5 Must-Read Job-Hunting Books

What Should I Do with the Rest of My Life? True Stories of Finding Success, Passion, and New Meaning in the Second Half of Life
by Bruce Frankel
$6.40 hardback, $12.99 e-book

The subtitle says it all: No how-to manual, this is an inspirational ode to late-life reinvention. Frankel profiles 13 individuals who made successful life changes, among them a civil servant laid off in his 50s who earned a Ph.D. in psychology, and a retired contact-lens grinder who picked up (and perfected) stone carving at 61.

The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife
by Marc Freedman
$11.18 hardback, $9.99 e-book

Freedman heads Civic Ventures, a San Francisco nonprofit devoted to boomers and work issues. He pioneered the concept of the "encore career," which he detailed in Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life (2008). Freedman's newest book, The Big Shift, suggests how we should rethink aging and capitalize on the often-lengthy productive period after our (unnecessary, in Freedman's opinion) midlife crises.

What's Next? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job
by Kerry Hannon
$15.29 hardback, $9.34 e-book

Hannon mixes stories from successful reinventors with sound information about the best fields for starting over (education and elder care are two at the top). She emphasizes finding work that pays a decent wage without sucking your soul dry. Among the passion-pursuers she presents are a Navy captain now managing a circus and a former Wall Street bigshot who left the city and opened a cozy Italian bistro.

Published: July 23, 2012

Also of interest: Could you answer these 10 interview questions?