Author Description

This book provides a practical guide to help you improve your career success. As a career advisor at a global high-tech company for more than 15 years, employees from different parts of the world have reached me for career guidance. No matter where they are, the desire of owning their careers is unanimous. To reach more employees, I designed a course called Career Ownership and have been teaching it regularly. In addition, since I have been teaching part-time at many universities regularly, many students have also asked me for career development advice. It is extremely rewarding to see my advisees and students achieving great accomplishments in their careers. With the intention of helping more people achieve career success, I wrote this book. Organized into six sessions, it offers a fresh and comprehensive framework for career advising. Session 1 provides an overview of career development and the general direction through the TOP model. Session 2 guides individuals to plan their careers by mapping the short-term, mid-term and long-term activities. Session 3 introduces time management tactics to help individuals make time for career advancement. These tactics are quite different from conventional time management practices, and most people find my system unique and useful. Session 4 offers tips for individuals to effectively develop, prioritize and execute tasks, aiming to exceed manager expectations. Session 5 helps individuals gain intelligence and sensitivity in managing work environments, including managing professional relations and navigating difficult situations. Finally, Session 6 emphasizes the need for continuing education and suggests methods for effective learning. This session is based on the lessons I learned from 35 years of schooling, from grade school to multiple doctorate programs, plus teaching at universities for the past 20 years. These lessons may be particularly beneficial to current students from high school, undergraduate to doctorate