Book Value

Who hasn't contemplated the dizzying leap from that secure position within the fold of Mother Ship Corp. only to back away, wary of the unknown? You've risen to some level of success at Mother Ship; its culture, networks and friendships are all you've known and trusted for a good part of your career. For Randall M. Craig, even to contemplate abandoning so much for what might be quite the crapshoot is a strong indicator that you would be best served to test the factors that may be influencing your musings about taking flight.

Leaving the Mother Ship draws into stark relief the reasons why many seemingly happy executives decide to jump ship. Underlying much of this study of why, how and when to leave is a litmus test of whether the reader feels in control of their career. For many, Craig finds, career goals change over time, and the Mother Ship, often as not, is unwilling or unequipped to adapt to the executive's new path.

The author quite masterfully offers a simple job quality checklist for those trying to figure out why they have this curious itch to move on. Waning professional and intellectual challenges, stale relationships, poor compensation and an imbalance between work and home life top his list of worker bee concerns. Ever practical, he even helps the reader thoroughly consider what should be of paramount concern: Is the job still fun? All the while, Craig grounds his step-by-step approach, and, in the end, coping and succeeding in a working life that no longer includes what you had long thought would be a lasting home.

-- Rob Colapinto