Summertime is the ideal period to enjoy good readings: either at the beach, hiking or during an abroad adventure, you shouldn’t be short of books in your suitcase. If you’re a recent graduate, why don’t you make some room for some books that, besides entertainment, will provide you with extra reinforcement before the beginning of your professional career?

There’s a myriad of titles in the market about such interesting things as leadership, team work or the quest for the ideal job. Some of these works turn out to be very motivational and even enlightening for those aspiring to a successful professional career. Usually, they engage the reader from the first page.

So, make up your mind and see if one of the following books on professional success, written by extremely influential authors in the field of business and organizations, can be your ideal reading this summer.

How to make good things happen to you: Understand your brain, manage your emotions, improve your life

If you’re one of those who think positive psychology can be beneficial for every aspect of life, professional career included, while achieving your best possible version, put this book in your suitcase. Its pages take you to a fabulous journey during which you’ll learn to know yourself better and how to spread your wings, developing skills that will be extremely useful to obtain professional success, such as emotional intelligence or assertiveness, among others.

The author, Marian Rojas Estapé, is a prestigious medical psychiatrist who is currently performing her professional activity at the Spanish Institute for Psychiatric Research, as well as at a renowned business school in Mexico. She also promoted the project Ilussio Business & Emotions, which, as explained by herself, “combines happiness, emotion and life plan within business environments”. 

Publisher: Espasa-Calpe

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

This is your perfect summer book if you’re seeking to identify the barely productive habits and routines you acquired during your college years. In its pages you will realize, through actual cases, that a single key habit can turn anyone into a great professional. Another added attraction to include it in your suitcase is that it’s written by a Pulitzer Award winner: investigative journalist Charles Duhigg, who is also the author of another book on productivity: Smarter, Faster, Better: The Transformative Power of Real productivity. 

Publisher: Urano

No Fears, No Excuses: What You Need to Do to Have a Great Career

As recent graduate, are you positive about the direction you want to take professionally? If you’re in doubt, this work by the prestigious professor of economy Larry Smith will be of great help. Among its pages you’ll learn to turn your back on fear and excuses and ask yourself those questions that will help you achieve professional success and personal fulfilment. All in all, it’s an essential guide to find out how to delve into your own talent through passion, which is what drives us towards professional success.

Publisher: Ediciones Urano

Work Reimagined: Uncover your Calling

It’s likely that before starting your professional career path some fears and doubts arise. If you want to overcome the former and solve the latter, you should take advantage of the knowledge of Richard J. Leider, one of the best executive coaches in the world, and David A. Shapiro, expert on psychology.

In an enticing and amusing manner, the authors expose in this book all the keys to discover true professional vocation, the one that gives meaning to a person’s life.

Publisher: Ediciones Paidós

TEAMFEELING: a history from within about people, mountains and the magic of teams

If you have an adventurous spirit and expect challenges and emotions to storm your professional career, you’ll love this book on teamwork. In this thrilling story, entrepreneur and team management expert Juan José Agudo describes the experience of a group of people willing to conquer one of the biggest mountains in Alaska in order to find out and overcome their limits, both sportive and personal. A beautiful metaphor for human condition, interpersonal relationships, challenges, mountain climbing and its applications into the world of team management and organizations.

Publisher: Círculo Rojo

In addition to practical advices about job searching, the book includes exercises that will help you get to know yourself better and strengthen your professional profile.

Publisher: Gestión 2000

The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork 

Being part of a team has been part of your life in diverse ambits so far, but it will be part of your upcoming professional future as well. Hence, this is a book on teamwork you should not miss. It will help you know the keys to individual success, which leads to collective success within organizations eventually.  With a readable, easy to understand style, expert on leadership John Calvin Maxwell introduces and details, through real cases and extraordinary anecdotes, a series of universal rules that are suitable not only for professional work teams, but also for other contexts such as family interactions or romantic partnerships.

Publisher: Caribe

Born for This

Find the time during your holiday to read this remarkable work if you want to find the way to the magical spot where success and professional vocation converge. Chris Guillebeau, expert in team motivation within organizational environments, brings us a spot-on guide for those who feel there’s a perfect job for them, but are still unsure of where to find it.

Publisher: Sirio

As you can see, the selection of titles for recent graduates on the brink of beginning their professional career is quite diverse. Any of these books will be very useful and beneficial for the upcoming professional challenges you’ll have to face after a well-deserved summer break.

Sources: Club MBA, Leader Summaries, Amazon, El Corte Inglés and Casa del Libro