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Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career
How Successful Career Changers Turn Fantasy into Reality Whether as a daydream or a spoken desire, nearly all of us have entertained the notion of reinventing ourselves. Feeling unfulfilled, burned out, or just plain unhappy with what we’re doing, we long to make that leap into the unknown. But we also hold on, white-knuckled, to the years of time and effort we’ve invested in our current profession. In this powerful book, Herminia Ibarra presents a new model for career reinvention that flies in the face of everything we’ve learned from "career experts." While common wisdom holds that we must first know what we want to do before we can act, Ibarra argues that this advice is backward. Knowing , she says, is the result of doing and experimenting . Career transition is not a straight path toward some predetermined identity, but a crooked journey along which we try on a host of "possible selves" we might become. Based on her in-depth research on professionals and managers in transition, Ibarra outlines an active process of career reinvention that leverages three ways of "working identity": experimenting with new professional activities, interacting in new networks of people, and making sense of what is happening to us in light of emerging possibilities. Through engrossing stories—from a literature professor turned stockbroker to an investment banker turned novelist—Ibarra reveals a set of guidelines that all successful reinventions share. She explores specific ways that hopeful career changers of any background can: A call to the dreamer in each of us, Working Identity explores the process for crafting a more fulfilling future. Where we end up may surprise us.
199 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
449 people are currently reading
3671 people want to read
About the author
Herminia Ibarra
35 books57 followersHerminia Ibarra is the Charles Handy Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School. Prior to joining LBS, she served on the INSEAD and Harvard Business School faculties.
An authority on leadership and career development, Thinkers 50 ranks Herminia among the top management thinkers in the world. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, a judge for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award, a Fellow of the British Academy, and the 2018 recipient of the Academy of Management’s Scholar-Practitioner Award for her research’s contribution to management practice.
Herminia is a member of the London Business School governing body. She chaired the Harvard Business School Visiting Committee, which reports to the university’s board of overseers, from 2012 to 2016, having been a member since 2009, and served on the INSEAD board of directors.
A native of Cuba, Herminia received her MA and PhD from Yale University, where she was a National Science Fellow.
An authority on leadership and career development, Thinkers 50 ranks Herminia among the top management thinkers in the world. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, a judge for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award, a Fellow of the British Academy, and the 2018 recipient of the Academy of Management’s Scholar-Practitioner Award for her research’s contribution to management practice.
Herminia is a member of the London Business School governing body. She chaired the Harvard Business School Visiting Committee, which reports to the university’s board of overseers, from 2012 to 2016, having been a member since 2009, and served on the INSEAD board of directors.
A native of Cuba, Herminia received her MA and PhD from Yale University, where she was a National Science Fellow.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
May 13, 2009
This book wants to be a self-help book. In actuality it's more of a theory book, with little in the way of practical solutions or strategies.
Ibarra states in the Preface that this book is not for everyone--it's aimed specifically at "the mid-career professional who questions his or her career path after having made a long-term investment of time, energy, and education in that path." Great, right? Actually, probably half the case studies that Ibarra presents describe people who were to my eye quite high on the career ladder, possessing high-ranking titles and running entire divisions of companies. Ibarra seems to define "mid-career" or "mid-level" differently than I would. These individuals made career changes, yes, but mostly to consulting, or to doing similarly high-ranked work at a company in a different industry. Ibarra did present some other sorts of career changers--a psychologist and author who became a Buddhist monk, a Spanish literature professor who became a stock trader and financial advisor, a finance banker who became a sucessful novelist, all of whom are mentioned in the book description, but these sorts of people aren't the main content of the book; there's much more focus on the corporate types. Across the board, all of Ibarra's case studies are exceptionally well educated white-collar professionals, and mostly they are upper class people who can afford to take a sabbatical to explore their options. What about the plumber interested in a career change? Or the real estate agent or elementary school teacher? Those careers have "mids" too, but Ibarra doesn't seem interested in them. Ibarra also doesn't tackle race as an issue in career change, and she only deals with gender so far as the case study participants themselves discuss it (not wanting to downgrade to the "mommy track", or not wanting to settle for a submissive, or helping, "female" role).
