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They Don't Teach Corporate in College, Updated Edition
"This book is loaded with solid information designed to demystify the business world." —Anne Fisher, Fortune
They Don’t Teach Corporate in College has resonated with hundreds of thousands of readers and is currently used as a text in corporations and universities across the country.
Streamlined and made more accessible for the current generation of twenty-somethings, this new edition is for those that want to make a difference right now but lack some of the core skills to make it happen. Learn how to:
Make the smartest career move right out of college.
Establish a strong reputation by encouraging others to like and cooperate with you.
Navigate your organization’s social scene and practice cringe-free networking.
Master skills that will take you anywhere, including goal setting and self-promotion.
Combat negativity and cope with difficult personalities.
Updated with fresh research, anecdotes, and resources, the book still maintains the no-nonsense perspective of a wise older sister who doesn’t want you to have to learn the hard way.
They Don’t Teach Corporate in College has resonated with hundreds of thousands of readers and is currently used as a text in corporations and universities across the country.
Streamlined and made more accessible for the current generation of twenty-somethings, this new edition is for those that want to make a difference right now but lack some of the core skills to make it happen. Learn how to:
Make the smartest career move right out of college.
Establish a strong reputation by encouraging others to like and cooperate with you.
Navigate your organization’s social scene and practice cringe-free networking.
Master skills that will take you anywhere, including goal setting and self-promotion.
Combat negativity and cope with difficult personalities.
Updated with fresh research, anecdotes, and resources, the book still maintains the no-nonsense perspective of a wise older sister who doesn’t want you to have to learn the hard way.
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
84 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 28, 2022
Practical and insightful advice for navigating the workplace with a focus on self-improvement and the persona you project. It’s a great read with essential advice for today's aspiring young professional.
February 22, 2021
اليات ونصائح للتعامل مع مدير العمل والزملاء تصلح لأي عمل وليس بالضرورة أن يكون في مجال الاقتصاد والشركات
January 13, 2010
Great resource, surprisingly entertaining read. Clean prose appropriate for an educational text.
December 30, 2023
My Dad picked me up a copy of They Don't Teach Corporate in College for Christmas because of how much I've been complaining about accidentally finding myself in a traditional 9 to 5 office job. Subtitled "A Twenty-Something's Guide to the Business World", the book speaks to the disillusioned but bright young person in a corporate office who can't seem to get their feet underneath them to make progress or feel comfortable in their job. Even though They Don't Teach Corporate in College is mostly just a rehash of a few classic self-help titles repackaged for a younger audience, it was exactly the book that I needed to read right now.
My biggest takeaway from the book is the idea of a corporate persona, or a sort of "game face" that you put on when you come to work. In the corporate world, much of your success is dictated by what your management and peers think about you, for better or worse. The purpose of the corporate persona is to create a palatable and marketable version of yourself that is compatible with office life. Your persona should be professional, hardworking, ambitious, and complimentary to who you are outside of work.
For all the value in keeping up appearances, I think that following the advice of the author too closely could result in a person who is more fluff than substance. Personally, I find the idea of a corporate persona as abhorrent as it is useful. The focus on appearances rather than results leads the author to recommend strategies as obnoxious as eating lunch at your desk once or twice a week, just so that people will see an think that you work hard.
The rest of the advice from the book comes from a mixture of classic self-help texts like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and How to Win Friends and Influence People. It's been a long time since I read it, but Seven Habits was very influential on the way that I see the world, so much of Alexandra Levit's book just felt like a review. Levit does package her writing for a young professional audience, which makes her book a little more pleasant to read than some other corporate oriented authors that I've read, but it's also very clear that she drank the Kool Aid on her way to success.
90% of the value that I got out of the book was in Chapter 6: Check Your Attitude at the Door. The title of the chapter and the first paragraph or so are the same old attacks that are typically aimed at millenials: maybe we complain so often because our parents hugged us too much. (Side note: I'm 22 but I don't have Tik Tok. Am I a millenial, Gen Z or neither?) The chapter takes a hard left turn and goes on to cover how to cope emotionally when corporate life invariably sucks. The author acknowledges how inane corporate hierarchies can be and how little power twenty somethings usually have within them. This is also the only part of the book where Levit talks about life outside of work. She says that when work is emotionally draining, we don't have any energy left after hours to pursue things worth living for. Most of us are capable of working for more than 8 hours in a day, but only when the work is not emotionally fraught. We tend to wear ourselves down with things like worrying too much or getting angry or frustrated. She recommends some traditional stoic practices to decouple work stressors from work stress.
