Backpack To Briefcase: Steps to a Successful Career

By Kirrin Coleman, Terry Arndt, Kirrin R. Coleman

Book Overview

Backpack To Briefcase is the recent graduate’s essential guide to career success. In today’s job market, a person needs skills and savvy. While college teaches you the fundamentals of your chosen... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0970094426
• ISBN13: 9780970094421
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Life After Graduation, LLC
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Starting your first job, and beyond!

An extraordinarily comprehensive book on the challenges, opportunities and issues to be faced by the new graduate stepping into their first professional position after college. Virtually every component of starting a first job seems to be covered in this remarkable little book (144 pages). The book focuses on how to start a career well --from the first day on the job to the annual performance review. Topics include creating a professional image, communicating effectively and efficiently, workplace etiquette, mentoring, advancement, performance reviews, seeking promotions, working with various personalities, and much more. The book even includes need-to-know information regarding benefits, paycheck deductions and employee rights. Guidance is also offered for dealing with the unpredictable aspects of work life, such as awkward situations and layoffs. I must say that, even though the focus of Backpack to Briefcase is the newly hired graduate, there is a wealth of information and insight in this small book that can benefit any employee at any time in their career.

A Handy Tool

I've been in the workforce for quite a while, but I found a lot of tips in this book to refresh my outlook on the workplace. Items I found particularly valuable include the passages on coping with boredom and stress at work. I also learned quite a bit from the passages on requesting a raise/promotion and how to promote yourself. Even those of us who have been pursuing professional careers for years can learn from this handy tool.

Don't overlook this one!

Okay, I am more than a few years out of college, but the thing is, I really found myself benefiting from the advice in this book. I'm not really sure how to explain it. Maybe it is because it is so well organized, researched and written. And I liked the fact that it is broken down into smaller, digestible topics. My bookshelves at home are full of dusty tomes, with lengthy dissertations on finances, work life, etc. I never read them. This book is approachable and - most important - just plain USEFUL!

Easy to read & very useful.

This book is an asset to any person looking to improve their career. I liked reading it, and it really helped me get more serious about advancing myself with my career and where I was wanting to go with it. It is a brilliant read.

A great all around guide

Tons of useful information. I would highly recomend it for those entering the job market.