The theoretical strategies are interesting, and it's clear that Ibarra has done her research--she's a professor of organizational change who taught at Harvard Business School for many years, so she's well-versed in how to do research. Many statements throughout the book are footnoted to relevant literature, and there's an appendix detailing her interviewing and data gathering methods (a little out of the ordinary for a self-help book, but necessary in a theory book). Her theories about career change make sense, but I just didn't feel that I could relate to a lot of the case studies, so it was hard for me to connect to the theory. I was hoping for more practical pointers, too. Most of the people I know couldn't conduct a career change the way the people in the case studies do.
If you're interested in theories of career change, and case studies of well-educated professionals who undertook successful changes, then this might be an good read for you. For practical advice on switching to a new career, I don't recommend this book--try The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine instead.
Ibarra states in the Preface that this book is not for everyone--it's aimed specifically at "the mid-career professional who questions his or her career path after having made a long-term investment of time, energy, and education in that path." Great, right? Actually, probably half the case studies that Ibarra presents describe people who were to my eye quite high on the career ladder, possessing high-ranking titles and running entire divisions of companies. Ibarra seems to define "mid-career" or "mid-level" differently than I would. These individuals made career changes, yes, but mostly to consulting, or to doing similarly high-ranked work at a company in a different industry. Ibarra did present some other sorts of career changers--a psychologist and author who became a Buddhist monk, a Spanish literature professor who became a stock trader and financial advisor, a finance banker who became a sucessful novelist, all of whom are mentioned in the book description, but these sorts of people aren't the main content of the book; there's much more focus on the corporate types. Across the board, all of Ibarra's case studies are exceptionally well educated white-collar professionals, and mostly they are upper class people who can afford to take a sabbatical to explore their options. What about the plumber interested in a career change? Or the real estate agent or elementary school teacher? Those careers have "mids" too, but Ibarra doesn't seem interested in them. Ibarra also doesn't tackle race as an issue in career change, and she only deals with gender so far as the case study participants themselves discuss it (not wanting to downgrade to the "mommy track", or not wanting to settle for a submissive, or helping, "female" role).
The theoretical strategies are interesting, and it's clear that Ibarra has done her research--she's a professor of organizational change who taught at Harvard Business School for many years, so she's well-versed in how to do research. Many statements throughout the book are footnoted to relevant literature, and there's an appendix detailing her interviewing and data gathering methods (a little out of the ordinary for a self-help book, but necessary in a theory book). Her theories about career change make sense, but I just didn't feel that I could relate to a lot of the case studies, so it was hard for me to connect to the theory. I was hoping for more practical pointers, too. Most of the people I know couldn't conduct a career change the way the people in the case studies do.
If you're interested in theories of career change, and case studies of well-educated professionals who undertook successful changes, then this might be an good read for you. For practical advice on switching to a new career, I don't recommend this book--try The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine instead.
June 16, 2012
Rings true, very interesting, slightly academic tone.
Author has interviewed a lot of people who made career changes, mostly around the age of 40. It's basically a critique of the classic "top down" approach, where you start by picking a long term goal, and move from there. She argues that the way career changes happen in the real world is through a series of small steps and experiments, and that people mostly learn through experimentation, not through introspection about "what was I meant to do?" Also, that the transition from one "life" to another is not a single aha moment, followed by wholesale change, followed by unalloyed bliss. Instead she talks about transition periods that last years, and which are often filled with feelings of insecurity and self-doubt.
Definitely worth reading if you have an interest in the subject. She gives lots of examples, and her thesis definitely rings true. One problem I have is that most of the subjects were highly successful to begin with, have plenty of savings, still relatively young, and basically have very few barriers and limitations to deal with. If you're not in that situation, the book can leave you feeling just slightly hopeless.
Author has interviewed a lot of people who made career changes, mostly around the age of 40. It's basically a critique of the classic "top down" approach, where you start by picking a long term goal, and move from there. She argues that the way career changes happen in the real world is through a series of small steps and experiments, and that people mostly learn through experimentation, not through introspection about "what was I meant to do?" Also, that the transition from one "life" to another is not a single aha moment, followed by wholesale change, followed by unalloyed bliss. Instead she talks about transition periods that last years, and which are often filled with feelings of insecurity and self-doubt.