They Don't Teach Corporate in College is not a classic by a long shot, but it is worth the read for the frustrated young professional. It is a good reminder that the challenges of being a cog in a machine are very real but very surmountable.
My biggest takeaway from the book is the idea of a corporate persona, or a sort of "game face" that you put on when you come to work. In the corporate world, much of your success is dictated by what your management and peers think about you, for better or worse. The purpose of the corporate persona is to create a palatable and marketable version of yourself that is compatible with office life. Your persona should be professional, hardworking, ambitious, and complimentary to who you are outside of work.
For all the value in keeping up appearances, I think that following the advice of the author too closely could result in a person who is more fluff than substance. Personally, I find the idea of a corporate persona as abhorrent as it is useful. The focus on appearances rather than results leads the author to recommend strategies as obnoxious as eating lunch at your desk once or twice a week, just so that people will see an think that you work hard.
The rest of the advice from the book comes from a mixture of classic self-help texts like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and How to Win Friends and Influence People. It's been a long time since I read it, but Seven Habits was very influential on the way that I see the world, so much of Alexandra Levit's book just felt like a review. Levit does package her writing for a young professional audience, which makes her book a little more pleasant to read than some other corporate oriented authors that I've read, but it's also very clear that she drank the Kool Aid on her way to success.
90% of the value that I got out of the book was in Chapter 6: Check Your Attitude at the Door. The title of the chapter and the first paragraph or so are the same old attacks that are typically aimed at millenials: maybe we complain so often because our parents hugged us too much. (Side note: I'm 22 but I don't have Tik Tok. Am I a millenial, Gen Z or neither?) The chapter takes a hard left turn and goes on to cover how to cope emotionally when corporate life invariably sucks. The author acknowledges how inane corporate hierarchies can be and how little power twenty somethings usually have within them. This is also the only part of the book where Levit talks about life outside of work. She says that when work is emotionally draining, we don't have any energy left after hours to pursue things worth living for. Most of us are capable of working for more than 8 hours in a day, but only when the work is not emotionally fraught. We tend to wear ourselves down with things like worrying too much or getting angry or frustrated. She recommends some traditional stoic practices to decouple work stressors from work stress.
They Don't Teach Corporate in College is not a classic by a long shot, but it is worth the read for the frustrated young professional. It is a good reminder that the challenges of being a cog in a machine are very real but very surmountable.
April 11, 2016
You are fresh out of college, and you have just gotten your first corporate/white collar job. Aside from wearing a suit on your first day, what do you do?
If you have a lot of tattoos or piercings, strongly consider covering or removing them. This is just until you get familiar with your fellow employees, and they get familiar with you. As boring as it sounds, read the new employee handouts. It will include important stuff, like the company's smoking policy (if you are a smoker), and the number of vacation days that you have available (for the first couple of months, don't take any time off).
Get to know your nearby cubicle inhabitants. Some of them will be friendly and approachable, and some will not; don't worry about it. Realize that there is a difference between fellow employees who are good to have lunch with, and friends you can call when you significant other has just broken up with you. Sit down with your immediate boss, and iron out just what your duties are, and how often the performance evaluation (or other feedback) will be.
You will be given lots of boring, grunt work to do that you may consider beneath you. Just be quiet, and do it; it's called "paying your dues." Besides, it never hurts to show your boss, instead of trying to tell your boss, just how good an employee you really are. In meetings, it might be tempting to say that, in school we did it this way, or, at my previous job, we did it that way. In the first few months, don't do it; your job is to listen and learn.
Some of your fellow employees will be"difficult," at best. Take several deep breaths, count to ten, or get in your car and scream and curse, but don't lash out at them in the office. If you do, you will be the one with the attitude problem. Other employees are going to try to get you to do their work for them. Learn how to say no, without really saying no.
This is an absolute gem of a book. It will answer a lot of questions before they are asked. Large companies should in the habit of including a copy of this book (there is a more recent third edition available) with the handouts given to all new hires. It is very much worth reading.
If you have a lot of tattoos or piercings, strongly consider covering or removing them. This is just until you get familiar with your fellow employees, and they get familiar with you. As boring as it sounds, read the new employee handouts. It will include important stuff, like the company's smoking policy (if you are a smoker), and the number of vacation days that you have available (for the first couple of months, don't take any time off).
