5 Great Career Books for Students

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the notion of picking up a book and reading might be elusive to some; however, we should all take the time to read once in a while, as certain timeless wisdom can be found in the pages of many books. If you’re a college student, these are the years of your self-discovery, and today we’re going to talk about some great books that you should check out.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Now, when we say “influence people,” we don’t mean by the use of some nefarious mind control techniques. Dale Carnegie’s 1936 self-help book is all about cultivating meaningful relationships, making the most of your daily interactions with others, and presenting yourself in such a way as to change the minds of those who might have initially thought wrong about you.

When it comes to networking and developing communication skills, How to Win Friends and Influence People is an excellent resource. The ability to maintain good relationships is incredibly important whether you’re a student or a professional, and more often than not, those relationships lead to a happier and more fulfilling life, as well as a successful career.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Life is full of surprises; some good, some bad. We’re often faced with difficult choices, or asked to take a stance on any number of issues. Learning to realize the potential of our intellect, and to approach situations without bias is what Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow is all about.

When should we apply logical thinking to a problem? Is emotional thinking rational? Further, what’s the difference between logical and emotional thinking? Kahneman engages these ideas and more in Thinking, Fast and Slow, and if you’re looking to challenge your thinking, this book is for you.

Small Move, Big Change

One of life’s greatest challenges is living up to our own standards for ourselves. It can be far too easy to set big goals, fall short, and get stuck under the weight of what we perceive to be our own failed expectations. Of course, all of this is counterproductive to our success, and in Small Move, Big Change, Caroline Arnold shows us how to set and achieve reasonable, impactful goals.

The idea here is to make “microresolutions,” which Arnold describes as being small adjustments to our daily habits. Through these microresolutions, we can consistently make meaningful and lasting changes to our lives. When it comes to feeling successful and motivated, that consistency is key.

Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success

In the past, we’ve spoken at length about defining success for ourselves, allowing room for error, and changing our perspective on what failure is. It’s extremely important, both in our personal lives and in our careers, to understand that a misstep or a failure isn’t permanent; that there is always something to be learned, and a way to pick up the pieces.

In Failing Forward, John C. Maxwell teaches us to see failure as part of the path to success. It’s always worth mentioning that the successful people that we look to for inspiration in our own lives have suffered many failures along the way. The difference is that successful people have developed the ability to take failure and turn it into a lesson.

I’ll Be Happy When

Everyone’s happiness is different. Some people derive happiness from their relationships, others find happiness in personal pursuits. It can be easy to attribute happiness to monetary success or a prestigious job title, and that’s okay too, if that’s what floats your boat. In I’ll Be Happy When, Jared Springer talks about how chasing happiness can sometimes be—gulp—a curse!

I’ll Be Happy When details Springer’s personal search for happiness, and how it managed to elude him even after finding success with his own business. The bottom line is that we must learn to identify and seek out what makes us truly happy as individuals, rather than expecting happiness to be handed to us on a silver platter.

You’ll no doubt have some time off for the holidays, so it’s the perfect time to dive into a great book. Nowadays, it’s likely that all of the entries on this list can be found on one of those newfangled digital reading apparatuses, so you won’t even have to go to the store. Speaking of which, maybe it’s time for yours truly to get on the ball and make an upgrade. Happy reading!