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Working Identity, Updated Edition, With a New Preface: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career

Working Identity, Updated Edition, With a New Preface: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career

  • Downloads：2135
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-10-25 01:19:45
  • Update Date：2025-09-15
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Herminia Ibarra
  • ISBN：1647825563
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Elle ，

I really appreciated Working Identity， the Updated Edition， by Herminia Ibarra （and thank you to NetGalley and Harvard Business Review Press for the ARC）。I am 14 years into my professional career in education， but am currently pursuing my MBA to explore pivot options。 So often when I attempt to read any business related book， jobs like education/administration/non profit/etc。 are not included， and even in my current courses， people often don't know what to make of my background in education admi I really appreciated Working Identity， the Updated Edition， by Herminia Ibarra （and thank you to NetGalley and Harvard Business Review Press for the ARC）。I am 14 years into my professional career in education， but am currently pursuing my MBA to explore pivot options。 So often when I attempt to read any business related book， jobs like education/administration/non profit/etc。 are not included， and even in my current courses， people often don't know what to make of my background in education administration as opposed to their careers in more traditional business roles。 Working Identity actually includes options for people from a wide range of careers， and explains what/how those people were able to alter their goals and achieve new satisfying roles。 This might have been one of the first books that I could actually connect with （though sometimes I still find it difficult to find commonalities with the people in high powered manager of giant corporation type roles - I guess it makes sense that high powered positions have more ability to maneuver their employment opportunities and to engage consultants， but it can leave me feeling far beneath any type of connection）。 I also really enjoyed the references to the impacts of the pandemic on switching roles。 I imagine in a few years we will be able to more distinctly look at the impacts of the pandemic on work （past the Great Resignation and work-from-home）。I am excited to implement some of the strategies Ibarra references throughout Working Identity - and I am interested in digging more deeply into communities of practice to begin my reflection and goals and search for opportunities。 。。。more

Alexandra ，

It's not a bad book， but the ideas could have been summarized in a white paper and maybe needed 10-15 pages total。 The rest of 150 pages are interviews and repetitions of the same basic statements over and over。 I agree with the general theme - if you want to change something， don't wait for an epiphany。 Instead you need to experiment， see what you might like and what you might hate， find good new role models and know that big changes are never easy。 Some statistics and some first person narrati It's not a bad book， but the ideas could have been summarized in a white paper and maybe needed 10-15 pages total。 The rest of 150 pages are interviews and repetitions of the same basic statements over and over。 I agree with the general theme - if you want to change something， don't wait for an epiphany。 Instead you need to experiment， see what you might like and what you might hate， find good new role models and know that big changes are never easy。 Some statistics and some first person narratives are good and can be motivational， but here they were simply boring （except for the very first story about a psychiatrist who became a buddhist monk， that one was cool）。 。。。more

Lauren ，

Must-read for anyone who wants to make a radical career change！

Maria ，

Kind of interesting…Kind of academic。。Kind of not easy to relate to at many instances…Has some food for thought …Maybe not a good match for me。 Couldn’t relate to the steps of the method suggested even though i read it in times of career changing。Anyway i dont consider that i have lost my time reading it。 There are some things one can consider

