I spent more time coming up with complete title of The Zebra Code: A Step-By-Step Guide to Mastering Career Skills That Make You a Standout Professional than writing the entire book.

7 months for the title.

6 months to write the entire book (really 5, because I spent a month polishing).

True story.

Why?

I wanted to get in…

  • Something unique (and avoid generic leadership-y titles like The Leadership Code yawn).
  • Short main title (2-3 words only).
  • A metaphor people will understand.
  • Ability to coin, copyright, unique URL for the title, etc.
  • Ongoing books in a series (for future offsprings).
  • Tell them what’s inside (of course).
  • Demonstrate there’s a framework (but didn’t want to be wordy).
  • Make a promise as to what will happen when they read the book.
  • Be specific about reader avatar (title needed to include something about the “who”).

So, it shakes out…

  • Code = Takes care of the item on methodology inside.
  • Guide = It IS a guide, but I could have used the word “system” here instead.
  • Mastering the Career Skills = It’s really about this and there are detailed lessons inside.
  • Standout = This is what will happen to you and picks up zebra metaphor.
  • Professional = The book is genuinely for white collar professionals even though anyone can read it.

Don’t even get me started on the number of sleepless nights I had thinking about the cover design.

Wondering what gives with my analogy?

Seconds baby. Seconds. As in S-E-C-O-N-D-S.

That’s what YOU have to make the impression.

You don’t actually think you get your entire resume to make an impression???

Uh, heck to the NO.

Your career profile, the executive summary of your ENTIRE professional life if you will, is your billboard.

It’s your title and subtitle.

It’s your ONE and BEST chance to get them excited.

To entice them to review the rest of your glorious resume which substantiates everything you CLAIMED in your career profile.

Just like The Zebra Code.

I enticed you with the title and subtitle.

Then, fulfilled my promise on the 352 pages that sit inside the cover.

You get 2 paragraphs and then the remaining 1.875 pages to make good on your promise.

It happens in seconds.

Or 2 paragraphs.

******************

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Andrew LaCivita, a globally-renowned career and leadership coach, is the founder of the milewalk Academy®. During the course of his distinguished career, he has impacted over 350 companies, more than 100,000 individuals, and spanned nearly 200 countries, helping them unlock their full potential. He is an award-winning author who gained international recognition with his groundbreaking books, Interview Intervention: Communication That Gets You Hired, The Hiring Prophecies: Psychology behind Recruiting Successful Employees, and The Zebra Code: A Step-By-Step Guide to Mastering Career Skills That Make You a Standout Professional. These seminal works, along with his celebrated vlog, Tips for Work and Life®, consistently earn top spots on reputable, worldwide lists which rank the best career advice books and blogs. Andrew remains actively engaged across various social media platforms and shares his expertise through his weekly Live Office Hours on YouTube every Thursday.