anyone wanting to know exactly what a life working in medicine, dentistry or mental health entails. There are tips on getting in, advice on how the field is likely to change, and useful names, addresses and contact points. ... Read more

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This guide is aimed at both first-time job-seekers and those already in work, but looking for a career in banking and finance. It takes a down-to-earth look at the opportunities available and gives advice on applications, qualifications and interview techniques. ... Read more

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An insider's guide to getting bigger promotions, better clients, and a richer career life. Whether you're transitioning into a new role, expanding your company, or advancing up the corporate ladder, this book will take your career from ordinary to extraordinary.

This book provides advanced strategies, best practices, and lessons learned that will help you build a powerful personal brand. By incorporating these five career success strategies you will be able to stand above your competition, put yourself in high demand with clients, managers, and potential employers, and have a more gratifying and enriching career.

Mastering the art of personal branding means that you are sending the right messages, networking with the right career influencers, and successfully driving the perceptions of clients, managers, and potential employers. Learn the five critical steps to developing a powerful personal brand:

1. Defining the five core ingredients that make you unique.
2. Sending the right messages.
3. Building relationships with the right career influencers.
4. Strengthening your visibility and credibility with career influencers.
5. Creating an ROI dashboard to measure and build your success.

A step-by-step action plan, “Career Smart - 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand” is a must have. Whether you’re transitioning into a new role, expanding your company, or advancing up the corporate ladder, this book will teach you how to take your career from ordinary to extraordinary.

Written by career expert and international speaker Sherri Thomas, President, Career Coaching 360, LLC.
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Customer Reviews (9)

Excellent Resource
Sherri has given great advice and examples on how to be sure you're presenting your best self to current and potential employers and clients.

Personal Branding Guru
Sherri presents a clear path to defining your personal branding and proceeds to share with you how to stand out from the competition. She also offer further help on her website if you request personal career coaching. She gives sound advice which she has used successfully for herself and others. Career Smart is concise and very easy to follow. Each step is laid out in a manner that helps you progress toward your goal of a more rewarding career.

Who are you?
Personal branding is about projecting who you really are instead of settling for what you get. Taking time up front to establish what you're all about and then seeking the job or even career that match your characteristics creates a foundation for success and happiness. We spend a substantial amount of our adult lives working. That time can be very rewarding and fulfilling with just a little planning. This book takes you through the steps to establishing what you are about and conveying that message to prospective employers or clients. It is laid out in a logic fashion with each section building on the previous. It starts by having you define who you are now, what you are looking for, and the best way to send that message. That's enough right there, but the book heightens this further and drives you to think outside the box and shrug off limitations. After reading this, I felt energized and eager to do what I want and should do and make more money in the process.

Career Smart
Whether we know it or not, we all have a personal brand. When people look at us, we portray a certain image. While we go about our daily business, we exhibit certain personality traits and talents. Even what we chose to do says something about our values.

For most of us, the main problem is that our brand is fuzzy. The way we look, the activities we undertake, how we act, and the talents we use tend to lack any sort of connection. Mostly that is because we lack clarity on who we are, what we want to portray to the world, and how we are going to accomplish this things.

Career Smart seeks to help define a personal brand that will describe you and your unique qualities, even if you don't think you have anything worthwhile to brand. The author then shows how you can use this brand to further your current career path whether you are looking for work, in a job you hate, successful but looking to move forward, or looking to move into an entirely different career.

Go from ordinary to extraordinary
It seems as though everyone I talk to knows someone or has been laid off, downsized or is looking for a job because of the economic and credit crisis.Sherri Thomas shares her secrets to powerful personal branding, how to send the right messages, networking, and how to put yourself in high demand with clients, managers and potential employers.
Now is the time to work on your branding and presentation so that when an opportunity comes along, you are ready and ready to beat the competition.
Sherri provides us with strategies, best practices and lessons she has learned to help us all be successful and be a leader in our chosen field. ... Read more

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Recreation, Park & Leisure Services constitute an immense, diversified field of public involvement and employment opportunity.Leisure Services describes 10 major elements in this overall system, identifying the organizations involved, their goals, programs, marketing strategies and staffing structures.Liberally illustrated, this text provides an authoritative picture of the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Enhanced with a bibliography, an author/subject index
Introduction To Leisure Services: Career Perspectives is the collaborative effort of Richard Kraus, Elisabeth Barber, and Ira Shapiro. With opening chapters covering recreation and leisure in American life and the organized leisure-service system in place today, Introduction To Leisure Services goes on to descriptively address public recreation, park and leisure-service agencies; non-profit, volunteer oriented, leisure-service agencies; commercial recreation businesses; armed forces and employee-service programs; campus and private-membership recreation; therapeutic recreation services; contemporary sports management; travel, tourism and hospitality; and career perspectives in leisure-service agencies. Enhanced with a bibliography, an author/subject index, and two appendices ("Listing of Organizations and Societies" and "Suggested Class Assignments and Student Projects"), Introduction To Leisure Services: Career Perspectives is an enthusiastically recommended addition to academic library collections and an ideal textbook for Leisure, Sports & Recreational Services curriculums. ... Read more

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Most school librarians are solo librarians working with little direct contact with their counterparts in schools or in other types of libraries. This makes it very difficult to keep up with trends and issues. Building a personal learning network will help overcome the isolation.

Most school librarians are solo librarians working away from little direct contact with their counterparts in schools and in other types of libraries. Sometimes this is geography and other times it is the lack of opportunities within their school districts or communities to become acquainted and communicate. It is very difficult to keep up with trends and issues, new methods or activities that should be tried in libraries. For those who did not learn the importance of professional development in their education programs, the author discusses the need for the solo librarian to remain current and to continue to find ways to use in continuing advocacy for their school library programs. Building a personal learning network can help overcome the isolation. Opportunities for becoming active at the state and national level are described as well as how to go beyond the library. Social bookmarking, social networks, and online conferences are discussed. Because many lack funds to attend conferences, readers will be pleased to learn that most of the activities can be done without leaving home.

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Customer Reviews (1)

interesting insight into physical therapy profession
This is an interesting book for anyone who is interested in going into the physical therapy profession or for anyone who has had, or anticipates having physical therapy so they better understand both the treatment they might be given and how to cooperate with the therapist for maximum benefit ... Read more

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This easy-to-follow, clearly written book presents all the necessary mathematical skills needed to be a competent cosmetologist or manager.The logical format begins with basic math skills, applies them to cosmetology, then advances to specific topics such as measurement, time management, and business and personal finance.A perfect tool for students with little or no background in math. ... Read more