Definitely worth reading if you have an interest in the subject. She gives lots of examples, and her thesis definitely rings true. One problem I have is that most of the subjects were highly successful to begin with, have plenty of savings, still relatively young, and basically have very few barriers and limitations to deal with. If you're not in that situation, the book can leave you feeling just slightly hopeless.
March 9, 2020
I've found this book to contain valuable and pertinent ideas/advice, all the more maybe because I'm going through a working-identity crisis and job-frustration.
It gave me some comfort, validating my feelings, reading about the case studies the author pursued and it was just comforting to know the simple fact that these things are normal and that many people are likely to go through them and that it's not the end of the world, as well that there are people with a more complicated personal life that managed to make a shift.
I've found the advice given by the author sound. The 9 Unconventional strategies for career change are solid and backed by good research.
It gave me some comfort, validating my feelings, reading about the case studies the author pursued and it was just comforting to know the simple fact that these things are normal and that many people are likely to go through them and that it's not the end of the world, as well that there are people with a more complicated personal life that managed to make a shift.
I've found the advice given by the author sound. The 9 Unconventional strategies for career change are solid and backed by good research.
August 31, 2019
Boring and a little unrelateable. All the examples seemed to be of extremely successful people with an excellent network to exploit. There wasn't much for Joe the Plumber to learn about changing his career. It was occasionally interesting to learn how these kinds of changes usually progress and pick out those behaviors in myself - testing the waters, finding a new network, exploring different identities. Still, it felt like it could have been a HBR article instead of a whole book.
March 14, 2023
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.
June 5, 2017
It could have been summarised in half a page in my view and I didn't find any breakthrough-type insight
May 27, 2021
Want to find your next career move? Experiment. Apparently. And skip this book unless you like fluff with case studies mixed in.
January 11, 2021
A really great and insightful book with a modern approach towards career.
November 22, 2024
I didn’t love the examples chosen but the overall message was helpful
March 13, 2025
I started this book back in 2016. A career consultant recommended it. I had quit my 11-year permanent job, aiming to take a sabbatical, and think about career changes, not quite knowing which ones. I started reading this book, but somehow it did not manage to keep me interested enough, and the reading faded out halfway through.
My new Kindle Scribe, and the fact I currently have some train commute time to kill, made me dig this up after 9 years from Kindle’s long-term memory, and finish it. In retrospect, I have now the advantage of career change experience, and have to say, the book has a lot of very valid points.
Maybe it is individual taste, but I feel these valid points are almost suffocated in convoluted case studies and repetitions. The book’s structure and approach to getting these excellent ideas across are a missed opportunity for making something great.
So, I ended up highlighting a lot of these gold nuggets, and shall remain grateful for these reminders and new inspirations.
I would recommend this book to people who like introspection and reflection, and find it easy to translate resulting insights into actions. The case studies are mostly about high-achieving executives, academics, or intellectuals, so if you are not one of those (like me), you might find these examples a bit removed from your own mundane working reality. And don’t expect any ideas for concrete action; this is not a “bake you new career recipe book”. Oh, and mind you, this was written 25 years ago, a time before LinkedIn and social networking.
Overall, I indeed benefited from finishing this book, but felt a bit frustrated that its excellent ideas are not communicated more effectively, and to a wider audience.
My new Kindle Scribe, and the fact I currently have some train commute time to kill, made me dig this up after 9 years from Kindle’s long-term memory, and finish it. In retrospect, I have now the advantage of career change experience, and have to say, the book has a lot of very valid points.
Maybe it is individual taste, but I feel these valid points are almost suffocated in convoluted case studies and repetitions. The book’s structure and approach to getting these excellent ideas across are a missed opportunity for making something great.
So, I ended up highlighting a lot of these gold nuggets, and shall remain grateful for these reminders and new inspirations.
I would recommend this book to people who like introspection and reflection, and find it easy to translate resulting insights into actions. The case studies are mostly about high-achieving executives, academics, or intellectuals, so if you are not one of those (like me), you might find these examples a bit removed from your own mundane working reality. And don’t expect any ideas for concrete action; this is not a “bake you new career recipe book”. Oh, and mind you, this was written 25 years ago, a time before LinkedIn and social networking.
Overall, I indeed benefited from finishing this book, but felt a bit frustrated that its excellent ideas are not communicated more effectively, and to a wider audience.