Get to know your nearby cubicle inhabitants. Some of them will be friendly and approachable, and some will not; don't worry about it. Realize that there is a difference between fellow employees who are good to have lunch with, and friends you can call when you significant other has just broken up with you. Sit down with your immediate boss, and iron out just what your duties are, and how often the performance evaluation (or other feedback) will be.
You will be given lots of boring, grunt work to do that you may consider beneath you. Just be quiet, and do it; it's called "paying your dues." Besides, it never hurts to show your boss, instead of trying to tell your boss, just how good an employee you really are. In meetings, it might be tempting to say that, in school we did it this way, or, at my previous job, we did it that way. In the first few months, don't do it; your job is to listen and learn.
Some of your fellow employees will be"difficult," at best. Take several deep breaths, count to ten, or get in your car and scream and curse, but don't lash out at them in the office. If you do, you will be the one with the attitude problem. Other employees are going to try to get you to do their work for them. Learn how to say no, without really saying no.
This is an absolute gem of a book. It will answer a lot of questions before they are asked. Large companies should in the habit of including a copy of this book (there is a more recent third edition available) with the handouts given to all new hires. It is very much worth reading.
June 29, 2015
I think the book, overall, is a good resource, but I took issue with a few things. I know that the book is not the first edition, and has been revised from previous versions, but there are actually places in the book where references to other sections of the book have not been updated. In one place, for instance, the book refers the reader to a section on "page X," which doesn't exist -- I can only assume this was meant as a placeholder that never got filled. There are other similar typos that are primarily annoying in nature, but make the author (who is writing to teach others how to be professional and polished) hard to take seriously. In addition, the book deals a lot in absolutes -- that is, telling readers that they should "always" do this or "never" do that -- without considering the nuances of different work environments or personalities. For example, the author tells us that you should never tell a boss that you are looking for work elsewhere. I don't believe this to always be the case, and it would be beneficial for the author to point out that "in most instances, one should not inform their supervisor they're looking for other work," without declaring what a reader should absolutely do in any situation, not knowing the individual contexts in which readers will find themselves.
September 16, 2016
For a self help book; 5 stars.
Ok, so this book is aimed at Recent American College Graduates (In their 20s) going into their first corporate job at a large company.
As a 21 year old Australian, almost graduate working for a large lab for an even larger laboratory do I think this book was relevant to me? You bet it was.
Ok, the stuff about Personalising your cubical and American healthcare did not do much for me but the rest of the book was. Also to be honest, this book is much more relevant if you work for a large company of 100+ people. It might not be as helpful if you are one of five employees at your new job.
Unlike other cheesy Self-Help Authors Levitt comes across as a true Mentor. She doesn't blow her own horn too much, she doesn't promise to change your world - or that you will be a VP by the age of 30 - by reading her book, she has a great tone for an author. Approachable, respectable and knowledgeable.
Levitt offers a lot of practical advice that actually works in the field like ways to effectively communicate to your boss and co-workers, the right way to change jobs and to be a better employee but she also reminds you that work is not the be all and end all and you don't need to rise to the CEO rank within 5 years to be happy and successful.
A great gift for Uni graduates, well worth $20.
Ok, so this book is aimed at Recent American College Graduates (In their 20s) going into their first corporate job at a large company.
As a 21 year old Australian, almost graduate working for a large lab for an even larger laboratory do I think this book was relevant to me? You bet it was.
Ok, the stuff about Personalising your cubical and American healthcare did not do much for me but the rest of the book was. Also to be honest, this book is much more relevant if you work for a large company of 100+ people. It might not be as helpful if you are one of five employees at your new job.
Unlike other cheesy Self-Help Authors Levitt comes across as a true Mentor. She doesn't blow her own horn too much, she doesn't promise to change your world - or that you will be a VP by the age of 30 - by reading her book, she has a great tone for an author. Approachable, respectable and knowledgeable.
Levitt offers a lot of practical advice that actually works in the field like ways to effectively communicate to your boss and co-workers, the right way to change jobs and to be a better employee but she also reminds you that work is not the be all and end all and you don't need to rise to the CEO rank within 5 years to be happy and successful.
A great gift for Uni graduates, well worth $20.
May 2, 2009
Great book for anyone just coming out of college or anyone coming out of a non-corporate work setting into corporate life. The "Twenty-Something" in the title is not applicable as this book is useful for all ages. The advice given in this little book will save you some headaches and anxieties -- think of it as somewhat of a playbook for navigating the corporate game. Easy to read and understand, casual yet straightforward writing. We require all interns at my job to read this and it is my gift of choice for any recent grads in my personal circle of friends. A lot of it is common sense, but you'd be surprised how many people don't have it despite their college educations.
