Career Hacks: 3 Books To Fast-Track Your Way Up The Work Ladder

Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office by Lois P Frankel, ph.D

This New York Times bestseller is not just a must-have for women in business, but for anyone in business. Frankels’ no-nonsense guide to getting ahead covers all the do’s and the don’ts. Think: how late to stay in the office, whose coffee not to get and what notes not to take. Also: how to ask for that raise and how to get your work seen. It’s also a good go-to gift for anyone starting out in business. Among her pearls of wisdom: “You gain courage and confidence from doing the things you think you cannot do.”

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

The Cut called this the best book to turn to if you “feel stuck at your job and don’t know how to start looking for another one”, and it makes just about every career-orientated list on the New Yorker. It’s the brainchild of Bill Burnett, a mechanical engineer, and Dave Evans, the co-founder of  Electronic Arts. Together, they share a different kind of thinking to apply to your career. And yes, there are exercises to help you figure out exactly what change you might need to make. Perfect for those in search of chance who can’t quite pinpoint it.  Plus: who doesn’t love homework?

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, by Brené Brown

Brené Brown is the woman whose TED talk changed a lot of the way we think. While not strictly a business book, it will show you how to change the way you do business. This book is about showing up, about being seen, for who you are and all that you are capable of. It’s about uncovering your strength and the strength of those around you. Also some surprisingly practical advice you can use on the daily. Case in point: “Don’t try to win over the haters; you’re not the jackass whisperer.”