September 28, 2017
Considering a career change - read this first
One of the best books on career change I have read. Ibarra does not set out a neat and tidy, step-by-step to do list because everybody's path will be different. Instead, the reader is through the process of change with a variety of research subjects and given a theoretical model that explains why some of these subjects were satisfied after the change and why others failed to make a fulfilling shift.
And then, the book ends with a few principles that will guide a search to a more fulfilling job or career.
In a world where career advice is mostly still given based on the old model of understanding personality type as fixed and rational decision-making as infallible, this approach based on neuroplasticity, human development, and whole-self functioning is a welcome addition to the career change market.
One of the best books on career change I have read. Ibarra does not set out a neat and tidy, step-by-step to do list because everybody's path will be different. Instead, the reader is through the process of change with a variety of research subjects and given a theoretical model that explains why some of these subjects were satisfied after the change and why others failed to make a fulfilling shift.
And then, the book ends with a few principles that will guide a search to a more fulfilling job or career.
In a world where career advice is mostly still given based on the old model of understanding personality type as fixed and rational decision-making as infallible, this approach based on neuroplasticity, human development, and whole-self functioning is a welcome addition to the career change market.
January 24, 2025
Career transitions are challenging as one as to navigate through uncertainty and unchartered waters. Without providing the answers, Herminia offers us a collection of testimonials and though provocative ideas that are not only extremely insightful as well as, in several cases, inspiring.
January 27, 2013
Jives with the other career development books I've been reading lately that it's more about trying various small experiments than just sitting around thinking about what's your passion that you want to pursue, but case studies are specifically focused on people in their 30s-50s making career changes.
March 12, 2025
Interesting and the model is probably helpful but I think the author may have missed her own biases - the dataset she cites is nowhere near as encompassing of social classes, for example, as she states in one section of the book, only to undercut it almost immediately with a breakdown of professions - something that had already emerged from the case studies.
March 18, 2024
As someone going through a career change, this was a timely read. There isn’t a roadmap for this esp mid-career. I’m waking away with more confirmation and confidence with steps that I’m taking towards something new.
June 4, 2011
Pretty short and dry, but in general a good survey of what people actually go through when changing to a different career. In short, the way to do it is to try different things and iterate.
March 29, 2013
A must-read book on career change.
June 5, 2017
it could have been summarised in half a page
No particular insight gained
No particular insight gained
January 23, 2024
Great suggestions to implement. It could have been way shorter by removing examples. But that is my preference, I tend to dislike business books with a high percentage of stories.
January 14, 2025
Excelente descripción de lo que implica una transición laboral.
May 21, 2023
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.”
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.”
October 22, 2023
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.
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.
March 23, 2021
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.
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.
March 20, 2022
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.
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.
March 21, 2017
Explore! Try! Action!
These are the key words that shake up the paradigm that I've been taught to thoughtfully, logically and methodologically figure out next career steps.
The author focuses on how to go about acting and trying your plans first and learning oneself that way. She "reverses the conventional 'thinking before doing' logic to successfully change careers".
It's refreshing. Similar to the way the education system is flipping how to learn. Instead of going to class for a lecture and doing "homework" at home, they are now focusing on watching lectures at home and then doing the work in groups at school.
In one's life and career, instead of focusing on contemplating what to do ...."only by our actions do we learn who we want to become."
I also liked the parable about a woman swimming across a lake with a rock in her hand described in the book. "As the woman neared the center of the lake, she started to sink from the weight of the stone. People watching from the shore urged her to drop the rock, but she kept swimming, sinking more and more. To the gathering crowd, the solution was obvious. Their "drop the rock" chorus grew louder and louder with her increasingly difficulty staying afloat. But all their yelling did little good. As she sank, they heard her say, "I can't. It's mine".
These are the key words that shake up the paradigm that I've been taught to thoughtfully, logically and methodologically figure out next career steps.
The author focuses on how to go about acting and trying your plans first and learning oneself that way. She "reverses the conventional 'thinking before doing' logic to successfully change careers".
It's refreshing. Similar to the way the education system is flipping how to learn. Instead of going to class for a lecture and doing "homework" at home, they are now focusing on watching lectures at home and then doing the work in groups at school.
