Whether you’re going for that promotion, looking to jump ship, or change careers entirely, Michael Watkins’ Your Next Move is a book you’ll want to read. Any career change is a major event, and this is the kind of book that will prepare you for any kind of move, from dealing with exiting techniques, to international moves, to turnarounds, to working with new groups of people (who may, in fact, be ex-peers you are now supervising). This is a well-written, personal, and to-the-point guide that covers a lot of ground in a short time. Here’s part of the intro that describes what the book addresses:

“Dissect the CV of any successful executive, and you’ll see a series of high-stakes transitions into ever-more-challenging roles: from individual contributor all the way to general management. Through hard-won experience, the best and brightest get promoted and learn to lead others. They seek out greener pastures (and greater challenges) at new companies or business units–and learn to adapt to unfamiliar cultures. The path to still-greater corporate heights often leads them through international assignments or different functional areas of the business–and likely both. If all goes well, they win responsibility for whole businesses–and all that entails.”

It’s not just about ‘moving’ but about what happens when those actions are taken. Success or failure are the two options, and which option you emerge with will determine what happens going forward. Watkins’ book definitely has the research and insight to equip you for the better of the two paths. Another testimony to the author worth mentioning is that his previous book The First 90 Days, was included in Jack and Todd’s The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. That endorsement alone drew my attention to picking this one up, and after reading it, it’s clear that Watkins has another hit.