Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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.

Given all the great reviews this book has received I expected it to be more useful.
First, it is much more a guide to finding a job than it is to finding a career. I was hoping it would talk about the transition from college to a first full time, and hopefully career starting, job but it is completely full of the normal tips that are everywhere (how to make your resume better, etc.).
Second, it is written in a somewhat condescending way. At the same time, it is written in a really informal way and it comes across like she's trying to connect with youth- but it seems forced and is distracting when trying to read a section.

Having been in the employment industry for 18 years and after reading more "career guides" than I care to count, Getting from College to Career is one of the best I have ever read. Lindsey Pollak has a very conversational and inspiring writing style. Her tips are smart, succinct and practical. Getting from College to Career should be required reading for all college students as well as recent graduates looking to solidify their career.

The transition from school to career is a frustrating process for so many people. Figuring out how to get not just a job but the job you want can be a great struggle. School and the working world are very different places.

Lindsay Pollack cleverly used her own trial and error as a college graduate seeking fulfilling employment, to create a book of helpful tips for others in the same predicament. She gives a genuine account of this very real situation.

Her account consists of 90 brief pieces of advice on subjects ranging from overcoming personal job search fears to practical ways to gain experience and skills.

`Getting from College to Career' can easily be read from cover to cover and can also be skimmed through for advice on particular problems. It is a must read for recent college graduates and is also useful for anyone else searching for employment.

Danny Iny
Author of the free eBook "Forget Everything You Know About Looking For a Job... And Actually Find One!"
HuntingToHired, www.HuntingToHired.com

This book is written in a list format. The author has grouped her tips together by category. These groupings can be focused upon if you are looking for advice on a particular part of the job hunt. For instance, the first grouping is focused on determining the type of job you are looking for and also to help you find information on that particular job. The following sections are about professional presentation, applications, identifying opportunities, interviewing, etc.

The nice thing is this book can be useful for many people in varying positions within there job hunt. It can be read by an individual still in college or someone that may have graduated a couple of years ago (as was the case with myself). For the current student it can give an outline for all the correct ways to secure a job even before you graduate. For the recent (or not so recent graduate) it provides what I feel like most people are looking for; A straight forward road map to getting a job.

If you ever sit around wondering how everyone else around you are getting these great jobs, or you don't even have a clue where to begin finding a job, try this book. Start with tip one and keep going until you have a job. Chances are you will have a job before you have implemented all the tips (there are 90 tips I believe in the book).

There are a ton of job hunt books on the market, but very few (if any) focus on the new or recent graduate. Most of the standard books have tips that are more useful for someone who has some work history already. This book is rare in that it prepares you for the recent graduate job hunt. Highly recommended for anyone nearing the end of college.

I first saw Lindsey at a student leadership conference where she did an excellent presentation on networking. I bought the book afterwards and it's the best 14$ I've spent in a while. I have already received my money back in experience.
As president of a student organization at my university, I actually do attend meetings with my administration and write formal emails everyday while at the same time looking into my future career plans- and this book helps with every aspect of my professional life right now.
The book is small and a quick read, very quirky and so easy to comprehend. I keep it in my meeting bag with my notebook, business cards, and laptop so if I'm in the waiting room waiting to talk to the Provost of my university- I can pull it out and brush up on some of my interviewing skills. I have noticed an increase of my professionalism because of the book and I find that the administration on my campus are surprised when they learn of my age, 20 because of the upmost professionalism I display, and most everything I perfected with this great book.
As for the transition from college to career, after reading I finally got the courage and confidence to inquire about my dream job and the director is calling me this week for an online information interview- something I would have never done without this book. This book could literally open some doors for me I never would have imagined because of simple mistakes I was making or avenues I wouldn't have pursued.
It should be required material for incoming freshmen!

After too many summers spent babysitting, I craved some real job experience I could list on a resume. I embarked on my first internship/job search this spring and spent countless hours sitting in front of my computer, searching how to market myself and prepare for interviews when all I wanted to was to be outside with my friends. By the time I had found an internship, I had found this book, and had found myself wishing I had read it sooner- I could have saved so much time!

Linsey Pollak offers realistic, no-nonsense advice catered to the busy college student while retaining a conversational, unpretentious tone. Having heard the author speak at Tufts University, I already knew that she cared about helping college students successfully transition into young professionals. However, even if I had not heard her speak this passion would be evident as it resonates throughout the book. By covering everything from job hunting, to professional e-mailing, to networking, job shadowing, and even tips on how to build your resume while in school, one read through this book is worth countless visits to even the best Career Service offices and then some.

Getting from College to Career is honest, informational and entertaining. It is an unbelievable resource and will give anyone who reads it an advantage over their peers in an increasingly competitive job market.

Prior to embarking on my own post-college job search, I had consulted several trustworthy individuals on career tips, including on how to write cover letters and resumes and how to interact with a recruiter or potential connection. However, no one told me as much and in as much detail as this book did.

Lindsey Pollak writes about how to educate yourself, what to read, where to go find information most relevant to you, the proper way to interact with professional contacts, what to do to get the most and best information for your career and how to create a professional image. I couldn't stop reading until it was over.

From the beginning Pollak lets the reader know that one cannot get anywhere or do anything without being active, and it does keep you active, but active doing actually useful things for your career, getting business cards, doing job shadowing, requesting informational interviews, subscribing to relevant publications, on how to network and many more great tips.

Good luck!