New Book "Uptick" Reveals How to Embrace the Next Chapter of Your Career with Confidence

Why do so many people remain in careers that no longer make them happy?

According to Careershifters (2026), 48% of those surveyed never or rarely feel fulfilled by their work. For many mid-career professionals, this is their daily reality: commuting each day to their job, after years of repetition, with an increasingly loud voice saying “Is this really it?” Yet, they remain afraid to make a change - fear of the unknown, with responsibilities on their shoulders and a worry they will have to leave behind everything they've spent years building.

Dr Claire Handby is clear it doesn’t have to be this way. Individuals can take their career into their own hands. Through her illuminating new book Uptick, she challenges the myth that a career change means starting over or a spontaneous, unplanned event. At a time when AI adoption and workplace transformation are reshaping traditional career paths, Handby presents career reinvention as an opportunity to reframe, building on existing skills rather than leaving them behind. Combining practical tools and guidance with coaching insights and reflective prompts, Uptick reconnects readers with their “why”, providing an energising blueprint for navigating a successful career pivot with confidence.

A high-trust executive coach and mentor with over 30 years of experience, including major corporates such as EY, Deloitte, and KPMG, Handby expertly synthesises deep insights from her own career, academic teaching, and executive coaching. Handby’s motivational and supportive voice aids readers in navigating what can often feel like a daunting period. Coupled with the book's accessible and actionable insights, it’s evident that a rewarding transition is not only possible; it’s within reach.

First, Handby guides readers to do the necessary inner work and preparation needed to make their career uptick a triumph. Exploring concepts such as defining the reasons for change, reconnecting with drives and values, redefining what success looks like, and overcoming imposter syndrome and fear. All accompanied by tailored exercises and reflection points enabling readers to refine what they want from a career on their own terms.

Handby then shows how to make this vision a reality, delving into the practicalities of making a career pivot without derailing your finances, building a personal brand that supports your future, and how professionals can repackage and repurpose their existing skills to apply them to their new aspirations. Most importantly, Uptick recognises that career reinvention is an ongoing journey, offering guidance on sustaining success, maintaining motivation, managing expectations and finding balance long after the initial move has been made.

Individuals do not have to settle for career unhappiness. In a world where careers are no longer linear, Uptick is a step-by-step roadmap for turning uncertainty into opportunity and career change into career growth. Whether a disillusioned high-performer, busy professional feeling unfulfilled, or a leader looking ahead, Uptick is an invaluable companion for building a tailored, achievable path towards a more fulfilling and sustainable next chapter.

Uptick is available on Amazon and in all good bookshops from the 14th July 2026.

Read what people are saying about the book below:

‘Is this it?’ Dr Claire Handby perfectly captures the disillusionment that plagues many of us so-called ‘high performers’. Uptick is the no-fluff guide to redefining success on your own terms, and I wish I had it after I was made redundant a second time in quick succession. You’re not stuck; you’re ready to take control of whatever is next.

- Ryan Hopkins, International Best-Selling Author of 52 Weeks of Wellbeing; Chief Impact Officer JAAQ; Past Big 4

In Uptick, Dr Claire Handby captures the essence of what it means to evolve – not react – in a world that never stands still. Her blend of honesty, clarity and actionable insight makes this book an invaluable companion for anyone at a career crossroads. It’s more than a guide; it’s a call to move forward with intention and self-belief. As a leader, I have seen firsthand how vital adaptability, purpose and resilience are in a world that rarely stands still. Uptick is more than a book – it’s a catalyst for personal and professional transformation.

- Debs Madden, CITB, Executive Director, Customer Engagement & Operations

Knowing what to stop doing, start doing and doing better is what being a leader is all about. The challenge is figuring out which is which. Uptick is a timely reminder that we have more influence over this than we might think. When we are in the trenches of corporate life or industry we can’t see the wood from the trees. Reading Uptick is a powerful way to pause and look upwards. Well worth the time.

- Paul Russell, Business Coach (ex-IBM Leader)

Uptick lands at a pivotal moment for many senior professionals navigating the accelerating shifts in the global economy, and in the world of work as we have long known it. Technological advances, consolidation, differently accepted norms in trade, regulation, structures and the employer–employee contract mean that many face increasing uncertainty about the careers and capabilities they have worked hard to build and what it means going forward. Dr Claire Handby’s thoughtful guide provides a practical companion to reckoning honestly with the questions that frequently emerge for mid-career professionals and leaders looking ahead. Her deep insights from decades of lived experience, academic teaching and executive coaching imbue this book, enabling it to offer the voice and guidance of a ‘critical friend’ during what can often be a lonely time. This book provides clear, structured steps for gaining clarity, (re)defining purpose and ‘success’, and crafting a tailored and achievable path towards a personally and professionally fulfilling next chapter.

- Rewa Bouji, MSc, MCMI, MIC, Founder, Pepperscape Consulting, Past Big 4