Product reviews for Finding Square Holes

I have to admit to some initial scepticism at the prospect of yet another career development book. As a self help addict, my shelves are already bulging with manuals involving everything from parachutes and springboards to adventures, dreams and giants. Surely these others have said all there is to say about boosting our self confidence and taking control of our lives? But how wrong you can be ...

This book's 238 pages follow a three part structure. Part 1 describes some of the common career problems that people experience and a range of techniques for achieving the right mental state to start making changes. Part 2 takes you through a process of discovering who you are, what you have to offer and what barriers may be preventing you from making progress. Finally, Part 3 helps you to create an action plan for developing your career.

Throughout the book Houghton shares her personal coaching process, so that you can work through it on your own, or with your personal coach, or with a group of friends. The style is personal, engaging, informative and inspiring.

The underlying principle of the book is that, before you can identify the right career, you first have to get to know and understand yourself. This is why the bulk of the book deals with the “broad based groundwork': our reasons for working, our personality type, the things that are important to us and what we have to offer.

If I have a criticism, it is that the book doesn't really go beyond the foundation. Once you have identified your ideal career, you are more or less left to your own devices. The short chapter on action planning covers only goal setting and time management, with little on implementing the plan or overcoming further obstacles. Perhaps we should be reminded that actually achieving the dream involves constantly reviewing the plan in the light of experience, never giving up, taking a positive view of failure and thinking ever more creatively about ways of reaching the identified goal.

Anita Houghton mentions her own career difficulties and the significant career change she made from doctor to careers counsellor and coach. Maybe it's this experience, as well as her work with clients, that gives the book its special appeal. Yes, we have heard a lot of it before ” but Houghton's innovative and refreshing cocktail of elements makes this a valuable addition to anyone's library of self help manuals.

• Innovation 3 stars


• Content 4 stars


• Clarity 5 stars


• Overall recommendation 4 stars


• Value for money 5 stars