Customer Reviews

You've Only Got Three Seconds

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book will change how you see the world because you will learn how the world sees you. It is no secret that people judge us not only on our skills and abilities, but also on our image and social skills. We all know brilliant and hard-working people that reach career plateaus or fail in business because of their lack of image and social skills. What is surprising is how quickly people judge us. Seven years after this book was written, Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" recently confirmed Ms. Lavington's message that people can and do size you up within seconds. Unlike Blink, this book shows you what to do about it. It also describes how to avoid many other image and social pitfalls that arise long after the first impression is made. I've never seen this information and advice anywhere else. What I found particularly unique about this book is that it gives you a rare glimpse of Brahmin class behavior and expectations. If you aspire to reach this class or interact with them, this book is indispensable. I strongly recommend this book for all serious business people.

How would you like to have $5,000 to hire a personal marketing consultant to coach you to success? That coaching is right here in Lavington's book. As a human resources executive I have hired executive enhancement consultants to coach employees moving up the corporate ladder and those temporarily stalled in their advancement. Sure they come in, spruce up the employee's appearance, and send me their bill...never really getting to the heart of the issue. Lavington's book gets to the heart of all the issues. She helps you evaluate your abilities and learn to showcase your talents. You will explore areas to polish, positioning yourself for even greater success. Not just motivational hype or ivory-tower theories, Lavington gives specific advice that produces real-world results. If you are just entering the business world, looking to move up, or already enjoying a successful career this book is an excellent resource. I wish it had been around before I paid those costly consultant bills...it's a much better return on investment!

One on one consultation with First Rate professionals such as Mrs. Lavington can be extremely costly. Here we have an opportunity to pick up her pearls of wisdom for the price of a paperback book. This is a bargain! YOHTS is packed with good solid everyday and tactics that can be used to advance one's career or prevent others from derailing it. There is a downside: I believe that the younger one is, the more he/she will benefit from YOHTS. While it's true that "it is never too late", the earlier in life one is "wised up" the better. I certainly wish that I had encountered this sooner than I did. The upside is that this is NOT a Machiavellian, sneaky, manipulative font of advice. Rather the author concentrates on advising her readers to parry the outrageous thrusts of the manipulative types we have all encountered on the job. Like any good self help work, YOHTS is not to be devoured in a few sittings. One should read carefully, take notes, think about it and let the advice sink into our everyday-working behavior. A personal note: About ten years ago, my church group invited the author to a one-day seminar. I was totally impressed with Mrs. Lavington's poise, sincerity, professionalism and obvious knowledge of the real world. I wish I had hired her then. Rest assured that this lady is on the level. Readers can take her advice to the bank. This reviewer would especially urge younger amazoners to read YOHTS early in your career. Thank me later.

Which is examine your career search tactics. Otherwise, you will not get much in the way of "hidden wisdom" from this volume. Most of the advice in this book -- especially the early chapters -- is fairly simple and obvious. Hopefully, if you're searching for career advancement guides, you know to dress well and shower before a job interview. Too much weight is given to evaluation techniques (Myers-Briggs, Rohrsach, and even handwriting analysis) that provide dubious, if not outright wrong, feedback on whether or not a candidate will succeed in a given career. Never are the tools of "good" employers mentioned: e.g. structured interviews or career assessment camps. Lavington claims to have insider information, but really is only sharing with you what you already know. Use the book to force yourself into a good, strong introspective period. Don't look to it for any real advice.

Anyone looking for a job needs to prepare beyond typing up a resume. Read this book. It helps you to see yourself as others see you. Run through the checklist for grooming, presentation and body language to tune up your "impression makers."
The boss is looking for someone with energy, enthusiasm, job skills, and who fits with the current team. Far too many candidates have no idea of the image they project. Slumped in a chair while mumbling answers is not likely to impress an employer.

If you are an average, down to earth middle-class citizen, this book might not be for you. I'm a working class girl and bought this book to check into making better impressions, both at work and socially. I found this book marketed toward upper level executives, CEO's and high-level management types. Most of the scenarios (both professionally and socially) did not fit me. This book is overcomplicated and hard to read. What more can I say - waste of time.

Having read the book, I also received the rare opportunity to meet with Camille Lavington in person. Rarely, does one gain so much insight in such a short period of time. Her experiences in the marketplace, as well as her keen observations, only prove that she know what she is talking about. People are judged on the impressions they make on others. As someone once said, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. I have ordered copies of Ms. Lavingtons book for each of my Sales Representatives. I know it will help them, as much as it helped me.

I'm a non-confomist, small business owner in a town where the rich people wear shorts... Camille Lavington is not. We may never travel in the same circles... but found her experiences and examples a interesting read. If the fast track in a BIG corporation is what you want... you should read this.

I am a female executive who is happiest when dressed in jeans and being outdoors. I do not want to have to deal with these things and would prefer that they didn't matter. BUT - they are truly important if you want to succeed in the corporate world. A really useful read for anyone; a great primer for people who are in the early stages of their careers.

This book tells how to size up people in 3 seconds in order to customize your marketing style to influence potential customers. The information is presented in straight forward language and great humor. The insights I have gained from this material proved profitable in my business career.