This book was originally developed as a companion to a course Brad teaches at Boston College called “Career Management and Work-Life Integration.” It also contains material and exercises that Tim has used in his courses on career management and leadership over the years. These courses are targeted at graduate students in schools of management, but the materials presented are equally relevant to anyone faced with the challenge of succeeding in a career while trying to live a happy, well-balanced life. In today's fast-paced, ever-changing world that includes just about all of us. The book should also be of particular use to anyone who provides counseling and coaching to others in the process of making career choices, changes, and transitions. These advisors could include line managers, human resource professionals, career counselors, executive coaches, or even spouses, parents, and friends.

In recent years, much has been written about the profound changes occurring in the workplace and the workforce. The employer-employee contract has been dramatically altered as leading organizations have moved from practices of lifelong (or at least long-term) employment to a more free-agent approach to managing their workforce. This change has led to the establishment of a new career model that is increasingly organization independent. As individuals have come to depend less on their employers to provide stable career paths and job security, and as changes in the labor market call for more frequent job and even career changes, working people have come to realize that, as Cliff Hakim says in his 1994 book with the same title, we are all self-employed. Tim has called this concept of individually driven career management the protean career. Proteus was a god in Greek mythology who could change forms to adapt to threats.

The skills involved in navigating careers and maintaining work-life balance are now necessary for all individuals, regardless of the sector in which they are employed. Every sector-business, law, professional services, healthcare, government, and education-has seen unprecedented change in its career contract. This book will examine these changes and help readers develop critical competencies and skills needed to successfully manage their career development and maintain work-life integration in light of the changing landscape.

The career courses we teach are highly personal experiences. Unlike in most graduate courses in business, the focus begins in the most atypical place: with the individual. Course components include:

• A rigorous self-assessment process that helps students clarify their interests, values, skills, career goals, and aspirations in the context of their overall life. Students use this information to formulate themes clarifying their career goals and direction.
• An approach that helps students apply their self-assessment as a filter or focus to analyze the labor market, career options, and potential employers to identify and attain their desired career goals.
• A review of the knowledge and skills needed to manage and maintain successful career development and work-life integration over the individual's lifespan.

A self-assessment and career management course relies heavily on the use of exercises and instruments that increase students’ self-awareness and understanding of the world of work. We have tried wherever possible to include these exercises in the book. Where this is not possible, we refer the reader to ways to access the exercises and instruments.

Our aim is to help readers develop their own view and reference points on what it means to be successful or to have a life that is balanced. We believe there is no such thing as actual success, at least not as judged by others. Success, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. No job title, compensation level, or set of material possessions can determine whether one evaluates his or her life as successful. This distinction is equally true of work-life balance. What constitutes an appropriate balance differs from person to person. We hope this book will give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the self, the changing workplace, the changing nature of work and careers, and the issues surrounding the elusive goals of career success and work-life balance, whatever the reader determines those two things to be.

We hope to help the reader move between observing and understanding the realities of what is happening in the external world of work and reflecting on his or her internal world (including personal goals, interests, values, and aspirations). It is the integration of the individual's aspirations and desires with a clear understanding of the dynamics of the labor market that allows one to achieve work, career, and life fulfillment.

Many works are available on the dynamics of the labor market, the changing nature of work and the workplace, the process of self-assessment, job search strategies, and the challenge of career management and work-life integration. Each is offered by a specialist from a particular field, such as economics, sociology, psychology, career development, and organizational theory, and focuses on one dimension of the whole equation. What seems to be lacking is one work that does an effective job of weaving together the whole story. We hope this book is an important first step.

This book can be used in a number of different ways and for different target audiences, including the following:

• Individuals: Individuals can use this book as a guide to managing their careers and their work lives. Although it would be ideal to have readers progress through this book in one process, it may be equally useful for the reader to refer to parts of this book when various career issues arise or at important points of career and life transition.
• Colleges and universities for courses: Professors can use this book as a text for classes in career planning and work and family balance. Unfortunately, it is still not the norm for most schools to offer classes on this subject, but we think that in light of the changes in the past two decades, such a class should be part of the curriculum in every university, not just in business schools. To facilitate the teaching process, we have developed a companion teachers’ guide, complete with syllabus, course assignments, teaching slides, and author notes that follow the outline of the book. This set of materials should help with the planning and delivery of the course and offers suggestions from the authors’ experience in guiding students through this process. The rewards for both teacher and student have been great.
• College and university career planning centers: This book could be helpful for career center staff and the students who are “customers” of the career office. Some career centers offer multiweek career seminars to students, and we think this book would be an excellent companion guide to such workshops.
• Corporate career development programs: Many organizations offer 1- to 2-day (or more) courses in career management and work-life planning. Although covering all the material outlined in this book would take far longer than most organizational training programs last, almost all activities and approaches outlined would work well for adults in the workplace. In addition, participants could do the exercises without the aid of an instructor or facilitator. This approach would allow the participants to complete assignments in their own time, when the topics are the most salient for them.
• Special seminars for individuals and couples: Many consultants offer career and life planning seminars for individuals or couples. We believe that this book would be an excellent resource for such seminars and that many of the exercises contained in it would provide a basis for discussion topics.

We hope this work contributes to the field and to the lives of working people and their employers, families, and communities.