December 24, 2014
A clear guide to getting started in the world of business. This book covers everything from how to find a job to how to leave if you find you don't like where you are, going via communication skills and how to delegate work.
The style is clear and the book includes comments people have made about their own experiences which nicely illustrate the points.
It's aimed at people who are just leaving university, but it's not restricted to that audience. My mum read a few paragraphs over my shoulder and then asked if she could borrow it when I was done!
The style is clear and the book includes comments people have made about their own experiences which nicely illustrate the points.
It's aimed at people who are just leaving university, but it's not restricted to that audience. My mum read a few paragraphs over my shoulder and then asked if she could borrow it when I was done!
June 28, 2016
I read this book in preparation for leading staff training for new hires at my workplace. I think it's information that would have been especially helpful when I was starting out in my first job after college. Reading it now, a lot of it seems like common sense. But I still got some good take-aways for my career right now, and it will help me build off the "Your Corporate Persona" training session that I'll be training new hires on. Highly recommend for those still in college and about to enter the workforce.
February 6, 2014
Great book for newer employees or managers with young employees. I read this as a manager in order to understand what advice I should be providing to Gen-Y. However, I found many of the recommendations suitable for all employees.
Topics include: getting to know the boss, networking, getting a mentor, managing your career, visibility, communication, feedback
Topics include: getting to know the boss, networking, getting a mentor, managing your career, visibility, communication, feedback
July 11, 2018
This is a great little book for those getting ready to leave school and start a career in the corporate world. It is full of common sense tips and information you can't learn in the classroom. I would highly recommend this book.
December 30, 2007
Well written. Mostly basic stuff about your corporate persona. Good information for first time managers.
August 4, 2011
Good introduction to how to behave when you start a job out of college, probably saved my butt a few times from completely embarassing myself.
March 25, 2012
This book is useful for someone stepping into the corporate world. Intended for college grads I find that it's suitable for anyone. I wished more colleges would adopt it into their curriculum.
January 18, 2013
It was a really good book; unfortunately not very applicable to my current position. But I would definitely recommend it for anyone in the first several years of their career!
May 10, 2016
Excellent introduction to the workplace for the recent college graduate. A summary of the skills and behaviors that lead to a successful start and job promotion. Great college graduation gift.
May 11, 2017
Helpful!
December 4, 2018
Excellent Resource
I really enjoyed this book. I'm not in my 20's anymore, but still got a lot from this book. Should be required reading for business grads!
I really enjoyed this book. I'm not in my 20's anymore, but still got a lot from this book. Should be required reading for business grads!
October 11, 2025
Joselyn tried in vain to find job satisfaction in a few different positions. Eventually she realized that, although her five work situations had been very different, her negative attitude was the one constant. She wasted a lot of time looking high and low for a better job when she should have been focusing on how she could be happier and more effective where she was. Don’t let this happen to you.
Your first jobs are not meant to be the be-all and end-all of career stardom. How can you master the skills it takes to get ahead without putting in any time in the trenches? That’s like saying you could win an Olympic gold medal in swimming without learning to doggie paddle first. Look at your first post-college positions as temporary stops on your career path instead of permanent ones.
Strong leadership skills are not easy to develop or maintain, and you’d be surprised how quickly you can slip back into old habits. When it comes to being the best manager possible, there’s no such thing as too many refreshers.
Start your own association. Convene influential friends and colleagues with similar interests to share ideas and resources. Offer thought-leadership and high-level conversation so that it’s more than just a networking group. Meet on a regular basis, in a convenient location. This is a great way to keep relationships strong and receive great insights in the process.
As a mentor of mine once said, step out of your comfort zone often, and watch it get bigger every time.
The only way to break through work social groups is one person at a time. Zero in on the most approachable person in the group, find out what interests him, and then weave these things into a conversation.
There are differences between close friends who will be there for you through life’s tough times and people you hang out with while you happen to be stuck in the same building. You can spare yourself disappointment later on by noting the differences between a work friend and a real friend. The only people you can trust with secrets at work are the folks who fall into the “real friend” category we talked about earlier, and even then you should be wary. Think about it: Would you trust each friend in your close-knit college clan with a secret that could ruin your reputation if it got out?
However, occasionally you might find that great career moves come with a lower price tag. You might be wise to accept an offer that is less money initially, yet pays greater dividends in terms of growth and experience.