Catherine ，

Anyone is the throes of career transition must get a copy of this book。

Pablo María Fernández ，

I found out about this book thanks to a Twitter post。 It contains a couple of interesting concepts but it’s far longer than it needs to be。 Probably good material for an article of the Harvard Business School （the editor of the book） for too much repetition along the book。 The basic concept is very simple: if we want to change our career path in our midlife we shouldn’t overthink about it， plan everything in advance and do a deep introspective exercise as we usually read or listen to career coac I found out about this book thanks to a Twitter post。 It contains a couple of interesting concepts but it’s far longer than it needs to be。 Probably good material for an article of the Harvard Business School （the editor of the book） for too much repetition along the book。 The basic concept is very simple: if we want to change our career path in our midlife we shouldn’t overthink about it， plan everything in advance and do a deep introspective exercise as we usually read or listen to career coaches。 Instead， it is richer to take it as a work in progress in which we discover ourselves along the way。One of the strengths of the book is that it stands on giant´s shoulders: Edgar Schein and his career anchors， Ikujiro Nonaka， Carl Rogers， Mark Granovetter （weak ties will help you getting your new job）， Herny Mintzberg and more。 Having read them on my college years， it was a good refresher to see their concepts presented here。 On the weak side， the author presents many testimonies that didn’t add much value （I skipped them and went directly to the concepts and ideas）。 Also， the interviews were done from 1999 to 2001， a peculiar moment in the business world （dot com bubble， in case you were wondering）。 On top of that -in the more than twenty years since the book's publication- work went through multiple changes （LinkedIn， mobile， remote work， etc。） that of course are not present on this text。In summary， there are more recent books on this topic that will probably provide more value for your time and money。 Some of my favorite's quotes:“Change always takes much longer than we expect because to make room for the new， we have to get rid of some of the old selves we are still dragging around and， unconsciously， still invested in becoming。”“For most of us， work is an important source of personal meaning and social definition。” “Many of our career choices were baked on the desires of our parents， teachers， spouses or unexamined （and often dysfunctional） institutional loyalties。 “It takes on average， three years from the time a person decides to leave the company until the day he or she walks out the door。 Those are not good or productive years。” “Recognize， question， and eventually dismantle some of the basic operating principles that are at the foundation of our working identities。”“The difference between a job change and a career reinvention lies in a depth of personal transformation that is largely invisible to an outside observer。” “。。。how much he had allowed his job and title to define his identity。” “。。。his family had already pegged him as a ´finance person’。 Without meaning to， friends and family pigeonhole us。 Worse， they fear our changing。” “。。。our intimates -spouses， bosses， close friends， parents -expect us to remain the same， and they pressure us to be consistent。” “One of the central identity problems that has to be worked out during a career transition is deciding on the story that links the old and new self。” 。。。more

Mike ，

Excellent - I needed this This is the best book I’ve read about career change and identity。 It’s unfortunate that the knowledge contained in this book is “unconventional” （not well known） because it certainly resonates and is more helpful than almost other approaches to transitioning one’s path。

JP ，

What I appreciated most about this book is the breadth of real case studies， which the author makes relevant and approachable。 The core idea of this book is about “crafting experiments” to explore the possibilities for one’s next career chapter。 Iterative cycles allow one to discover and test。 It’s also important to expand the network of resources and seek out mentors or “guides。” Figuring it out takes time， even more so for people in corporate jobs where the time to explore is limited and exist What I appreciated most about this book is the breadth of real case studies， which the author makes relevant and approachable。 The core idea of this book is about “crafting experiments” to explore the possibilities for one’s next career chapter。 Iterative cycles allow one to discover and test。 It’s also important to expand the network of resources and seek out mentors or “guides。” Figuring it out takes time， even more so for people in corporate jobs where the time to explore is limited and existing networks have little range。 。。。more

Eric ，

In our work-obsessed society， changing jobs can be tantamount to reinventing your identity， even your worldview。 In this semi-academic exploration， Ibarra embraces this idea and expounds on it， encouraging readers who have become tired and frustrated with their worklife to dig into deeper questions about what would make you happy， to resist settling for easy， shallow shifts （that can result in taking you from the proverbial frying pan to the fire）， and to investigate and create novel opportuniti In our work-obsessed society， changing jobs can be tantamount to reinventing your identity， even your worldview。 In this semi-academic exploration， Ibarra embraces this idea and expounds on it， encouraging readers who have become tired and frustrated with their worklife to dig into deeper questions about what would make you happy， to resist settling for easy， shallow shifts （that can result in taking you from the proverbial frying pan to the fire）， and to investigate and create novel opportunities by developing new networks of colleagues and experimenting with unfamiliar potential identities。 Using the experiences of individuals who have made successful， often dramatic changes in their careers， she illustrates commonalities in how each approached the process。 Ibarra's interviewees lean heavily toward the high-earning tech and business elite， however。。。 in essence， those who are more likely to find their skills in demand。 The book could greatly have benefited by including a few examples of career transitions outside elite circles and highly privileged workers， but I suppose that was not the stated aim of most of her studies。 。。。more

Sophie S ，

Herminia Ibarra gives a fantastic insight on reinventing your career。 She describes the process and the different stages one needs to go through。 Very helpful were the stories of study participants who experienced change but also errors。 I specifically enjoyed the part when she was talking about “alert intermissions“ or also known as the pivotal events that we are secretively waiting for because they give us this one meaningful sign or impulse to confirm that we are on the right track。 Last but Herminia Ibarra gives a fantastic insight on reinventing your career。 She describes the process and the different stages one needs to go through。 Very helpful were the stories of study participants who experienced change but also errors。 I specifically enjoyed the part when she was talking about “alert intermissions“ or also known as the pivotal events that we are secretively waiting for because they give us this one meaningful sign or impulse to confirm that we are on the right track。 Last but not least， I was positively surprised over the unconventional strategies at the end of the book。 This book was everything I wished for。 。。。more

