I am of the personality type who likes to tick things off, get things done, see a conclusion, not let things linger on. So when I decided to write my first e-book, it seemed totally doable (and finishable)  because I had a plan in mind and a structure mapped out. As well, I wasn’t planning a massive literary work on the scale  of War and Peace (that’s for sure). More of a short and practical career guide was what I had in mind – one that outlined the tips and tricks that I have learnt from my years in this field. However, it wasn’t to be too light and fluffy either – it had to be robust and able to stand up to the scrutiny of my peers and readers. Yikes!

So with these expectations in mind and a plan in hand, I embarked on the journey 10 months ago to produce The Essential Career Guide. Over this time there has been draft after re-draft, edits and re-conceptualisations – testing my skills. There have been lots of interruptions and other work that has had to be done – testing my focus and time management. And there has been more than a fair amount of self-doubt along the way that this little 50-page book would be of any value to anyone – testing my confidence and introverted nature.

Writing this book has been more technically complicated than I thought it would be. But more than that, it has required me to expose myself to the world in a whole new way. And so (bravely) here it is – today I announce that the first edition of the Essential Career Guide is finished and now for sale. This announcement comes with no small amount of thanks to my friends and colleagues who have helped, criticised, questioned and contributed along the way – you know who you are and I thank and love you very much.

I take my hat off to anyone who has written a book or even thought about writing one – it’s a great ambition!  I might even have a go at another one some time, because even though the process does not always fit well with my introverted, outcome-oriented personality, the idea of stretching myself a little further is appealing. But before I do that I’ll avoid my usual default of getting ahead of myself, and wait to see how this one is received.

Carole