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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Strategize to Win summary
Carla A. Harris
The New Way to Start Out, Step Up, or Start Over in Your Career
16 mins
Brief summary
Strategize to Win by Carla A. Harris is a career-development book that offers readers a comprehensive framework for achieving success in any field. It provides practical advice on how to develop a great team, build authentic relationships, and seize opportunities when they arise.
Table of Contents
Strategize to Win
Summary of 7 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 7
Pick skills and experiences that will serve you a lifetime.
The secret to a fulfilling career starts with deciding on what activities you enjoy doing the most. These activities make up the core of what the author calls, “the content page of your career.” So forget job titles, choosing what you actually find interesting won’t only keep you engaged, it’ll set you up for your eventual dream job.
So start by coming up with a list of activities you find exciting. When you’ve done that, it’s time to go about researching the jobs that contain those activities and combinations. Consider Gregory, a 20-year-old sophomore who wasn’t sure about a career path to follow. He was a great basketball player in high school but was often injured. After sharing his background and his interest in technology with the author, Carla A. Harris, he found that he could use these to work either in sports medicine, orthopedics, or engineering.
It’s often easy to transfer strong interests into skills. If you’re already used to doing something, you already have some form of experience in it. Say, for example, you had a previous job in telemarketing. You maybe enjoyed the communication side of it but didn’t like the remote aspect. You’d stand a good chance of convincing your next employer that your skills can be extended to face-to-face sales instead.
Even if you’ve never tried an activity before but it interests you, that could translate as well. So put the specific job titles that contain your favorite tasks on your job list. Set aside 100 hours every month to talk to experienced professionals in that field about what they do and what skills they acquired to get there. Don’t be afraid to ask experienced connections out for coffee to pick their brains. Ask friends and mentors to introduce you to people in their networks who have the skills and knowledge you need.
The answers to your questions will go a long way in helping you make informed decisions about the roles that match your skills. If you can’t meet people, research their profiles on the internet.
Only after careful research should you start looking for jobs that match your activities list. Again, research and network to secure interviews. What matters most in an interview is your ability to sell your skills to your prospective employer. Selling your skills means highlighting those areas of your education and experience that the recruiter is most willing to buy, and how you would leverage them to improve their business.
We’ll talk about this in more detail in the next section.
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What is Strategize to Win about?
Strategize to Win (2014) is a step-by-step guide for early to mid-level employees trying to plot a successful career trajectory in the modern workplace. It reimagines the professional life cycle as a marathon – where everyone takes responsibility to acquire the skills and experiences that prepare them for multiple roles, with each role treated as a natural progression toward their dream job.
Strategize to Win Review
Strategize to Win (2014) by Carla A. Harris is a valuable resource for individuals looking to excel in their careers by developing effective strategies. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It provides practical advice on navigating the corporate world, offering insights on networking, developing relationships, and positioning oneself for success.
- Through real-life examples and personal anecdotes, Harris offers relatable stories that illustrate her points, making the content engaging and relatable.
- The book's emphasis on strategic thinking and goal-setting keeps readers interested and motivated to apply the strategies to their own lives, making it an engaging and actionable read.
Who should read Strategize to Win?
- Anyone at the start of their professional career
- Midlife professionals trying to reassess and transform their careers
- Professionals trying to start over and change their career trajectory
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Strategize to Win FAQs
What is the main message of Strategize to Win?
The main message of Strategize to Win is to develop the skills and strategies necessary for career success.
How long does it take to read Strategize to Win?
The reading time for Strategize to Win varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Strategize to Win a good book? Is it worth reading?
Strategize to Win is worth reading as it provides valuable insights and practical advice for achieving professional goals.
Who is the author of Strategize to Win?
The author of Strategize to Win is Carla A. Harris.
What to read after Strategize to Win?
If you're wondering what to read next after Strategize to Win, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Ultralearning by Scott H. Young
- You Coach You by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis
- The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John C. Maxwell
- The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman
- Think Like Zuck by Ekaterina Walter
- Learn Better by Ulrich Boser
- Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO by Beverly E. Jones
- Pivot by Jenny Blake
- The CEO Next Door by Elena Botelho and Kim Powell
- The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone