About The Book

Navigating your career can be difficult, especially for young women who are early in their climb and at a time when many long-held workplace structures and beliefs are rapidly changing. But the challenge doesn’t have to undermine your personal life or ability to grow. Drawing on decades of experience reaching the top of Fortune 500 companies, Puma and Shi show women how to get paid what they’re worth, adapt to the shifts that occur in any company, and build a leadership identity. 

Packed with personal anecdotes and wisdom from women who’ve been there, and accompanied by helpful quizzes and checklists for self-evaluation, CAREER FORWARD provides a wealth of valuable lessons, including:

  • Think of yourself as a growth stock – Always keep your eye out for opportunities that help you expand your skillset and increase your level of meaningful impact on those around you;

  • Turn into the skid – Career journeys will have ups and downs, even for high performers. Dial up your self-awareness and read your environment often so you know when conditions have changed that may require you to shift or adjust your direction. You build resiliency and confidence every time you steer through skids and take control of your career;

  • Keep an eye out for benevolent stagnation – Beware of managers who might be keeping you in one spot because you’re good at your job;

  • Re-think faking it ‘til you make it – Focus more on how you’re going to make new situations work and less on how much you may have to fake it while you learn. Self-confidence is a habit you can develop with focus and practice;

  • Live a 360-degree life – Don’t just manage work/life-balance. Instead, be intentional about setting boundaries at work and home – ones that value self-care and allow you to prioritize what’s personally important.

Broadly, Puma and Shi believe in pursuing a “Career Forward” mindset: career first, job second. “Career forward” means keeping a focus on the future and recognizing that being good at your job is often not enough—that you should take every opportunity to boost your connections, take on “difficult” assignments, and work actively to broaden your skills. The authors challenge negative stereotypes about female ambition, and urge women to be bold, follow their dreams, and seize the chance to lead “big” lives. 

Offering a refreshing response to anyone who wonders whether working hard is really worth it, Puma and Shi’s emphatic answer is “yes,” because by correctly following the blueprint in Career Forward, the rewards will far outweigh the effort.