A high-quality career-focused read can spark new ideas and also ignite productive conversations around higher-ed leadership and a career path
Faculty & Staff

Summer resources to energize your higher-ed career


A high-quality career-focused read can spark new ideas and also ignite productive conversations

Key points:

Summer ushers in a relaxed pace on college campuses. Students have scattered, the quad is calm, and after the crush of finals, grading, and commencement, schedules finally have room to breathe. It is a strategic time to recharge and refocus.

There are a variety of ways to reinvigorate your career goals over the summer, from transformative shifts like applying to new positions to straightforward steps, like reconnecting with colleagues.

Summer goals don’t need to be daunting. There is one simple practice you should integrate into your summer habits: Read at least one career-oriented book. If you think summer reading lists are for kids on summer break, think again. A book leverages the wisdom and experience of accomplished leaders into your life and career. With a modest investment of time, you gain important insights and tangible takeaways. A good read can inform your thinking, energize your work, and propel your career forward.

Whether you’re packing your carry-on for a work conference or beach bag for family vacation, we have a selection of books that will engage your mind and benefit your career. Here are four books to enjoy in the sunshine that can translate to bright things for your career:

  1. Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot by Matt Abrahams. Develop the life-changing ability to excel in spontaneous communication situations–from public speaking to interviewing to networking–with essential strategies from a Stanford lecturer, coach, and podcast host. Communication skills are foundational to every endeavor. Without effective communication, all your efforts will flounder. Increase your productivity and strengthen your relationships through this high-caliber read.
  1. What If There’s More? Finding Significance Beyond Success by Traci Schubert Barrett. What happens when you wake up and realize the good fortune, status, and accolades for which you’ve worked so hard have left you overburdened and burned out? As a founding member of the launch team for HGTV, media executive Traci Barrett had enjoyed the exciting ride of taking a promising idea and turning it into a billion-dollar media empire–something all of us envy. But nearly two decades later, success was no longer the beacon it once was. This book will realign you to what matters. With a clear understanding of your driving mission, you can harness your passion for unbridled growth.
  1. Unbreakable: Building and Leading Resilient Teams by Bradley L. Kirkman and Adam Stoverink. As a result of global economic changes, new technologies, and increased competition, business environments are becoming increasingly turbulent and unpredictable, requiring new forms of resilient work teams. This book will give you actionable steps you can take now to strengthen your team and improve outcomes.
  1. Things I Learned from Falling by Claire Nelson. In 2018, writer Claire Nelson made international headlines when she fell over 25 feet after wandering off the trail in a deserted corner of Joshua Tree. The fall shattered her pelvis, rendering her completely immobile. There Claire lay for the next four days, surrounded by boulders that muffled her cries for help, but exposed her to the relentless California sun above. Her rescuers had not expected to find her alive. A summer reading list is not complete without a memoir. This book will inspire you and remind you that the irrepressible human spirit can accomplish astounding things.

Once you have finished your summer career read, two steps can ensure the lessons move from the pages of the book to your career. First, write down one thing you want to integrate into your current professional practice. Be realistic and specific. Take that goal and put it to work.

With a clearly defined take-away, put a recurring appointment in your Outlook or Google calendar to check in with yourself on your progress.

Second, a high-quality career-focused read not only sparks ideas, but it also sparks conversations. Don’t keep your insights to yourself–share them with colleagues. Write a post with your biggest take-away from the book and share on LinkedIn. Keep it focused and brief; folks don’t want to read more than a paragraph or two. Invite dialogue by asking others what they are reading. Based on reactions and interest, consider starting a book club to read, discuss, share and network.

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