The Big Sister's Guide to the World of Work: The Inside Rules Every Working Girl Must Know [Paperback]

Marcelle Langan DiFalco (Author), Jocelyn Greenky Herz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2004

EVERY WORKING WOMAN NEEDS A BIG SISTER

In just one eight-hour day, a working woman can get more twisted up than panty hose in the spin cycle. The Big Sister's Guide to the World of Work will straighten her out. This tell-it-like-it-is handbook gives every working woman the tools for facing the forces of evil and opportunity in corporate America, including how to:

• Sidestep the classic mistakes women make in a new job

• Avoid getting tangled up in office politics

• Banish the seven habits that make you look small

• Get your boss on your side (without kissing up)

Once entry-level know-nothings who rose to the top of the corporate ranks, DiFalco and Herz have been the go-to big sisters for hundreds of women who were mystified and mortified at the office. Now you can arm yourself with the authors' straight-shooting advice. Uninhibited and fiercely wise -- like the very best big sisters -- they are the mentors every working woman needs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. For those obsessing about whether or not their boss hates them, DiFalco and Herz dispense a little sisterly advice—she probably does. But as brutally frank as the self-appointed "Big Sisters" can be in confirming readers’ worst fears, the duo are also fabulous at explaining exactly what to do to change the situation or, at least, what to do to change the bad habits that created the sticky mess in the first place. The authors—both former Hachette Filipacchi executives who’ve mentored hundreds of professional women—offer a compendium of all the things women do to sabotage their careers along with excellent advice on how to stop, move on and move up. They do so without pity and with more than a bit of self-deprecating humor. Best of all, they stay well clear of the holier-than-thou self-help pulpit. Their advice ranges from tips on how to overcome a genetic aversion to networking (which they liken to the equally common aversion to exercise) to suggestions on how to vanquish the fear of public speaking. Their tutorial on successful interviewing includes links to the questions human resource interviewers ask, so readers can prepare for them accordingly. DiFalco and Herz sum up the need for taking charge of one’s professional destiny by comparing it to choosing between the starring roles in a production of "Thelma & Her Career." Either you chose to be the driver or the helpless passenger. Unflinching with their reality checks, DiFalco and Herz are also generous with their insights and with their practical advice for moving through one’s professional life successfully. No big deal really; that’s what sisters are for.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D. author of Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office You'll find many morsels of workplace wisdom on each and every page of this book...

Bonnie Fuller executive vice president and chief editorial director, American Media, Inc. This is the ultimate mentor for women...Part therapist, part manual, it should be required reading for any woman who wants to get ahead.

Laura Berman Fortgang author of Now What?: 90 Days to a New Life Direction and Living Your Best Life Funny, witty, and so truthful! Let these big sisters mentor you.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (December 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743247108
• ISBN-13: 978-0743247108
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #456,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Over thirty? Buy in plain brown wrapper., February 1, 2005

By 

Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Big Sister's Guide to the World of Work: The Inside Rules Every Working Girl Must Know (Paperback)

Big Sister's Guide targets young women -- twenty-somethings for the most part -- with its breezy, edgy style. It's bright and breathless, the way Sex and the City would play if the stellar quartet decided to go mentoring.

Ignore the style. This is good stuff. I'd encourage midlife, midcareer workers -- male as well as female -- to sneak this book home in plain brown wrapper.

Big Sister's Guide helps readers decode messages of the workplace. One of the best chapters deals with job interviews. When your interviewer caps her pen, time to stop. When he drums his fingers -- you're definitely talking too much. And assume the interviewer will be unprepared, so bring extra copies of your resume.

The Big Sisters give us tips on topics nobody wants to acknowlege. For instance, what if you've got a Bad Reputation? You're interviewing and someone asks, "Weren't you the one who--" And you get some nifty comebacks to defuse the situation.

In my opinion, the best part comes in Chapter 8: Who can you trust? Nobody, the authors say. End of chapter. And they are SO right! As a career consultant, I find my mid-career professional clients tend to err on the side of being open -- wide open! -- and continue to be surprised by the fallout. I encourage everyone to maintain the maximum privacy levels possible without getting a Major Reputation as a Serious Hermit.

Finally, I like their 3-step planning guide. Whenever you're embarking on a new project, such as a new career, ask yourself, "What 3 steps can I take now that will lead me in the right direction?" And if you don't know those steps -- then ("duh," say the authors) your first step is to figure out what they are.

So what's missing? The biggest omission relates to asking for help. Parents, college friends and coworkers rarely offer clear, objective advice. Twenty-somethings who seek out a career coach or consultant, and who pay the going rate, are rare -- but they're usually moving up fast. They do advise getting professional help with a resume, but not how to choose the best resource. Next edition might include a section on how to choose and how to hire help. (Free help? Typically worth what you paid.)

Otherwise, I recommend giving this book to anyone who's been in the workforce ten years or less...and buying it for yourself at any age! (A forty-something would be insulted to receive Big Sister as a gift -- but he'd learn a lot.)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stands out from the rest, November 23, 2004

By 

Lisa G "AV Publisher" (NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Sister's Guide to the World of Work: The Inside Rules Every Working Girl Must Know (Paperback)

This one finally gets it. It speaks in a language we can actually relate to and is applicable to real life career scenarios. It is hilarious, edgy, insightful and REAL. You feel like your best friend (or big sister)is giving you the insider information you need to be successful. I wish I would have had this twenty years ago!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fab for a young career girl, December 29, 2006

By 

S. Carr "Aphrodite" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Big Sister's Guide to the World of Work: The Inside Rules Every Working Girl Must Know (Paperback)

I actually received this book as a college graduation gift, and I really enjoyed reading it. It gives a very practical approach to getting along in the working world, and I especially enjoyed the many examples of how "not" to get ahead. In an age when young women come into the workforce with goals and ambitions, this was a book directed at an eager audience. I'd certainly recommend it!