Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World [Paperback]

Lindsey Pollak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2007

How do you get a job without experience and get experience without a job? It's the question virtually every college student or recent graduate faces. In Getting from College to Career, Lindsey Pollak offers the first definitive guide to building the experience, skills, and confidence you need before starting your first major job search. Her 90 action-oriented tips include strategies ranging from the simple to the expert, including:

• Avoid the biggest mistake in career prep and job hunting
• Subscribe to a daily newspaper
• E-mail like a professional
• Make every event a networking success
• Practice the eight essentials of internship achievement
• Perform five minutes of stand-up
• Overprepare for interviews
• Persist

Getting from College to Career gives you the essential information and guidance you need to get your foot in the door of the real world. Don't start your first job search without it!

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Pollak’s thorough research reveals some startling facts that the modern job-searcher may be overlooking.” (Metro New York )

“Perfect for today’s students, who inevitably want what they want (and only that!) when they want it.” (Campus Career Advisor )

“A well-written, lively and easy to follow guide.” (Time.com )

About the Author

Lindsey Pollak is a writer, editor, and speaker specializing in career advice for young professionals. She is the coauthor of two career advice books and has written for Marie Claire magazine and Metro New York newspaper. Lindsey frequently speaks at universities and corporations across the country. She is a graduate of Yale University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: Collins (April 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006114259X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061142598
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great advice for recent graduates or current students, March 12, 2008

By 

Rusty Rothwell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World (Paperback)

I read about this book in a NYT "career advice" article. Given the fact that I was in my last semester of college, I ordered the book thinking it would help me in my upcoming job search.

I landed a good job in a major city just a few days after ordering this book. For that reason, given the intensity of my last semester and a move across the country, it took me a few months to pick the book up. Had I read the book before I took the job, it would have given me advice and suggestions on negotiating my starting salary, observing the office culture, and networking.

Still, despite having landed the job I wanted, this book has been helpful. It has opened my eyes to the importance of the persona you put on at work, the way you interact with co-workers, and the importance of networking within your respective industry. If I ever consider switching jobs, I have no doubt this book will help with the transition.

But, this book is not just for the recent graduate! It provides valuable advice for any college student, regardless of your class or academic standing. Given the fact that Ms. Pollak is young and down to earth, it offers real world suggestions that affect the younger generations; this includes cleaning up your "online record" of social networking profiles, book reviews, etc. It also provides excellent samples of resumes, cover letters, and lines to use when attending job fairs or industry trade shows. The chapter on potential interview questions is top notch!

I highly recommend this book. Since it is broken down into suggestions instead of chapters, it is an easy (but informative) read!

Rusty Rothwell

Houston, TX

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Job Seekers, May 16, 2007

By 

Patricia Hudak "Real World 101 Founder" (Jersey City,NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World (Paperback)

This book can be summed up in one word - advantage.

I have read several books and have attended many classes and seminars on career planning to know that this book is it! I have to admit that even with all of my knowledge on resume writing and interviewing, I was still taking notes, this book is that great. Getting from College to Career of the most complete guides to job-hunting that manages (very well I must say) to keep the reader engaged, enlightened and well informed, all at the same time. Lindsey's advice is practical and easy to implement for both college students and recent college graduates.

Getting from College to Career is an essential reading for anyone who wants to have an advantage in their career. I wish I had this book before I graduated so that I could have taken advantage of all the advice that Lindsey so perfectly dishes out to readers in 90 steps. It is the advice that you wouldn't normally hear from college Career Service Centers, but it's what you need to know if you want a leg up on the competition. My hope is that colleges jump on the bandwagon and start giving this book out during freshmen orientation.

Definitely pick this book up if you or for someone you know who is going through the job search process, they will thank you for it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This should be required for students, August 13, 2007

By 

Andy Drish (Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World (Paperback)

I will graduate in 5 months and I learned more by reading this book than I have in the majority of my classes. Here's why:

Content - The material is applicable to everyday life and has kept me from making stupid mistakes that make me look like a "college kid" vs a "young professional."

Voice - It's relieving to finally read a book by an author that understands our generation and knows how we like to learn.

Action - After every step, there is an action item to put into practice. A great way to read the book is over one month, doing three action items each day.

Every student should read this book before they graduate.