John Rowland ，

Recommended by SL

4+ ，

Easy read You can get a gist of the book by just reading the last chapter。

Anna Fedusiv ，

Fantastic book which should read anyone undergoing professional transition。 What I particularly liked about it is a science- based approach which the author uses to showcase different strategies of a career transition。 Multitude of transition scenarios allowed to have a broader overview on what phases transition might take。 All in all- a good one

Doug Stotland ，

Helpful case studies and research summaries for anyone thinking about what’s next and how to get going Im a new career direction。 I found the philosophy and approach especially useful。 The packaging is more academic and was a bit of a slog to get through but I feel better for having read it。

Perry Burton ，

Not exactly mainstream。。。。but absolutely fascinating

TM ，

A retired American Express executive recommended this book to me。 I learned we are many selves， not just the self-defined singular version established early in the career journey and reinforced over time。 Working Identity shares real examples of individuals who explored， experimented and tested interests and long-held hunches to define a new path for themselves。 In my view， the insights shared in this book are powerful because they are practical and tested。

Signe Lazdina ，

Interesting ideas to explore for the time in my career I am now。

Fangyuan Ren ，

Most people have a job， but not most people love what they do。 If you are confused about your career choice or thinking about your next career move， this book provides great advices on the steps you could take to figure out what you love and you may just find a career that will bring you happiness。

Jules Farrington ，

⭐⭐⭐✨

Ershen ，

While the subheading of Ibarra’s book is “strategies to reinvent your career”， I picked this up because I was drawn to the concept of a working identity: identity in progress。 Even if you （like me） are not contemplating a career change， I think there are worthy insights to be found here。 As I grow into my career I find my identity and beliefs shifting and sharpening — and while my work informs my identity， I sometimes find myself thinking about over-identification and its consequences。 Our ident While the subheading of Ibarra’s book is “strategies to reinvent your career”， I picked this up because I was drawn to the concept of a working identity: identity in progress。 Even if you （like me） are not contemplating a career change， I think there are worthy insights to be found here。 As I grow into my career I find my identity and beliefs shifting and sharpening — and while my work informs my identity， I sometimes find myself thinking about over-identification and its consequences。 Our identities are informed by many different streams， and “we are not one true self， but many selves。 Those identities exist in the past， present， future。” Ibbara warns that over-identification to one particular identity can lead to a lack of growth in other areas。 She retells a parable of a woman swimming across a lake with a rock in her hand — as the woman nears the centre of the lake， she starts to sink under the weight of the stone。 People watching from the shore yell and urge her to drop the rock， but she keeps swimming， sinking more and more。 As she sinks， they hear here say “I can’t。 It’s mine。”Besides the talk of careers and identity， I was drawn to Ibbara’s discussion of departures。 While she talks about it in the context of the workplace and career changes， it‘s poetic in other ways。 Departures from our ‘ought-to-be’ and old versions of self are sometimes hard to recognise。 She offers advice on how to act on these signals for departure， and to have the courage enact other versions of ourselves which might be struggling to surface。 。。。more

Lavanya Madhusudan ，

Mostly the results of the author’s study of professionals （mostly in business careers） who have considered and navigated career transition/reinvention。 It reads like the results of a qualitative study and seeks to convey the main themes of how people actually end up changing careers （by trying out new things rather than thinking/planning and then doing） to combat the popular idea that we need to figure ourselves out first via introspection before we jump into something else。 Was a bit academic/o Mostly the results of the author’s study of professionals （mostly in business careers） who have considered and navigated career transition/reinvention。 It reads like the results of a qualitative study and seeks to convey the main themes of how people actually end up changing careers （by trying out new things rather than thinking/planning and then doing） to combat the popular idea that we need to figure ourselves out first via introspection before we jump into something else。 Was a bit academic/overt detailed at times but overall worth the read。 I found that it helped validate things I’ve been feeling and how my journey in making a major career is going。 I do think introspection is valuable， to help folks determine what options align with their values and narrow the list。 But I appreciate the author’s emphasis of career change being an iterative process of trying， learning， modifying and trying again。 。。。more

NL ，

The stories are great examples to relate to and reflect upon for your own reinvention。

