If you are a young professional looking for knowledge, insight and advice on how to thrive in your career, this book is for you. It provides useful tips on developing a great mindset, building and maintaining professional relationships, and ultimately, how to make an impact.
At the age of 23 Carice secured a corporate job, only a few months after graduating from university. While this is a blessing, Carice found herself in a perilous situation due to a gap of knowledge, career unpreparedness and lacking the tools necessary to help her survive and succeed in the corporate world. She did not possess the resources, and skills to diagnose nor fix her situation.
This lead her to wishing she could get into a car accident, not to die but to catch a break from her work frustrations. She was desperate and thought this would been the best solution to her problem. Although a day off could've probably sufficed for her to rest, she was hopeless, helpless and ill-equipped to handle her situation.
Now 20 plus years later Carice wrote a book to empower and encourage Black young professionals.
Intelligence Isn't Enough is an insightful, informative and thought-provoking take on career and employment based literature. It is particularly written for graduates and young professionals who are finding their feet in the world of work. This book is for those who find themselves questioning how to navigate the corporate world, how to form the mindset required to perform well and how to approach the different situations that are presented in the corporate world.
In a world where Black people still find themselves being the first in their families to graduate form college or university, secure a corporate job, pursue a career path that is not conventional, Carice offers advice, shares her personal experiences and seeks the opinions of experts and people who have achieved great success in the corporate world.
"Every organisation is different, so career advice cannot be a one size fits all exercise. However, the sooner you understand the environment upon your arrival, the better you can do and the more fun you can have"
-Carice Anderson, Intelligence Isn't Enough
Structure of the book
The book is categorized into 6 chapters,
Chapter 1 - introduces young professionals to a new world of work
Chapter 2 - highlights the importance of forming the right mindset
Chapter 3 - explores relationships in the workplace
Chapter 4 - encourages the development of one's cultural intelligence
Chapter 5 - emphasizes the significance of building a personal brand
Chapter 6 - highlights the importance of effective communication
5 Reasons why I think you should read this book
Carice has a dynamic network of people that are well-vast and possess rich experiences. In the book she shares their deep wells of knowledge, experience and expertise in the book.
Not only do we have access to her brilliant network and mind, she also shares her experiences of working in Africa and the USA across both the private and public sectors. She has build a successful career having achieved an MBA from Harvard University, and working for corporate giants such as Google, Deloitte, Bain & Company, McKinsey and the Allen Gray Orbit Foundation.
This book is written with millennials and the Gen Z in mind. It is packed with questions and exercises that prepare young professionals, and the author's aim is to ensure that Black talent secures and thrives in top level positions.
Many skilled and talent black people fail, live in despair or leave the corporate world because they do not know who to succeed. This book offers insight on how to expose yourself to new ways of thinking, opportunities, and strategies. This will help you to not rely only on your intelligence or qualifications. As a reader you will be exposed to different perspectives such as the difference between working in your career vs working on your career, knowing your why, the difference between mentors & sponsors.
In a world where Black people have been previously marginalized there is a knowledge gap and a need to do a bit more to succeed in the corporate world. Therefore, we need to adequately prepare for the work of work in order to perform with excellence, build and maintain healthy relationships in the workplace and show up as our best selves. Although this book is targeted at Black professionals, everyone can benefit form the insights shared in this book.
Highlights from the book - Intelligence Isn't Enough
Topic: Mentors & Sponsors
Mentors
"A mentor gives you wise counsel and they share their experiences to guide you in the right direction. They motivate you, provide support and set an example. Having a mentor inside and outside of your workplace is ideal."
"Internal mentors can help you understand your company works. External mentors can offer you a different perspective to your industry, expose you to how other organisations work and what you need to stay relevant in your industry."
Remember you can have mentors for different topics including your personal life.
Sponsors
A sponsor is someone who works in your company who does not just have a senior title but has decision making making power, influence and a seat at the table when the decisions that affect you are made- decisions about promotions, performance ratings, bonuses and assignments. "
"If someone has the right mindset, you can give them the benefit of the doubt and you spend the extra hours coaching them. I look at potential and mindset to determine who I mentor. If someone comes to me without me knowing their potential , I will help them because they are humble and want to learn."
- Stefano Niavas, Intelligence Isn't Enough
Topic: Building a personal brand
“Many black people struggle to brand themselves. This may be due to the strong messaging and emphasis placed on obtaining a degree, being concerned about the people we work with rather than ourselves, we are taught that through hard work we will achieve success and our work will speak for itself. Conversations around the breakfast or dinner table do not include the topic of personal branding. Many black people lack self-awareness and/or confidence regarding this topic. If we are not comfortable with this topic how will we communicate our value to others?"
Topic: Communication
Effective communication will always be important, whether you are an employee or a business owner. Mastering this skill will not only make you appear confident because you are able to articulate yourself but it will also help you highlight the value that you offer as well as empower you to have difficult conversations or address the elephant in the room while many others would otherwise avoid it.
“The way you communicate shapes people's perceptions of you and the level of your expertise.
In conclusion, Intelligence isn't enough by Carice Anderson is a great resource for those who are starting out in their careers looking for guidance. It provides great exercises and questions that can assist seasoned professionals to reflect on their careers, personal decisions and cultivate new perspectives on how to better support new hires, how to mentor and sponsor junior staff and lastly how to build and maintain a
healthy, happy and thriving workforce.
What was your favourite part of this blog post?
(a) the backstory about Carice's experiences?
(b) the structure of the book?
(c) the 5 reasons why you should read the book?
(d) highlights from the book?