Your first jobs are not meant to be the be-all and end-all of career stardom. How can you master the skills it takes to get ahead without putting in any time in the trenches? That’s like saying you could win an Olympic gold medal in swimming without learning to doggie paddle first. Look at your first post-college positions as temporary stops on your career path instead of permanent ones.
Strong leadership skills are not easy to develop or maintain, and you’d be surprised how quickly you can slip back into old habits. When it comes to being the best manager possible, there’s no such thing as too many refreshers.
Start your own association. Convene influential friends and colleagues with similar interests to share ideas and resources. Offer thought-leadership and high-level conversation so that it’s more than just a networking group. Meet on a regular basis, in a convenient location. This is a great way to keep relationships strong and receive great insights in the process.
As a mentor of mine once said, step out of your comfort zone often, and watch it get bigger every time.
The only way to break through work social groups is one person at a time. Zero in on the most approachable person in the group, find out what interests him, and then weave these things into a conversation.
There are differences between close friends who will be there for you through life’s tough times and people you hang out with while you happen to be stuck in the same building. You can spare yourself disappointment later on by noting the differences between a work friend and a real friend. The only people you can trust with secrets at work are the folks who fall into the “real friend” category we talked about earlier, and even then you should be wary. Think about it: Would you trust each friend in your close-knit college clan with a secret that could ruin your reputation if it got out?
However, occasionally you might find that great career moves come with a lower price tag. You might be wise to accept an offer that is less money initially, yet pays greater dividends in terms of growth and experience.
July 6, 2017
The book is fine. But just fine. It is a summary rather than an analysis, which I found un-inspiring. It would really benefit its readers if it gave more concrete examples and scenarios, such as the many they will undoubtedly face in the corporate world. That being said, I found the chapters "The Purposeful Workday" and "Check your attitude at the door" to be poignant and worth the read. So worth downloading a book summary or browsing it at the library.
December 16, 2019
to who are on their last year of universities or on first steps of their careers , I recommend this book to them. It's really give you a great insight of the corporate atmosphere and what kind of skills you need to succeed in your job.
كتاب جميل للخريجي الجدد أو من هم في سنواتهم الأولى في
وظيفتهم لأنه راح يعطيك نظرة داخل الشركات واجوائها الداخلية، وعن بعض المهارات التي يحتاجها الشخص في بداية
عمله
كتاب جميل للخريجي الجدد أو من هم في سنواتهم الأولى في
وظيفتهم لأنه راح يعطيك نظرة داخل الشركات واجوائها الداخلية، وعن بعض المهارات التي يحتاجها الشخص في بداية
عمله
November 21, 2019
A very technical and to the point book. In summary, advancing to higher positions requires socializing and getting peers to like you.
June 26, 2021
Amazing book on how to navigate large companies in the real world.
Read
March 13, 2017You Can Take good notes from it ..
June 30, 2021
So I actually received this book 11 years ago from my first employer out of college. I should've read it then when I was actually in my twenties. That said, it still was an interesting read for someone in their early thirties. Maybe I would've been better off reading about these things in my 20s instead of learning about them the hard way, but it was kind of fun to compare/contrast the advice with what I've experienced in the corporate world so far.
April 20, 2016
Just okay. A rather poignant example of why I dislike self-help books. I disagreed with very little of the advice but I found that a lot of it boiled down to treating others how you'd like to be treated. Especially from Chapter 6 until the end, I felt small adaptions of the golden rule were being substituted for true wisdom. There are something like twenty self-help publications (mostly books) cited which is excessive. I think the worst thing someone could do is get caught in the trap of obsessive focus on self-help and not enough focus on self.
October 21, 2012
A halfway decent book with a couple moments of sage corporate wisdom. However allot of the advice was clearly intended for someone in an HR-type role and geared more towards a woman's approach than a man's. While not entirely helpful for someone navigating the offshore engineering world, I will definitely use some of the chapters in this book; in particular, the chapter involving salary negotiations.
April 13, 2014
I probably will use the 3rd edition (just out) as one of the readings books in a senior level undergrad course this coming year. I generally select 5 books for this course and this could provide a nice platform for discussions related to the class. While the topics are not new, it maybe that the author's presentation resonates with the new (or soon-to-be) grad.
July 4, 2022
Some very useful information. Especially chapter 8:Moving up in the world. I took some notes for when I have my yearly review with my supervisor. I wish some information on investing/401(k) or rather taking more advantage of benefits was included. I plan on possibly giving this gift to my cousin who will be graduating college in May.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews