Summer Reading List 2019
Which is why I went behind the scenes to dig up 13 thirst-quenching reads recommended by our team at PowerToFly that will keep you busy this summer.
From cyberpunk political thrillers and sci-fi adventures (with female protagonists!), to eye-opening memoirs and self-help books from diverse authors, we proudly present our summer reading list 2019 — in no particular order.
Let us know which book you decide to take on, or if you think we missed one!
1.Educated
"An amazing story, and truly inspiring. The kind of book everyone will enjoy. It's even better than you've heard."—Bill Gates
A PowerToFly top pick because: We were so moved by Tara's rebellious and inventive spirit! A woman with an unconventional family lifestyle, determined to change her perspective and overall world view. Tara's boldness, and drive to take responsibility for her own education, represents a real character we can learn from and develop with as the novel progresses.
2.The Bucket List
"The second I finished The Bucket List, I hugged it. Like, literally. I clutched it to my chest and wailed." - Jenny, Goodreads
A PowerToFly top pick because: We fell in love with Georgia Clark when she sat down and chatted with us last year and shared some of her creative writing tips with our community. Her newest book, The Bucket List, is a fun, quick witted story about a serious topic - genetic predisposition to the BCRA1 gene mutation: the "breast cancer" gene, something more women should be talking about!
3.The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
Wilkerson won the Pulitzer Prize for her work as Chicago Bureau Chief of The New York Times in 1994, making her the first black woman in the history of American journalism to win a Pulitzer and the first African-American to win for individual reporting. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded her the National Humanities Medal for "championing the stories of an unsung history."
A PowerToFly top pick because: We recognize that there are so many stories that have been unjustly left out of our history books. These forgotten stories certainly have their effects on modern culture and influence the way tiny conversations are swallowed and transmuted into something else or shared and evolved into a healing dialogue. This lyrical piece of non-fiction brings to light a part of our culture, to spark a new conversation.
4.Women Who Run With Wolves
"I am grateful to Women Who Run with the Wolves and to Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. The work shows the reader how glorious it is to be daring, to be caring, and to be women. Everyone who can read should read this book."—Maya Angelou
A PowerToFly top pick because: This book is an excellent resource for those who feel as if they've lost their voice or are afraid to use it. An overwhelming response from our PowerToFly community comes from those who feel nervous, discouraged, or invisible in their current situation. Clarissa Pinkola Estés uses her medical knowledge and assorted roots to reveal how we can give territory and voice to the wild woman inside each of us.
5.Her Body and Other Parties
"[Machado's] use of a vivid experimental lens to show women struggling for agency is startling."―The New Yorker
A PowerToFly top pick because: This is a collection of short stories that beautifully experiments with surreal, fantastical, and at times undeniably palpable narratives which aim to question unique experiences and perspectives of the contemporary and complicated women we know today. An investigation of intellect, identity, sex, gender, and mental health -- these stories may ring true for your neighbor or may be something you identify with on a more personal level.
6.Becoming
A PowerToFly top pick because: As a daily quoted resource by the PowerToFly team, 'Becoming' has sparked a new confidence in our leaders who value the challenges Michelle Obama faced during her path to become one of the greatest leaders of all time. She candidly reveals the challenges women of color face, navigating the white-washed waters of the mighty systems that raise us and employ us. As citizens of the world and instigators of positive change, we find her story very insightful and encouraging as she unabashedly brings us to question how we can redesign the system of employment and acknowledge the root of one big challenge our free world is chasing: equal opportunity.
7.Ambition Redefined: Why the Corner Office Doesn't Work for Every Woman & What to Do Instead
"Moms' family schedules don't always meld with a 9-to-5, in-office, 5-day-a-week job, which is why the advice here is critical, so mothers can keep caring for their children and gain financial stability."―Meredith Bodgas, Editor-in-Chief of Working Mother magazine
A PowerToFly top pick because: The most common questions we are asked at PowerToFly revolve around flexibility at work - we sat down and talked with Kathryn Sollmann about how to ask for a flexible job just a few months ago. This book outlines everything you need to know about asking for more flexibility - whether you're a job seeker, new parent, or someone looking for a little more "you" time.
8.Infomocracy: Book One of the Centenal Cycle
"Science fiction for election nerds and for media geeks. I highly recommend it." ―BookRiot
A PowerToFly top pick because: While we anxiously await the next seasons of Black Mirror and The OA on Netflix, this book fills the gap with a complex and highly upbeat story that will totally consume you. Chances are, you'll be called to flip back and read again in order to fully understand this very SciFi (almost real) version of humanity. It's no surprise that as a reader, you're left with a very humanitarian outlook on the world - when she isn't writing, Malka Older holds her ground as a Senior Fellow for Technology and Risk at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.
9.Don't Hook Up With the Dude in the Next Cube: 200+ Career Secrets for 20-Somethings
"Nancy A. Shenker is a marketing innovator, brand-builder, writer, speaker, and self-proclaimed rule-breaker and gadget geek."
A PowerToFly top pick because: Nancy Shenker is just like us - a mom of two grown daughters with experiences from blogging to becoming the CEO of her own company. We loved hearing her '20 lessons over 40 years' and while the title may be a little provocative, the content is anything but. Nancy shares some real talk when it comes to dealign with hard topics at work, like building real professional relationships and how to approach finding a mentor.
10.Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces
"Better Allies demystifies the work of allyship in an actionable, approachable, and blame-free way. The book introduces key concepts necessary to effective allyship with concrete examples and case studies, and offers a myriad of positive actions we can all take on our journey to be better allies in our workplace and our personal lives." —Caroline Simard, PhD, Managing Director, Stanford VMWare Women's Leadership Innovation Lab
A PowerToFly top pick because: We can all become better allies. Karen Catlin gave us some really great tips (and one-liners!) for how you can respond to uncomfortable situations at work, and become a better ally to your peers and coworkers. We got a high level overview during our chat with Karen, but this book dives way deeper into how you can create a more inclusive environment at your company!
11.The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
"Alexander is absolutely right to fight for what she describes as a "much-needed conversation" about the wide-ranging social costs and divisive racial impact of ourcriminal-justice policies."—Newsweek
A PowerToFly top pick because: We loved this quote from Michelle Alexander, civil-rights-lawyer-turned-legal-scholar "we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." Michelle gives sight to the bigger discrimination issues our country is facing as we strike towards a new social movement.
12.Babel-17
[Babel-17] winner of the Nebula Award for best novel of the year, is a fascinating sci-fi thriller taking place in space and centering a woman leader protagonist.
PowerToFly picked because: Growing up burdened and bullied with questions about his bi-racial family and sexual identity, this powerfully written book by the self-proclamed black and gay Samuel R. Delany, is just what the literature world needs in a time of such strong discrimination. Written from an unexpected perspective, Samuel pushes the diversity meter up and empowers more authors to share their stories with confidence and flavor!
13.Mama's Girl
"A troubling testament to grit and mother love...While the story of her own achievement under grim, often violent circumstances is extraordinary, the reader is left feeling particularly grateful for [Chambers's] compassion." —The New Yorker
PowerToFly picked because: In this memoir with great lyricism, Veronica Chambers shares her story of the bond she had with her immigrant mother growing up an Afro-Latina woman from Brooklyn, New York. This novel touches on the hardship and triumph many women still face today - raising families or growing up with low income, and rising to the top. Now added to the required reading list for both colleges and high schools around the US - it's time for us to back-read!
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Whether you're embarking on your first summer internship or taking your first vacation in over a year after founding your startup, these books are sure to keep your mind stimulated this summer.
What are you reading that we should add to our 2019 summer reading list? Tweet us @powertofly or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram!
Best Work-From-Home Jobs to Apply to in 2021
If you're like me, and freelance, task-oriented remote jobs like article writing, data entry, transcription, or professional survey taking (yep, that exists), aren't your thing - don't worry. There are more full-time remote opportunities than ever before that offer you the freedom to manage your own time, the security of consistent monthly income, the support of a team, and the promise of growth. In fact, we've got close to 5,000 on PowerToFly.
