I Went to College for This? : How to Turn Your Entry Level Job into a Career You Love

by Joyce, Amy

• ISBN13: 9780071400107
• ISBN10: 0071400109
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-12-24
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Summary

A PAPERBACK ORIGINALA guide to getting the most out of your first job from America's #1 twentysomething career columnistThere are plenty of good books offering recent college grads advice on how to write the perfect resume and how to ace the interview. Yet, amazingly, until now, there were none that focused on what they should do once they landed the job, or how to use that first, menial position as the springboard to bigger and better things. Written by a successful 20-something, for 20-somethings, I Went to College for This? is a breezy, informative guide to navigating the sometimes tricky, often confusing career paths open to those just breaking into the real world of work. In I Went to College for This? author Amy Joyce uses the real-life anecdotes of dozens of postgrads from across North America to inspire and inform readers on how to make the most of those early dues-paying jobs. From how to talk to your boss, to managing office romances, to knowing when to quit, she offers young readers expert advice and guidance on how to transform the jobs they have into the careers they want.

Author Biography

Amy Joyce writes the weekly "Life at Work" column for the Washington Post.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgements	p. xi
This Is It?	p. 1
You Don't Have to Know It All Now
Where to Start?
Nothing's Too Small for the Recent Grad
Take It from Sue
First-Job Frustrations	p. 17
First-Job Blues
Paying Your Dues
... And Grunt Work Can Be Way Cool
Enjoy the Ride, You'll Get There
Meeting People	p. 29
Don't Hide. Stand Out--or at Least Up
Don't Eat at Your Desk Every Day
Focus on What You Do Best
Stepping Up to the Plate--without Stepping on Toes
Drawing the Line
Asking for More and Better
Salary Negotiation Time
No Excuses	p. 51
The Motivating Factor
Chutzpah
Doing Good Work, and Getting Good Work from Doing Good
The Boss Rules	p. 65
Talking to the Big Kahuna
Asking for Feedback
Taking it Like a (Wo)Man
Finding Your Yoda
Screwing Up
Ask, Ask, Ask
Office Romance
Where Do I Go from Here?	p. 87
Good Work = Good Network
Making Connections
Building Bridges
Darren's Big New Job Search
Give It a Chance	p. 107
Dealing with Rejection
Sticking It Out
Moving Up Is Hard Work
Learning the Lay of the Land
When Life Gets in the Way of Work
The Woe-Is-Me Excuse
Girls (and Guys) Just Wanna Have Fun
Moonlighting
Freak Your Parents Out
Moving On for Yourself
What You're Learning	p. 147
This is So Not My Dream Job
Learning in Any Job
Figuring It Out by Process of Elimination
Should I Hit the Road
Finding the Perfect (or Perfect for Now) Fit
When to Bail
Taking a Chance that Turns Out to Be ... Wrong
So Why Hire Me after That?
When the Going Gets Bad ...
Making a Graceful Exit
Finding Connections
Don't Burn Bridges ... Even If
Getting Canned
Headhunters
This Is Preparation Time For ...?	p. 179
Not the End
Index	p. 185
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