Career Tool: Work Strong

“Work Strong (http://www NULL.careerfitness NULL.com/p1/Work-Strong:-Your-Personal-Career-Fitness-System NULL.htm),” the new book by Peter Weddle is more than a book; it’s a Career Fitness System.

Getting in Shape

The premise of Weddle’s highly original, engaging book is that people must think of themselves as career activists, and as such self-manage their careers.

Why take the initiative?

Because no one else is going to do it for you.

Gone are the days when a company took you under its wing. If you want a high-flying career, you must take the appropriate leaps. (Okay, enough with the flight metaphors.)

The bottom line is that today each person is responsible for her or his own career. And Peter Weddle (http://www NULL.weddles NULL.com/whois NULL.htm), a long-time leader in the employment field, believes that to maximize career potential you have to have a plan–make that a Career Fitness Plan.

Weddle likens getting your career in shape to being a “career athlete,” and, as with athletics, there are steps you can take to improve your performance.

Assessing and Building

The process begins with gaining insight into whether your career is healthy. In order to help you find out, “Work Strong” features a Career Fitness Evaluation.

The evaluation allows you to look at your career from personal and professional vantage points. If you score low in certain areas of Career Fitness, the book points you to other exercises that can help you address areas where you need additional strength.

“Work Strong” is indeed a workbook, and as such it features a range of tools.

Sure, a lot of career books have tools, but the tools in “Work Strong” are different in that they “build” greater awareness. In this sense, they are real exercises. And, as exercises, they spur readers to think about their careers; meanwhile, they also invigorate career athletes to achieve their goal, which, ultimately, is better Career Fitness.

Something for Everyone

Whether you’re unemployed and looking for a job; hold a less-than-ideal position and have decided to wait out the economy; dream of starting your own business; or fall into another career category, “Work Strong” can help you understand your strengths and help you fortify your weaknesses.

In addition to exercises and advice, the book features the “Diary of a Career Activist.” This journal provides insight into work and other aspects of life, and makes a case for why it’s important to, you guessed it, work strong.

Peter Weddle offers information about his book online (http://www NULL.careerfitness NULL.com), where you’ll find two free tests you can take, one to assess your career and the other to assess your current employer. You may also want to check out WorkStrong (http://www NULL.weddles NULL.com/workstrong), Weddle’s blog.

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