So, if you're looking for a remote opportunity in 2021 that will push you to develop professionally, look no further than our list of the 10 best work-from-home jobs. And by best, we mean fun, challenging roles that will help you grow, while making a respectable income.
All the jobs listed have average salaries between 45 and 119k, and have average or higher-than-average growth potential (based off of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' predictions for growth from 2018 to 2028 and/or LinkedIn's 2020 Emerging Jobs Report).
10 Best Work-From-Home (Remote) Jobs for 2021
Jobs sorted from highest to lowest average salary. (Salary data taken from ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and/or the U.S. BLS depending on availability and specificity to remote roles.)
1.Data Scientist
Who It's Good For: Detail-oriented stats masters skilled at identifying and understanding trends.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Data Science Roles. Plus, watch this Chat & Learn with a data insights engineer to learn more about data-driven careers.
Why You Can Do It Remotely: With more data than ever before at our fingertips, companies know the value of hiring folks who know "big data" as more than just a buzzword. True stats buffs are hard to come by, so expertise often outweighs location.
Growth 2018-2028: 30.7%
Annual Growth: 37% (Data Scientist made LinkedIn's List of the top 15 emerging job for 2020)
Average Annual Salary: $119,000
2.Software Developer/Engineer
Who It's Good For: Self-directed (and disciplined) coding enthusiasts who love problem solving and having the freedom to work whenever they feel most focused.
Sound Like You? Check Out: 4,000+ Software Developer/Engineer jobs on PowerToFly and be sure to check out this Q&A with software engineer, Kasey Champion to learn about her experience working at a fully remote company and get her tips for acing technical interviews!)
Why It Can Be Done Remotely: Arguably, not only can programming be done remotely - it should be! Why? Writing code requires undisturbed blocks of time rarely found in traditional workplaces.
As computer scientist and entrepreneur Paul Graham observed in his essay on makers' vs. managers' schedules:
" Most powerful people are on the manager's schedule...But there's another way of using time that's common among people who make things, like programmers and writers. They generally prefer to use time in units of half a day at least. You can't write or program well in units of an hour. That's barely enough time to get started."
Office culture was designed with managers' schedules in mind, and thus makes adhering to a maker's schedule extremely difficult. Remote work, alternatively, is much more conducive to this. After all, it's a lot easier to snooze your Slack notifications than it is to ignore your boss literally hovering over your shoulder.
Growth for 2018-2028: 21%
Annual Growth: 35% for full stack engineers, 30% for backend developers, 25% for javascript developers (all three made LinkedIn's top 15 emerging jobs)
Average Annual Salary: $111,781
3.Designer (Web, Graphic, Product, or UI/UX)
Who It's Good For: Designers who do their best work independently or from the comfort of their own home.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Design Roles
Why You Can Do It Remotely: No doubt there's value in brainstorming with your team, but once you know the needs of a project, most design work can be done independently and then shared. With tools like Zoom, Jira, and Slack, it's easier than ever before to share your work, get feedback, and hit deadlines. (And, like programmers/developers, designers are also more likely to benefit from a maker's schedule!)
Growth for 2018-2028: The BLS predicts only 3% growth, but others predict significantly higher growth based on the length of time UI/UX roles stay open before being filled.
Average Annual Salary (for UX Design): $98,816 according to data from ZipRecruiters
Average Median Salary (for Graphic Design): $50,370 in 2018, according to the U.S. BLS (not specific to remote roles)
4.Product Manager
Who It's Good For: Anyone who loves big-picture strategy and building products that users will love.
(If you enjoy more nitty-gritty task oversight, consider project management instead — both roles can be done remotely! You can learn more about the differences between the two PM roles here.)
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Product Manager Jobs (Plus, practice these product manager interview questions to help you land the gig!)
