When Reality Hits: What Employers Want Recent College Graduates to Know

by Nancy Barry

What do all college graduates have in common? A degree. So, what is going to separate you from the rest of the pack? Your success will be largely measured by your soft skills, such the right attitude, a professional demeanor, the ability to communicate on a professional level, being a team player, proper etiquette, and much more. In a flash, you have gone from college student to employee and may not realize there is a lot more to learn. This book will help you understand what your boss wants you to know, but does not have time to tell you. Employers across the country say many college graduates are not prepared for the real world. How can this be? You just spent four (or more) years getting a great education. Surely you are prepared by now. Until you are in the workplace experiencing the issues addressed in this book, you will not know. At this point in your life, you do not know what you do not know.They say you are not ready. After you read this book, you will be ready. Your college years were some of the best years of your life. Now, the best is yet to come.

184 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Nataliia Rybko (Kucher) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple book that is written in simple words about the most important details of your work and life, which we often forget. Maybe you won't find here any new information or a stunning piece of advice to follow, but it is full of love and optimistic approach to the every situation and question you will have to deal with. It is a guidebook to a happy life, which you should know by heart and practice every day.

[Deirdre Skaggs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. This book is so elementary. Barry prefaces her book with a statement about how you won't believe some of the things people have done to make her realize a need for this book, and I have a hard time believing people can be so dumb. But they are.

I'm sure this book benefits someone out there, but it doesn't benefit me. The advice was rushed and very basic. And then there were vast sections of purely motivational one-liners; these sections annoyed the crap out of me. Like this snippet from page 24:

"You need to be your biggest fan. You need to believe in you before others will. You can do it--whatever it is. There's no obstacle you can't overcome. There's no challenge you can't handle.

Everything you've accomplished, everyone you've loved, every mistake you've made, every obstacle you've overcome is part of the person you are today. Be proud of who you are and what you've accomplished.

If you don't believe in you, it will impact every part of your life. Let the past be the past. Don't beat yourself up. If you make a mistake, learn from it and move on. That little voice inside your head should be saying positive, not negative things. The power is within you to be what you want to be. Hold your head high."

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I'm not in the target audience (recent college grads), I thought this would be an interesting read based on hearing the author give a presentation at my work. I was disappointed with this book because the advice felt trite. It was all somewhat pie-in-the-sky without interesting examples to help cement the ideas. I would have liked more anecdotes pulled from her interviews with actual recent college grads. Or, some specific recommendations for further reading on topics she didn't have space to delve into (such as public speaking or technical writing) would have been great.

[MollyB · Rating 5 out of 5]

very useful...a gift from my stepmother...she is girlfriends with the author...said it even helped her as a refresher...ironically she made a career change shortly after and it revealed it's worth

[Fahad Shaikh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for fresh graduates as well as experienced professionals for learning sophisticated mannerism and excellent work ethics.