Hi, I'm Amanda.
I’m a serial entrepreneur who has spent decades hiring, mentoring, and helping people as they launch their careers.
The Launch Job
How to Start Your Career in a Rapidly Changing World
A Launch Job is an early role that helps set the direction of your career. It may not be your dream job, but it can give you the skills, experience, relationships, and confidence to move toward work that is meaningful and sustainable.A Launch Job is an early role that helps set the direction of your career.
Drawing on interviews with recent graduates, non-graduates, employers, recruiters, and career counselors, The Launch Job offers a practical roadmap for navigating the transition into the working world.
Available for pre-order now at
Preparing for your job search
Understanding the process, assessing your skills and priorities, developing the right mindset, and using a framework to focus your search.
Building your job search tools
Getting organized, creating a strong resume and online presence, using technology effectively, and managing your time.
Networking is your secret weapon
Developing your elevator pitch, having effective career conversations, and making the most of career fairs and professional meet-ups.
Navigating interviews and offers
Preparing for interviews, telling your story effectively, evaluating opportunities, and negotiating offers.
Staying resilient and starting strong
Navigating rejection, knowing when to adjust your approach, and building a strong foundation in your new role.
The Launch Job is for people preparing to enter the working world, whether they’re graduating from college, finishing another kind of training, changing direction mid-career, or simply trying to figure out what comes next.
It’s also for parents, mentors, educators, and others who want to help young adults navigate the process.
“The Launch Job is both timely and deeply practical. Amanda Twiss understands that beginning a career today requires more than submitting applications and hoping for the best. Her emphasis on relationships, initiative, resourcefulness, and the human side of hiring will help students and recent graduates become more confident, strategic, and effective as they enter the workforce.”
“This honest look inside the job market offers real life tools and advice to help you feel prepared when launching your career. The Launch Job is an inspiring resource for anyone who doesn't know where to start or already feels discouraged about reaching their goals. Amanda can help you change that!”
“Launching a career today is harder and less straightforward than it was even a few years ago. As a parent of young adults and someone who has spent a career building companies, I appreciate how The Launch Job combines useful job-search advice with the initiative and resourcefulness young people need now.”
“The Launch Job offers practical, timely guidance for students and recent graduates entering a job market that can feel increasingly difficult to navigate. Amanda Twiss gives young job seekers clear strategies for building relationships, communicating their value, and creating opportunities rather than simply relying on online applications.”
“The job market hasn’t changed — the rules did, and nobody gave early-career job seekers the new rulebook. Twiss hands it over. No clichés or vague pep talks: The Opportunity Zone is her framework for finding the overlap of what you bring, what you want, and what the market truly needs, prepping readers with the fuel to launch.”
“As the parent of a COVID-era college graduate and a third-generation business owner who has hired and mentored young professionals for decades, I've seen both sides of today's challenging job market. The traditional path from college to career has changed dramatically, and too many graduates are entering the workforce without a roadmap for what employers are truly looking for. Amanda Twiss fills that gap with practical wisdom, actionable strategies, and genuine encouragement. The Launch Job empowers young adults to stop waiting for opportunities and start creating them with confidence, resilience, and purpose. This is an essential resource for graduates, parents, and anyone committed to helping the next generation succeed.”
“The Launch Job takes the anxiety out of career planning. No matter your starting point — if you have big career dreams or aren't quite sure what your dream job looks like — this book is for you. Easy-to-follow guidance on your next steps, maximizing your strengths, and setting you up for success.”
About Amanda
Amanda Twiss is an author, serial entrepreneur, speaker, and career strategist. Alongside building businesses, she has spent decades mentoring people at the start of their careers, from new college graduates launching professionally to formerly incarcerated men developing the skills to reenter the workforce.
Her work centers on how people build meaningful careers in a world that’s changing fast. Her book, The Launch Job, draws on interviews with recent graduates, employers, recruiters, college career counselors, and parents to provide a practical roadmap for navigating the transition into professional life.
Amanda and her husband live in Seattle and have two adult sons who are early in their careers and a Wheaten Terrier who does very little useful work.
Get in touch
Amanda speaks with students, parents, educators, and employers about launching a career in a rapidly changing world. Reach out to book Amanda for a keynote, workshop, or panel, request a media or podcast interview, or ask about bulk copies of The Launch Job for your school or organization.
Launching a career?
I want to hear about it.
Send me a question you’re stuck on, or a story or strategy from your own job search. I read every note. With your permission, and with identifying details removed, I may share some at book events or on social media, so others can weigh in or learn from what’s really happening out there.
— Amanda
© 2026 Amanda Twiss