Why You Can Do It Remotely: As more and more software engineers and other tech professionals work remotely, it only makes sense that the PMs coordinating with them work remotely. If you're a virtual communication wiz comfortable communicating online and using tools like Zoom, GitHub, Jyra, Slack, and Asana (the list goes on...), then you're all set!
Annual Growth: 24%*
*Based on expected growth for Product Owner from LinkedIn's emerging jobs report. The BLS doesn't currently track growth specifically for Product Manager positions.
Average Annual Salary: $81,149
5.P.A., Nurse, or Nurse Practitioner
Who It's Good For: An experienced medical practitioner ready to swap 12 hour shifts for a more flexible schedule.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Nurse Jobs and subscribe to job alerts from Flatiron Health for future remote roles!
Why You Can Do It Remotely: New technology is changing the way healthcare is delivered. You can provide wellness and medical education, patient-centered care, and treatment virtually, all while collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, physicians, and medical assistants.
Growth for 2018-2028 (Nurse Practitioner): 26%
Average Annual Salary (Remote Nurse): $73,374
6.Technical Writer
Who It's Good For: Top-notch communicators (writers) who can explain complex topics succinctly and clearly. (It's helpful if you have expertise in at least one technical subject.)
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Technical Writer Jobs
Why It Can Be Done Remotely: Like programmers, technical writers are makers - they need large, undisturbed blocks of time to create content. Technology and the nature of remote work can help ensure writers are able to communicate efficiently with their teams and organize meetings when they'll be constructive, not distracting.
Growth for 2018-2028: 8%
Average Annual Salary: $68,,454
7.Customer Success Manager
Who It's Good For: Good communicators who love helping others and problem-solving.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Customer Success Roles
Why It Can Be Done Remotely: Most customer service needs can be met over the phone and online. With a computer and good internet connection (and enough patience), you can handle all your customers' needs from wherever you are.
Growth for 2020: 34% annual growth rate (The BLS doesn't share data specific to customer success, but thanks to the growth of SaaS, Customer Success Specialist made LinkedIn's 2020 list of the top 15 emerging jobs)
Average Annual Salary: $67,371
8.Marketing Manager
Who It's Good For: Folks who are equal parts creative and analytical.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Marketing Manager Jobs on PowerToFly
Why You Can Do It Remotely: Analyzing industry trends and crafting strategy can be done from anywhere. And with teams becoming more and more spread out, you can coordinate cross-functionally with sales people, engineers, and more using Zoom, Slack, and other online tools.
Growth for 2018-2028: 8%
Average Annual Salary: $62,788 (according to data for remote professionals from ZipRecruiters)
Average Median Salary: $134,290 in 2018, according to the U.S. BLS (not specific to remote roles)
9.Recruiter
Who It's Good For: A people-person skilled in market research, project/time management, and negotiation.
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote Recruiting Roles
Why You Can Do It Remotely: As remote work takes off and fully remote teams become more common, it only makes sense that recruiters at these companies would be remote as well. Although recruiting saw a dip at the start of the pandemic, the number of remote recruiting roles is steadily increasing as companies ramp back up their hiring goals—we have hundreds of open remote recruiter roles on PowerToFly!
Growth for 2018-2028: 5%
Average Annual Salary: $59,474
10.Sales Development Representative
Who It's Good For: A self-starter with previous experience or an interest in Sales, or anyone who's just starting out and eager to prove themselves!
Sound Like You? Check Out: Remote SDR Roles
Why You Can Do It Remotely: You don't need to be in a particular location to make sales calls, deliver pitches, send follow-up emails, or manage your sales team. And if you have to fly from an office to meet a client, you can just as easily fly from your hometown.
Growth for 2018-2028: 5%
Annual Growth: 34% (LinkedIn lists SDR as one of its top 15 emerging roles for 2020)
Median Annual Salary (not specific to remote) for SDRs: $45,937
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Interested in one of the roles above? Check out these resources for landing your dream remote job and get ready to reap the full benefits of remote work in 2021 - doing what you like, where you like. Good luck!
[A version of this article was originally published on Dec. 19, 2018]
