Helping Generation Y bridge the gap between college and the real world is something that I am passionate about because I don’t feel that I had any idea what I was doing once I graduated.  I felt alone, everyone was telling me to get a job, and to make matters more interesting, I got married a month after graduating College.  I felt like I was hung out to dry and not prepared for what was “the real world.”

Over the last year I have tried to share some of what I have learned through a variety of posts, most notably: Getting a Job: The Resume, Getting a Job: Networking, and My Mandatory Class Proposal.  But a few months ago I was contacted by a reader who told me to read a book that covered similar issues, so I took the opportunity and read it.

Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World, by Lindsey Pollak is a book that I wish I would have read two years ago, but I’m just as glad that I read it now.  

Geared toward the of short attention spans of gen-y, Lindsey writes 90 small blog-like bites so it’s easy to digest and not overbearing to the reader.  In fact, she goes so far as to include a directive to action at the end of each tip to ensure that you take time to think about it and use it more as a step by step tool to your success instead of reading it like a typical book.

Covering a range of topics from what I have recommended (reading the newspaper, getting a professional e-mail address, and watching classic movies) to creative approaches to networking and interviewing like getting active in your alumni association before you graduate and creating a “brag book” of all of your achievements, Ms. Pollak successfully conveys a process that isn’t easy to teach or even learn.  To drive the points home she often inserts interesting success stories from real people who applied these tactics.

Knowing how cocky I was when I graduated, I already knew it all and I probably would not have read this book, but if I could go back in time and force feed this book to who I was then I would do it.  With that said, the advice in the book isn’t just relevant for recent grads looking for their first jobs, it’s highly relevant to those young and old looking to learn or brush up on the basic business and life skills such as networking, resume writing, and various self improvement projects (Tip 59. “Perform Five Minutes of Stand Up Comedy” is something that I have always wanted to do).

If you are worried about getting a job, interviewing for a new job, or even if you recently got laid off, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book, and I can guarantee you’ll learn some new tricks.

Related posts:

1. The Art of What Not to Post