I came across Dorie’s work and was instantly hooked by her friendly yet informative and thought provoking writing. Having successfully reinvented herself on more than one occasion, she documented and generously shared her process. Her book, ‘Reinventing you – define your brand, imagine your future’, is highly insightful and relatable and provides a clear roadmap to help shape your new career, starting from your unique talents and passions.
Reinventing you is well researched and structured, but also a page turner, so it has all the ingredients to make it a must-read for anyone looking to transition into tech.
So how is this book helpful?
Reinventing you starts with the basics, and asks all the right questions. It starts off by highlighting the changes in everything work – and the need for self-reinvention as a means for “staying relevant and competitive.” She starts off by focusing on the importance of personal branding in the process of self-reinvention with straightforward suggestions on how (and why) to embrace the concept of personal branding, despite the awkward factor. The book then goes on to walk you through the maze of self-reinvention; it sets you off on the right path by helping you recognize where you’re starting, through a set of activities designed to help you understand how you’re seen and to unearth your assets.It goes on to give you some techniques for researching your destination (your new career) through a series of hands-on and easy to do activities, and then to test-drive your new path. The one takeaway from this chapter that I found particularly rele vant was the fact that the path is never linear and you should expect bumps along the way and even to have to go back a few steps in order to be able to advance. Anyway, once you’re positive you’re on the right track, she explains how you can develop the new skills you will be needing (and how to keep it low budget) and ends by giving you useful tips on how to reintroduce yourself for the world to embrace the new you. Finally, once you’re well in your new role, she gives you some solid pointers on proving your worth and keeping it going.
If I had to name just one thing that I loved about this book – I’d be at a loss, as Dorie does a fabulous job throughout. However, the one thing that ‘talked’ to me the most were the real-life stories of people who have had to deal with various aspects of career transition; these stories conveyed more than even a skillful writer such as herself could, though her approach, not without humor, rendered it not just helpful but also thoroughly enjoyable read.
Is Reinventing you for me?
I really think so! Not only is the book stuffed with career conversion ‘goodies’ – simple ideas that you can use straight away, it also serves a bit as ‘chicken soup for the soul’ due to Dorie’s kind, empathetic approach and constant encouragement to stay true to yourself and to embrace and leverage your points of difference as your greatest assets.
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1. The new branding landscape
2. Recognize where you’re starting
3. Research your destination
4. Test drive your path
5. Develop the skills you need
6. Who’s your mentor?
7. Leverage your points of difference
8. Build your narrative
9. Reintroduce yourself
10. Prove your worth
11. Keep it going
Epilogue: Make your reinvention work
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See more here:
See Dorie present her book here:
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