GET YOUR CAREER IN SHAPE

A guide offers a comprehensive plan to help women improve their careers.

“You have the power to choose how you manage your career,” writes Flippin at the beginning of her business manual. “Believe it or not, your career isn’t a final destination. It’s a journey.” In order to help her readers along that journey, the author proposes a model called “SHAPE”: S for save(“create and nurture a strong financial future”), H for hard work(“gain alignment with your boss on your impact”), A for advocate(“stand up for yourself”), P for persevere(“keep going, keep trying, and know when it’s time to leave”), and E for educate(“continually advance your knowledge”). This model is intended to help Flippin’s readers achieve and maintain what she refers to as “self-efficacy,” the personal belief that success at any given task or goal is possible. A great deal of the prompts and advice the author supplies are for internal stocktaking—Am I inflexible? Do I fear change? Do I give off the impression of being inadequate? The author acknowledges that research shows women are far more likely to feel pressure to balance work and home life, which stresses the importance of H: know how your boss defines hard work and deliver what is expected. This carefully articulated approach is very clearly and engagingly written, with Flippin using sample categories, such as “Red Career Zone” and “Yellow Career Zone,” and examples drawn from her personal experience dealing with women at all career stages. Since so much of her advice boils down to urging women to speak up for themselves, her message is considerably aided by the confident, upbeat tone she adopts throughout. Many of her readers will feel they’ve at last met the professional mentor of their dreams.

A valuable, forcefully worded series of practical encouragements for women seeking advancement.