I Went to College for This?: How to Turn Your Entry Level Job Into a Career You Love [Paperback]

Amy Joyce (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071400109 | ISBN-13: 978-0071400107 | Publication Date: December 24, 2002 | Edition: 1

A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

A guide to getting the most out of your first job from America's #1 twentysomething career columnist

There are plenty of good books offering recent college grads advice on how to write the perfect resume and how to ace the interview. Yet, amazingly, until now, there were none that focused on what they should do once they landed the job, or how to use that first, menial position as the springboard to bigger and better things. Written by a successful 20-something, for 20-somethings, I Went to College for This? is a breezy, informative guide to navigating the sometimes tricky, often confusing career paths open to those just breaking into the real world of work. In I Went to College for This? author Amy Joyce uses the real-life anecdotes of dozens of postgrads from across North America to inspire and inform readers on how to make the most of those early dues-paying jobs. From how to talk to your boss, to managing office romances, to knowing when to quit, she offers young readers expert advice and guidance on how to transform the jobs they have into the careers they want.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Transform the job you have into the career you want

Relax. A rewarding career beyond the Xerox machine is out there waiting for you, and you will get there. Until then, learn from your experiences-whether they involve unjamming the copier machine or working extra hours to impress your colleagues-with the help of Washington Post career columnist Amy Joyce's I Went to College for This?

Even if your current job has nothing to do with your major or what you thought you'd be doing when you "grew up," I Went to College for This? will help you navigate the sometimes tricky, often confusing career paths that are part of the obligatory dues you must pay on the road to getting the job you want. America's premier twenty-something career columnist Amy Joyce uses real-life anecdotes to inspire and inform you on how to handle the sometimes degrading and often amusing responsibilities that come with entry-level or early jobs.

Providing expert advice and guidance on how to get the most mileage out of any position, I Went to College for This? covers the "how-tos" of:

• Winning the attention of your boss and upper management
• Knowing when to negotiate your salary and when to call it quits
• Working through job blues
• Learning when it's OK to say "no"
• Asking questions without feeling like the office idiot
• Managing office romances
• Finding your dream job through people you already know
• And lots more!

Don't despair if your B.S. degree has turned into a B.S. job-you're so not alone. Learn from the many others like you who turned thankless jobs into the careers of their dreams with the help of I Went to College for This?

About the Author

Amy Joyce has written the popular "Career Track" column for the Washington Post business section for three years. She also hosts the Career Track chatline on WastingtonPost.com, which is the most popular show on the site.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (December 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071400109
• ISBN-13: 978-0071400107
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real life...Real examples, October 23, 2003

By 

"aec_in_dc" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Went to College for This?: How to Turn Your Entry Level Job Into a Career You Love (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book! It was a wonderful journey full of real people and real job/life situations. I highly recommend this book to everyone just out of college or looking to change/re-evaluate their career.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everybody should read this, March 3, 2003

By 

Steven Ginsberg (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Went to College for This?: How to Turn Your Entry Level Job Into a Career You Love (Paperback)

If I had read this book when I finished college I would have gotten a lot farther a lot faster. The author has a way of making it easy--and fun--to read about what is usually the worst--and least challenging--part of your career. She obviously has an insight into the workplace that can only come from someone who has been there and done that. Now, if she could just write a follow up for thirtysomethings!

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too breezy..., February 27, 2003

By 

Sofia Mary Peerson (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Went to College for This?: How to Turn Your Entry Level Job Into a Career You Love (Paperback)

Amy Joyce's "I Went to College for This?," while a welcome departure from the heaviness and angst of "Quarterlife Crisis," is ultimately undermined by its breezy style and surface-level treatment of the officeplace.

The title is positioned as a kind of how-to for new workers; but for anyone who's (barely) survived the Fortune 500 entry level, it's plain that the author lacks that seasoned, discerning eye, and fails to impart any real use-it-today knowledge (due, in part, to an over-reliance on third-party accounts).

Without a compelling discussion of young professionals' values, fears, and hopes, moreover, she fails to engender that deep heart - mind connection with the reader--ignoring the bigger question of what young workers should actually do with their newfound career knowledge.

I recommend Michael Ball's "@ the Entry Level: On Survival, Success, & Your Calling as a Young Professional." This book really levels with its readers about life as an entry leveler, and truly helps them discover who they are. Plus it's laugh-out-loud funny!