Customer Reviews

Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Girl on Top is a dating-rules-turned-career-advice book aimed at informing young women how to seek and build a successful career. The author, Nicole Williams, is very blunt, moderately funny and sometimes a bit crass. I am a fan of blunt and funny but I did not necessarily enjoy the crass comments, although they did not necessarily detract from the message she was trying to convey.

Ms. Williams did a pretty good job of turning classic dating "rules" into key points on how to make it in the big bad world of business. However, there were times that I felt some of the dating "rules" did not really apply in a woman's career. There were also some controversial bits of advice, such as using how you look to get ahead. Ms. Williams fully acknowledges that some of her advice is controversial but also has valid reasons for bringing those topics into the discussion and it added a bit of perspective as to how women and men in the workplace view (and judge) you. In general, Girl on Top is a quick read that skims the surface of several important issues that young women should know before entering the workforce.

Overall, I think the book was okay. Girl on Top is a book that young women about to enter or just entering the workforce might find informative and useful. It certainly raises issues that I did not think of when I started out in my career and it would have been helpful to have had this book at the time.

This book by career expert Nicole Williams is the book I've been waiting for. As a 27-year old trying to climb the corporate ladder, it's difficult to find practical and completely applicable advice that isn't sugar-coated (or coming from an HR professional who's been in the same position for 20+ years). Girl on Top is not only easy to understand and honest, but it's relevant to the young professional's lifestyle as a whole--any young woman will truly appreciate Williams' candid advice.

Business, like dating, has rules of engagement. To build the right relationships and be successful, you need to navigate your surroundings carefully, adapt, and never settle for second best. Nicole Williams captures the spirit of dating and office politics in her book, Girl on Top. Williams takes personal lessons from the dating field and constructs a roadmap for business success. She conveys her journey and life lessons in a very frank manner and a clear "been there, done that" tone. This helps in offering readers a fresh and honest spin on how to grow your career.

For example, in the chapter, "Get a Life, " Williams describes the trap many women (and men) fall into when they wait for something to happen and sacrifice themselves (and their careers) in the process. In the chapter, "Don't Give Away Your Milk for Free," Williams talks about personal worth and negotiation. This is critical in the workplace and for driving up the corporate ladder. If you can't define to yourself the value you bring to your company, you will get devalued and so will your opportunities.

And like in any dating scenario, sometimes the job you have is not going anywhere and you have to move on. Williams takes care to make the point that if you are clear with who you are, what you're worth, and what you're willing to do to meet your goals, you need to take stock in the situation you find yourself. If you're unhappy, and hanging on for various reasons, you're doing your career a disservice. Set clear goals, surround yourself with supporters, and build a new plan where you can find another place (or long-term relationship) that leverages your strengths and talents.

In summary, Girl on Top is decidedly slanted towards a female audience, but don't let that fool you. Much of the life lessons and guidance Williams outlines applies equally to men. As a resource, the book is constructed with a high read-to-implement ratio which allows you to quickly adopt tips that can improve both your career and love life.

"Girl on Top" offers advice in a way that you can understand and relate to. Nicole Williams takes classic dating "rules" that help you survive/understand complicated relationships and relates them to a work environment. She brings to life concepts that you've heard for years! They finally make sense! Williams' voice is anything but boring. Her "tell-you-like-it-is" approach to how to land career success is one you don't want to miss out on!

Every so often a "Eureka" moment comes along that flicks the proverbial light switch in the human brain to the "on position." Girl on Top is the end product of author Nicole Williams' "Eureka" insight. Williams, after being newly-single, had a "Eureka" moment while reading dating advice books. Her epiphany was that many of "The Rules" for romantic relationships were equally applicable to the 9-5 world.

Williams declares, "Dating rules turned career strategies . . . [are] everything you need to be the Girl on Top!" Each chapter explores how the identified dating rule applies to the modern day work world. Reading Girl on Top is like listening to a mash-up of the Dating Rules Hall of Fame with chapters on "Treat Him Mean, Keep Him Keen;" "Don't Giveaway the Milk For Free;" "Don't Waste the Pretty;" "Play Hard to Get;" "Be Willing to Walk Away;" and many more.

Williams' conversational girlfriend to girlfriend delivery is smart, savvy, and witty, but also contains language that may offend some readers. Other readers may take issue with some her suggestions. Williams deflects these criticisms by summarizing Girl on Top as "an easy-to-get-your-head around way of thinking about your job, in a language that we're already familiar with, in a context that makes the mind-numbing boring theory of career a little more fun."

Girl on Top is an entertaining tome on a serious subject!

Publisher: Center Street; 1 edition (October 12, 2009), 208 pages
Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

Frank and very funny, Nicole Williams tells it like it is in this sobering guide for women just entering, climbing the ladder or returning to the corporate world. If you aspire to be the Girl On Top there is valuable information contained in these pages every woman should know. An absolutely must read book!

I just finished reading my copy of this book. It's really funny! And definitely practical. I wish i had this book when I was looking for my first job!

I am only about half way through the book because of my crazy work schedule, but I love it. Get a lot of comments about the title while I am at lunch or on the bus reading it, but it makes it that much funnier to read, knowing that people are looking at the cover and saying to their selves, "What is she reading?"

GIRL ON TOP: YOUR GUIDE TO TURNING DATING RULES INTO CAREER SUCCESS tells how to take tactics used to land a man and apply them to a career to handle virtually any work situation. From learning how to get others to praise your work to keeping interest alive, playing hard to get, and networking as though on a date, this packs in easy links between a woman's relationship tactics and business.

Nicole really does tell it like it is in her book Girl on Top. She breaks down how to help a girl grab her dream job/career by using the same simple methods she would in snagging Prince Charming!

With fun catchy topics such as Treat him Mean, Keep him Keen she explains the importance of standing up for yourself and not being a mouse and that simply being liked in the job place doesn't mean your respected.

Some of the reading was a bit blunt and shocking but actually made perfect sense. I had a good many WOW moments while reading, but I took away a lot of great insight and information from Girl On Top and I really wished I would have had this book when I was younger. It is definitely a book a lady needs on her bookshelf and I highly recommend it!