Alexander Roth ，

Her comments on the section ‘In the Middle’ were her best

Jens Godat ，

If you think you can *think* your way through a major career change， you'll think twice after reading this book。 Its premise actually is that career changes are primarily a result of action， less of thinking， and often are a result of iterative testing and experimentation with different selves， that ultimately are rearranged to form a new identity。 Plenty of relatable examples for the knowledge worker that give concrete credence to the premise。 If you think you can *think* your way through a major career change， you'll think twice after reading this book。 Its premise actually is that career changes are primarily a result of action， less of thinking， and often are a result of iterative testing and experimentation with different selves， that ultimately are rearranged to form a new identity。 Plenty of relatable examples for the knowledge worker that give concrete credence to the premise。 。。。more

Margot Note ，

"'Adults are much more likely to act their way into a new way of thinking than to think their way into a new way of acting。' We rethink our selves in the same way: by gradually exposing ourselves to new worlds， relationships， and roles" （2）。 "Change always takes much longer than we expect because to make room for the new， we have to get rid of some of the old selves we are still dragging around and， unconsciously， still invested in becoming" （13）。 "The hard work of making a career transition inc "'Adults are much more likely to act their way into a new way of thinking than to think their way into a new way of acting。' We rethink our selves in the same way: by gradually exposing ourselves to new worlds， relationships， and roles" （2）。 "Change always takes much longer than we expect because to make room for the new， we have to get rid of some of the old selves we are still dragging around and， unconsciously， still invested in becoming" （13）。 "The hard work of making a career transition includes finding reason behind the emotions， digging deeper to understand our intuitions so we can use them as data， and， if still confused， crafting additional experiments。 Thi is especially critical when we are using traditional routes， such as headhunters and outplacement centers， as well as the methods described here to take use to uncharted territory" （108）。 。。。more

Raphael Leiteritz ，

Helped me extremely well in a career+life transition period。 Highly recommend for mid-career knowledge workers that want to make bigger changes without fully knowing the "how" and to deal with risks and concerns。 Helped me extremely well in a career+life transition period。 Highly recommend for mid-career knowledge workers that want to make bigger changes without fully knowing the "how" and to deal with risks and concerns。 。。。more

Patty ，

Want to find your next career move？ Experiment。 Apparently。 And skip this book unless you like fluff with case studies mixed in。

Parker Mills ，

This was a good book on how to approach career transitions。 Near the back of the book， the author provides outlined summaries to follow to guide you through the testing and experimenting phases of the transition process。I feel like this is one I need to reread to fully absorb。 She uses real people examples throughout the book and you learn key takeaways throughout the chapters。 I believe that in re-reading it， it would be more easily to absorb and comprehend than the first time through。

Stephen Topp ，

This is a brilliant book， which gets to the root of the problem at the heart of making a career change: the idea that you're meant to have an epiphany， and wake up a new person with a clear direction。Life is messier than that。Ibarra explores what a mid-career shift looks like， exploring many different permutations around feeling out and making a change。 It's a brilliant exploration of the topic， and I would recommend it to anybody thinking of making a change。My main gripe is one that actually ma This is a brilliant book， which gets to the root of the problem at the heart of making a career change: the idea that you're meant to have an epiphany， and wake up a new person with a clear direction。Life is messier than that。Ibarra explores what a mid-career shift looks like， exploring many different permutations around feeling out and making a change。 It's a brilliant exploration of the topic， and I would recommend it to anybody thinking of making a change。My main gripe is one that actually made me scoff at a statement in the final pages of the book。 Ibarra writes "So can anyone， regardless of education， social class， or gender， make a major change at midcareer？ The [examples contained in this book] suggest that the answer is yes。"Ibarra's case studies are typify a common flaw in this type of book。 Everybody has a post-graduate degree and/or is in a place where they get offered CEO roles。 Nobody struggles to pay the mortgage， nevermind the rent。It leaves a taste in the mouth that suggests that "finding yourself" and making a change out of an unsatisfying career is only something available to the privileged and wealthy。Is that true？ Maybe - but Ibarra doesn't seem to think so。 It would have been nice if she included evidence of this。That said， as someone who （despite being deeply privileged） lacks both a graduate degree and Chief Executive opportunities， I found the book hugely illuminating， and believe the insights within will play an outsized role in determining the direction of the second half of my career。 。。。more

Simone Muñoz ，

I found this book fascinating。 It was inspirational to hear real examples of career change stories。