Customer Reviews

skirt! Rules for the Workplace: An Irreverent Guide to Advancing Your Career

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

 

 

I recommend this book for all women currently holding entry level or lower-middle management positions that have hopes of some day advancing the corporate ladder. This book is an excellent how-to success guide for women in Corporate America. All the tips are provided with clear explanations. If you have committed some of the errors the author lists in the past, instead of becoming defensive, try to understand her explanation; then it's up to you to decide whether or not you're willing to take the advice into consideration. Personally, I feel that author is absolutely right in everything she says. It's good to have someone else live the experiences (the wrong way), then advise you and prevent you from making a few of those mistakes yourself.

Skirt seems clearly targeted to younger women (although these days, fewer and fewer women wear skirts to work). A lot of the advice would apply to both men and women of any age.

A good part of the book is devoted to being feminine vs. being unprofessional (i.e., no crying). Many pages give advise on asking for a raise. The author has great tips for getting ahead (pp. 34-35). She offers good examples of women who made big mistakes (including herself) and includes some basic taboos (getting drunk at the office party and dating your boss).

Chapter 10 is superb. I would tell my client and ezine readers to buy the book just to get Chapter 10: great advice on leaving a job and moving on to the next. I especially like her advice about what she calls "quitting in place." I've been saying that for years.

Two negatives:

On page 59, Johnson encourages anyone with emotional issues (such as inappropriate crying) to see a therapist. So far so good. But in today's environment, a good executive coach might be an even better choice. Coaches focus on strengths, not pathology. They create action plans instead of delving into history.

Johnson says therapy doesn't have to be expensive. She's half right. You usually get what you pay for. A lower-cost therapist might not have the educational credentials or experience to deal with a smart executive on the rise.

On page 59 she urges the reader to get names of therapists from their EAP and use the company's insurance plan. On page 67 she gets it right: don't trust anyone including EAP. She reminds readers that bosses get monthly reports of who's using the service and "can easily get more." I wonder if the HR manager sees reports of who's using a therapist and even the diagnosis (therapists have to make a diagnosis to get insurance coverage).

My career clients who were employed told me their tax advisors allowed them to deduct coaching fees from their taxes. Much better than potential embarrassment, in my opinion. And if you're very senior in a company, you should be very careful about "seeing someone." If your coach has a PhD in clinical psych, you may get the best of both worlds: it's executive coaching and you're discussing heavy stuff.

Second, the book's graphic theme is just too cutesy for its own good. There's just too much pink all over the place. A savvy senior exec might dismiss the book as too juvenile or simplistic, and that would be a shame. The author dishes it out like a quarterback lobbing passes and she rarely misses her target.

Thank you, Kelly, for writing such a fun and anecdotal guide to getting the job you truly want! You know exactly what it takes and you tell the reader exactly how to get from Point A to Point B in the quickest way possible. I loved all of your personal stories and the checklists in the back of the book were extremely helpful. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a change of pace--and a better view--in their current workplaces. (PS: I was promoted after reading the advice in this book. It really works!)

This is an easy to read and humorous book for someone new to the workplace. I don't agree with some advice - such as "absolute no bringing home cooking to the workplace." There are business settings where it is appropriate and adds to the atmosphere and both sexes contribute. There are some helpful references and additional resources to check out.

I wish I had read this 20 years ago after I graduated from college and before I entered the work force. I have experienced many of the things she speaks about and her advice is right on the money.

This book has many good tips and is a worthwhile read. Women do not need to dress or act like men to succeed. But there are lessons to learn from the men if we want equal opportunity and the salaries to match - especially where self-promotion is concerned. Men learn quickly the value of visibility both inside and outside the corporate environment. Joining community and charitable organizations, as well as being active in trade groups are two techniques that bring positive results. Also, and unlike successful businessmen, women show far too much humility about their accomplishments. If we want people to value our skills, listen to what we have to say, and pay us what we deserve, we must first show that we value ourselves - by making sure our accomplishments are visible to carefully targeted audiences. If we want people to hire us, buy from us, or invest in our companies, they have to know who we are, what we have accomplished and why they should do business with us! (Marion E. Gold is author of Personal Publicity Planner: A Guide to Marketing YOU and Top Cops: Profiles of Women in Command)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kelly Love Johnson's "skirt! Rules for the Workplace" and getting a modern perspective on how we women need to conduct ourselves in order to enjoy equal benefits offered to men.

It is full of tried and tested advice and gives excellent examples of what is and what isn't appropriate. It's an excellent read for those entering the workplace, whether you are a recent college grad or a woman going back to work, and learning how to effectively advance your career.

I wish I had this book before I started my first job after college--it would have helped me avoid a lot of things I had to learn the hard way. This book gives advice in a humorous, but no-nonsense way. Yes, being a woman in the workplace can put you at a disadvantage in a male-dominated workplace, but it doesn't mean that you can't get the raises you deserve and get noticed for the quality of your work and not how you look in heels.

As a woman in my early 20s, I still have a lot to learn, but this book is a huge help in navigating situations where many women tend to waver in the workplace: getting criticism, getting promotions, and getting raises. The author shows you how to stick your ground without having to put up a fight.

I bought this book and read it some time ago. It doesn't even really stick with me as to what it was about. I recall thinking that it wasn't that great. There were a bunch of stories from an editor, but they seemed pretty unique to her situation. It was more "biography of a career woman" than "rules for the workplace". Much of what she said simply wouldn't work in my situation. To be honest, I didn't really even like her by the end of the book. Save your money and buy something else.

To those who have read no other advice books I write this for you,

1st Go to the library and check out six random books of this genre. The material does not change much over time, company, or sex. The books will not magically make you more successful, it will take YEARS to build a base to climb.

2nd If you have to "out man a man" then you started going down a different path then the men and "you" need to change your perception of how to advance.

3rd Attempting to stand out by dressing different and stating that it is because you are a woman says to your coworkers that when you think about your job in the morning the first thing that comes to mind is what you are going to wear simply stereotypes the situation even more. This applies to men as well as women, as much of the advice that was "purloined" and placed in this "book."

4th Do not attack the company for a higher position. They only care about their profit and appearance. Making it expensive to promote someone else ahead of you creates dead ends.

5th Networking starts young. This is not emphasized enough. Contacts are very important. Do NOT relegate yourself solely to female networking. You will need to know the information that goes on at business vacations and the clubs. Know thy enemy.