The Start-up of You

December 19, 2011
LinkedIn cofounder and chairman Hoffman and entrepreneur Casnocha (My Start-Up Life) show how to adapt to the challenges of professional life and achieve career goals by behaving like an entrepreneur in this innovative approach to career management. Recognizing the similarities between business strategies employed by successful startups and career strategies used by top individuals, Hoffman began to ponder individuals as startup ventures and realized the importance of utilizing an entrepreneurial mindset to forge new careers. Given the new economic landscape, where young talent is stuck at the bottom of the employment ladder, retirement-age employees are staying on the job, and stalemated middle-aged workers are stalled in limbo, workers at all levels need to develop strategies to gain opportunities, improve their competitive edge, and expand their networks—in other words, obtain a startup mindset and skills. To do so, the authors show how to combine assets, aspirations, and market realities and adapt as needed, emphasizing the necessity of building real, lasting relationships and establishing a powerful professional network. With plenty of valuable guidance relevant to any career stage, this book will help readers not only survive professionally in times of uncertainty but stand out from the pack and flourish. Agent: Lisa DiMona, Lark Productions.

March 15, 2012

Entrepreneur and investor Hoffman (cofounder & chairman, LinkedIn) and entrepreneur and author Casnocha (My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley) aim to help readers deal with the changing career landscape by explaining competition and addressing how to gain an edge over one's professional rivals. Hoffman and Casnocha teach readers what they call "ABZ planning," which is similar to the model of "creAction" developed in Leonard Schlesinger's Just Start (mentioned below). This book goes further, however, emphasizing the importance of building relationships and, eventually, a powerful network from which one can gain insight, find better opportunities, and make wiser career decisions. The authors discuss how to maintain relationships with allies, assess the value of weaker connections, act as a bridge between contacts, and take intelligent risks. Numerous case studies featuring notable figures like best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz exemplify the many ways career growth and success can take place. VERDICT An energetic guide to high-intensity networking. Recommended for readers looking to expand their field of relationships.

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