Measure Up

About the Author

Josh McAfee is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of "Measure Up: Mastering Your Career Search Like a Boss." He is a three-time founder, entrepreneur, tech investor, and advisor to high-growth companies. With almost thirty years in the recruiting and coaching world, McAfee has consulted with and placed thousands of leaders, sales, and tech-savvy people into high-growth companies. He founded, built, and sold a national tech staffing company and has helped countless leaders grow their teams with the right people, impacting their products, culture, and customers positively.

Main Idea

Measure Up: Mastering Your Career Search Like a Boss by Josh McAfee provides a series of exceptional strategies, insider perspectives, and easy communication templates attuned to current social and technological realities. The book teaches how to build your value story, reframe failures and resume gaps to your advantage, and turn an interview into a valuable conversation. It aims to help you see yourself through a hiring manager’s eyes, build rapport, and make it easy for someone to hire you. You'll learn to benefit from peer feedback, discover how to connect with people who can further your career goals, help locate open positions, build your network, and find new opportunities.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Change Your Mind
3. Failures Are Perfectly Fine
4. Who Are You, Anyway?
5. Communicating More Effectively
6. Expanding Your Network: Positive Influencers
7. Applying Yourself
8. Inside the Interview

Introduction

McAfee begins by addressing the struggles of finding the right job and pursuing work you’re truly passionate about. He introduces the concept of viewing yourself as a valuable product in the job market. This approach involves understanding your strengths and packaging yourself effectively to potential employers. The introduction sets the stage for the strategies and tactics that will be explored in the book, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and strategic action in the job search process.

Change Your Mind

The first step in mastering your career search is changing your mindset. McAfee stresses the importance of understanding what motivates you from deep within and being clear about your goals. This clarity provides focus and energy, driving your determination to succeed.

“Finding the fire in your belly can be one of the most defining moments in your life and career.” - Josh McAfee

By asking yourself deep questions about your motivations and aspirations, you can gain the clarity needed to navigate your career path effectively. This involves introspection and a willingness to confront and understand your true desires.

• Reflecting on why you want to change your career and what motivates you to succeed.
• Imagining yourself 20 years from now and considering how you would feel if you didn’t make the career changes you desire.

By gaining this clarity, you can develop a focused approach to your career search, ensuring that your actions are aligned with your long-term goals.