When to Jump: If the Job You Have isn’t the Life You Want

Author: Mike Lewis Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton ISBN: 9781473653634

HIS debut book, financial analyst-turnedpro squash player Lewis has gathered together 44 first-person case studies to guide and help readers make their own career jumps.

The stories range from small changes, such as making an internal move within a company, to dramatic ones, such as the case of a pro football player who became an HBO writer.

The examples are a mix of people from the well-known (such as Michael Lewis, a bond salesmanturned-bestselling author) to the ordinary ( Barbara Harris, a PR person-turned-bishop).

Lewis shares stories of his own ‘jump’ in each of the book’s four sections: Listen to the Little Voice, Make a Plan, Let Yourself Be Lucky and Don’t Look Back.

By the time the reader reaches the part when Lewis decides to quit his company and head to New Zealand to pursue his dream of playing squash professionally, the reader can’t help but cheer him on.

He’s overeager in a Boy Scout way, but likable and helpful, offering a collection of tips extracted from the jumpers’ own stories. As he states in the introduction, he wants his book to be a “steady hand of support” rather than a mere manual.

Lewis and his fellow jumpers offer enough wisdom that readers will return to these stories even after making their own jump.

This inspirational and practical book offers readers thoughtprovoking ideas and methods to make changes to their lives and careers.

By following Lewis’ four-step approach, readers can pursue their dreams and make the ultimate jump to realise them.

When to Jump makes for a compelling read. – M.L.M.