Ratings1
Average rating3
BLUF: Good guide for those looking for or starting their first job. For those on the job a year or more, you will get a few great tips, but this is a guide, not a self-improvement book.
Pros
- Few great tips including: importance of organization, setting priorities, and managing expectations; phone/email etiquette; research expectations; and FIO (figure it out).
- Her writing is easy to read and she uses personal experience for examples.
- Great foundation for those new to having a career to build from.
- Written with the assumption you are going to be an assistant or secretary.
- Few bad tips including: Knowing your supervisor's friends and favorite restaurants; solving office politics by simply ignoring your frustrations and continuing on in a miserable environment as if it wasn't; telling your coworkers and customers about your next dream job when you're still at your current employer; and showing up first and leaving last aka, revolving around your boss' schedule (Okay advice, but my job is to be efficient. Should I feel obligated to come in at 8:30 like my boss? No, I'm going to kick butt at 6:00. Also, dedicating time off the clock to your employer will often get you in trouble).
- All advice centers on the author. This means that there is a strong chance it's not applicable to you. For example, telling night owls to wake up early because it works for the author is rather counterproductive for the night owls.
- Has a section on how to deal with a difficult boss, but doesn't actually give you any good advice! This would have been the most beneficial section to those of us a year or two into our first jobs
- The last sections on how to schedule your social skills and other personal, non work related was halfbaked.