Now What Career Finder: A Hidden Gem

Career Coach Review of the Now What? Book on Amazon.com

March 4, 2011

Now What? Works

Recently I had the opportunity to read the career guidance book titled Now What? that is geared toward the 18 to 30 year age range. It was written by Nicholas Lore (The Rockport Institute) with Anthony Spadafore (Pathfinders) — both Washington DC area based career coaches/authors.

As a career counselor myself (and certified Highlands Company affiliate) — I am writing this note to let other career coaches know about some hidden gems I have discovered in this book.

The 31 chapter book is an easy read. The first five chapters presents an overview of career exploration for those considering college, recent graduates and those relatively new to the job market but still looking for that right fit. In subsequent chapters the book outlines a very practical process for tackling ones career design that involves the roles of Detective, Decider and Designer.

In detective mode the objective is to find and investigate clues about potential career design components (natural talents, values and meaning, career subject matter and workplace environment all provide great clues). In decider mode you choose definite components of your future career and COMMIT to them while asking questions of others (informational interviews) and conducting a wide range of research. Finally, in the designer stage a refinement of definite career design components into definitive career choices occurs. It is an informed decision making process.

A Hidden Gem. Part 3: The Career Finder

Yet there is more. Part 3 of Now What? Known as “The Career Finder” is the work of Anthony Spadafore. It is a must have in the career coaches toolkit of aids for assisting the undecided client.

How so? It offers a very valuable integration of Natural Talent, Spatial Orientation and Personality Type in relation to a satisfying career environment. For example, If you are an ENFJ there is a list of careers that fit Specialist ENFJ’s and another for the Generalist ENFJ. It then goes a step further and divides these lists into careers that are a fit for those with a spatial, tangible or non-spatial orientation. So if you are a Spatial, Specialist ENFJ you will find a list of careers that may be a good fit for you.

Why is this important? To use Mr. Spadafore’s vernacular a first goal of the coach in working with a client should be to identify a general direction for what part of the human beehive an individual resides.

It is the important inter-relationship between the two middle letters of personality type — SF, ST, NF, NT, spatial or non-spatial ability and generalist/specialist orientation that provides such a unique perspective on career direction. The process is further refined in chapter 31 — the Rockport Major Aptitude Profiles. This chapter succinctly brings all of these factors together in 10 descriptive and diverse profiles that range from life sciences to education, hospitality and the body kinesthetic.

Now What? Is a good find for any career coach — particularly those serving the 20- and 30-something market. It is a unique approach that has had a strong track record of success with many thousands of clients in search of career direction.

Art Scibelli

Career Coach