In one's life and career, instead of focusing on contemplating what to do ...."only by our actions do we learn who we want to become."
I also liked the parable about a woman swimming across a lake with a rock in her hand described in the book. "As the woman neared the center of the lake, she started to sink from the weight of the stone. People watching from the shore urged her to drop the rock, but she kept swimming, sinking more and more. To the gathering crowd, the solution was obvious. Their "drop the rock" chorus grew louder and louder with her increasingly difficulty staying afloat. But all their yelling did little good. As she sank, they heard her say, "I can't. It's mine".
November 6, 2023
I first read this book (this is an updated edition) when I was having a mid-life crisis about my career. I found it to be really helpful and gave me a lot to think about and try. In this updated edition, she does a "mea culpa" and admits that she had assumed her book was only for people like me at the time. Now she recognizes that these ideas are applicable to those who are first starting out in the workplace (like my son) or those nearing retirement (:like me). After reading this book, I agree that these principles and case studies can apply to anyone no matter where you are in your career journey. In this edition, she also adds summaries, exercises and actionable ideas which I found to be a great add. I also liked reading the case studies of people she has worked with. I could see myself reflected in some of the them and it opened up insights for me as a result. I recommend this book to all of us who are trying to figure out our identity beyond work and discover our "life's work."
Thank you to Netgalley and Harvard Business Review Press for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harvard Business Review Press for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.
March 9, 2025
Summary:
In her book, Herminia Ibarra juxtaposes conventional strategies for career change with a new, more dynamic model. She illustrates her approach through personal stories of individuals who have successfully transitioned to new jobs.
Ibarra believes that it is unproductive to search for one true self through introspection in order to identify a desired end goal and devise an action plan to achieve it. Instead, she suggests that we should embrace the idea of having multiple selves that are constantly evolving and developing based on our experiences, and actions. These different selves offer various future possibilities, and it is up to us to explore them, and bring some of them to life.
My opinion:
I thoroughly enjoyed Ibarra's model, and I found the visuals and tables to be particularly useful for coaches assisting clients in the process of career change. However, I lowered my rating because the second half of the book felt repetitive. The abundance of examples became a drawback, making it challenging to keep track of the different individuals and fully connect with their stories.
In her book, Herminia Ibarra juxtaposes conventional strategies for career change with a new, more dynamic model. She illustrates her approach through personal stories of individuals who have successfully transitioned to new jobs.
Ibarra believes that it is unproductive to search for one true self through introspection in order to identify a desired end goal and devise an action plan to achieve it. Instead, she suggests that we should embrace the idea of having multiple selves that are constantly evolving and developing based on our experiences, and actions. These different selves offer various future possibilities, and it is up to us to explore them, and bring some of them to life.
My opinion:
I thoroughly enjoyed Ibarra's model, and I found the visuals and tables to be particularly useful for coaches assisting clients in the process of career change. However, I lowered my rating because the second half of the book felt repetitive. The abundance of examples became a drawback, making it challenging to keep track of the different individuals and fully connect with their stories.
January 30, 2020
As the author so clearly mentions, if you are expecting a 10-point plan for career transaction, this might not be the book you want.
However, in what might be missing in practicality, in my view, the author clearly hits the nail in the head with an incredible framework based more in experimentation that introspection, that might help the reader make sense of some of the confusion of the transaction he might be going.
The examples and stories the author showcase in the book, are great and insightful, and although for some people might not be easy to relate with them - in my opinion, the population studied is quite homogeneous which might difficult some intended comparison - I found it some of the takeaways transversal to my own story.
All in all, if you are someone that is going through a period of questioning your current self and looking for some other possibilities, this should be mandatory reading.
However, in what might be missing in practicality, in my view, the author clearly hits the nail in the head with an incredible framework based more in experimentation that introspection, that might help the reader make sense of some of the confusion of the transaction he might be going.
The examples and stories the author showcase in the book, are great and insightful, and although for some people might not be easy to relate with them - in my opinion, the population studied is quite homogeneous which might difficult some intended comparison - I found it some of the takeaways transversal to my own story.
All in all, if you are someone that is going through a period of questioning your current self and looking for some other possibilities, this should be mandatory reading.
March 9, 2022
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.
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July 19, 2021"'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).
"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).
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