A Groundhog Career: A tale of career traps and how to escape them

We all ‘play the game’ at work.

As we begin our journey in the professional world, we’re encouraged to compete, to participate in a system of promotions, pay raises, bonuses... but how far should we take this game? And, perhaps more importantly, where will this game take us if we limit ourselves to thinking this way?

In attempting to master and gain an advantage in the ‘system’, we use short cuts, blips, hacks, or ‘cheats’. Particularly in the early phases of professional life, it can be irresistibly tempting to focus on whatever tactics help us progress.

But this comes at a cost.

The longer we pursue this approach, the further we navigate away from meaning and purpose. The hacks and cheats start to define us. The professional persona or façade we assume becomes a parasite, feeding on our integrity and eroding our individuality.

A Groundhog Career, through a combination of the hugely entertaining Shey Sinope fable, and the accompanying deeply insightful and thought-provoking analysis from Drs Schuster & Oxley, illustrates the absurdities, temptations, rationalizations, consequences and compromises faced by anyone who wants to succeed in a world where all the power seems to be in the entrenched organizational systems. It also reveals how to be more aware of the risks, to stay aligned with your core identity and your convictions, and ultimately how to take control of your own career journey... to live professional life on your own terms.

'Entertaining, wise, humorous, an intergenerational approach to career and life. So much more than just a book about career choices.' - Sir Ian Davis, Businessman, formerly Managing Director of McKinsey Company and Rolls Royce Chairman.

'Career advice reimagined for our times. There is great wisdom in this highly entertaining and thought-provoking new take on how to get the most from professional life.' - Trisha Conley, Executive Vice President, People and Culture at LyondellBasel