The cap and gown have had their day in the sun and the honors-winning thesis is already yellowing at the edges. You're a college graduate now, and it's time to decide what you're going to do to earn your keep. If you are like most recent college grads, once you start down this path, the first thing you learn is how little you actually know about finding work, no matter how swimmingly you performed in anatomy, Eastern philosophy, and calculus. What you need is a good text.
Margot Carmichael Lester's guide to careers treats you like a novice (though not like an idiot) and teaches some essential job-hunt precepts that a lot of people could do with learning or reviewing. The chapters (including "Prep Work," "Landing a Job," and "The Realities of Working") each provide a quick summary of main points, and they are worth the price of the book (CD-ROM aside!). Starting with the fact that, in 1998, 1.2 million college graduates are seeking jobs, the book deals with basic but oft-ignored truths (for instance, you need to pay your dues, because glamorous yet highly compensated jobs are rare), and it offers the advice to figure out what you enjoy, what your personality is suited to, and what skills you need to update to improve your marketability.
With a CD-ROM that comes packed to the gills with software extras and online connection resources, as well as an easily navigable version of the book, the usefulness of the Real Life Guide is tripled. Even if all you ever do is integrate the lessons of chapter 1, you'll be far ahead of the pack of job-seekers who're vying for the positions you want. --Stephanie Gold
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