Customer Reviews

From Day One: CEO Advice to Launch an Extraordinary Career

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I liked pretty much everything about From Day One, but I was particularly impressed with Mr. White's Fundamental Habits for Success.

Reading
Writing
Speaking
Listening
Prioritizing
Estimating
Forecasting

Here is a brief summary of each of them:

Reading: You Are What You Read

Read widely. Be an eclectic reader with interests that span a great many fields. Mr. White's suggested must reading list includes: The NY Times, the largest circulation newspaper in your city, publications that have a slant with which you don't agree (for example if you're a liberal, read US News and World Report, if you're a conservative, read Newsweek).

Writing: The Power of the Written Word

Learn how to write well. Be brief. Harry Truman once said "never use two words when one will do". Don't confuse brevity with speed. Often it takes a lot longer to write a succinct report than it doesa long, rambling one. Don't be afraid to let the reader know you care about your topic. Write like you speak -- flowing, conversational, engaging.

Speaking: Mastering the Spoken Word

Become comfortable speaking in public. Do what you have to do to become more at ease in speaking in front of a group. If you are nervous or unsure of yourself, join Toastmasters. Learn to speak well, with emotion and persuasion.

Listening: A (Nearly) Lost Art

Listening is not a passive endeavor. It requires discipline and the full commitment of your brainpower. You can become a better listener by actively engaging with the other person. Observe what the other person has said and where he or she might be going next. Use the power of silence to encourage people to provide you with more information and details.

Prioritizing: Managing Your Time Wisely

When priorities change or demands shift, you need to be flexible enough to refocus your attention and reprioritize your asks and responsibilities. To do this successfully, you need strong time management skills. Watch out for potential pitfalls that can sabotage your efforts to be efficient and responsive.

Estimating: Is It a $2 Million, $20 Million or $200 Million?

Estimating - before you do a calculation -- helps make numbers more relevant and logical. Practice estimating. When you drive, estimate how long it should take to get from on place to another based on distance and speed. Make mental calculations and double check them with your math. Estimating will keep you from making errors.

Forecasting: What's Your Prediction?

Forecasting in an important skill for both business and life. The ability to predetermine how people will react to unexpected announcements and decisions is an important forecasting skill. Follow the advice of Peter Ducker: whenever you make a key decision or take a key action, write down what you expect will happen. Compare the actual results with your prediction nine or 12 months later".

There's a lot more to From Day One than the brief summary of success habits I've presented here. This book is full of good ideas and common sense approaches to building a successful career. Buy it, read it and use its advice. You won't be disappointed.

"From Day One" has plenty of seasoned advice to build up a well-balanced, successful career. Unlike other easygoing how-to articles, this book is written from a long-term perspective. That is, true success comes from setting the company's goals first and working hard to achieve them.

Author's advices are profound, insightful, and thought-provoking. In addition, it contains several true stories from CEOs, including author himself who had held executive positions at many companies. These interesting stories enhance the clarity and cogency of his arguments.

After reading few chapters, you might have an impression that this book is just for students or young businesspersons because it is described in order of career progression. Throughout this book, however, you can learn the way of thinking and mental attitude when you face the DAY ONE in your career - the first step of your next portion of your life.

To sum up, this writing is for people who eager to contribute to the organization and achieve successes both in professional and personal life. Therefore, you will want to read this book over again whenever you come to a significant milestone in your entire career.

CEO and Professor Bill White's got it right. He nails it. His book FROM DAY ONE explains how corporations tick regarding a new employee. From how to find out what you want to do professionally, to what to do the moment you start a new job, Bill's words of wisdom resonate for anyone looking to start a new job or leave a job they are currently in because they are not happy. It is the perfect tool for anyone currently employed on how to move up the corporate ladder, and how to make networking work for you. It's a terrific book and should be on everyone's must have list.

I just started my new job fresh out of college and I found myself using the things I read in this book towards my career. This book has fantastic career guidance . Each chapter is filled with fact and wisdom. A must read for Seniors, New Hires, et al.

Looking for your first job? Or maybe you're an experienced professional trying to launch a new career? Whatever your experience or profession, this book has an abundance of helpful information. From building a credible professional reputation, to identifying companies most likely to hire you, William White provides solid tips on effectively marketing yourself. (Reviewed by Marion E. Gold, author of "Personal Publicity Planner: A Guide to Marketing YOU.")

William White's book, From Day One, is a very enlightening read for the young professional and recent college graduate. The book is an entertaining explanation of all the things that business people everywhere "wish they knew" back when their careers began. It is chock-full of excellent need-to-know information but is presented in White's conversational style that does not belittle the reader, no matter the level of knowledge with the topics.

White's experience as a CEO as well as a university professor gives From Day One the authority of a business expert and the thouroughness of academia. Recommended highly.

From Day One is a great read for those who are looking to learn the ropes of corporate life from a seasoned professional. I was a student of Prof. White at Northwestern. The tone of the book reads very much as he teaches his class: instructive, personable and populated with fascinating antidotes from his experiences.

The most important thing I learned from the book is to do as much for others as you can and build out your personal network. In the beginning stages of your career you will have much to learn and not much to offer. However, by spending the extra time to make the lives of those around you easier, you will be noticed and appreciated. The hard work that you do up front will pay dividends down the road.

Highly recommended!

Despite it being targetted obviously at those who're starting out, this book is really for everyone who're just looking for some ways to better manage their careers. Its extremely insightful and uses Prof. White's and others' experience to provide realworld examples to go along w the guidance. It sets out scenarios that one may encounter and just basically offers a good healthy, ethical way of doing things as you move forward (even in your life beyond the job in terms of diversification of your activities). A read well worthed, and something I would definitely recommend.

This book has provided me the knowledge I need to position myself for great success in my career. As an employee just graduating from college, he has provided me insights into "how to be successful" that I would otherwise not know. Will White lays out practical and executable advice that you can start the next day you go to work.

William White is not only a successful businessman and professor but also a talented author as evidenced by his book, FROM DAY ONE.

He takes the reader through it all from whether to attend graduate school to living a successful, balanced life and addresses many of the issues that young professionals wonder about from setting expectations to networking. For example, the common misconception that only selfish individuals survive in business is set straight; William White highlights and reiterates the importance of giving and not just getting throughout his book. A key element of the book is that he gives examples of actual situations that support his advice.

This book is a must read for anyone from undergraduates to young professionals. It is very informative and a truly enjoyable read because of the conversational style that it is written.