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Title: Peterson's the Ultimate New Employee Survival Guide (Peterson's Ultimate Guides) by Ed. Holton, Edward Holton ISBN: 1-56079-979-X Publisher: Peterson's Pub. Date: 01 April, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95

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Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (3 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: I Wish I Read This Book When I Started Work
Comment: An excellent guide for college graduates starting out in large companies. Delineates the difference between the role of college student and professional. Describes realistic expectations for the first year and mistakes made by new hires. Thoroughly discusses hidden rules and the organizational culture.

This review was adapted from the Annotated Bibliography of Learning A Living, A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding a Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Dyslexia

Rating: 3
Summary: Relevant Reference, dictionary material!
Comment: The index was what I found most useful about this book. What it entails are good information; however, it is time comsuming to read eveyrthing through.
If someone is looking for some advice on a particular topic (eg. Workplace communications, professional attitude, etc) then he/she will find this book useful and worthwhile. It is a great resource, if you know what you are looking for.

Rating: 3
Summary: Disappointing. Off-target.
Comment: In today's tight labor market, employers are aggressively hiring young people. They're eagerly chasing college graduates and ambitious high school grads who can invigorate their cultures and help accomplish the work of the organization. These young employees are seen as the future of these companies, and employers are anxious to move them into the main stream and high productivity as rapidly as possible. Recognizing that many of them are restless and will move on within a couple of years, smart managers want to engage their new employees quickly to maximize their return to the company.

In this light, an increasing number of employers are reaching out to young people-in their recruiting efforts and in their new-employee orientations. So, a book on how to become an effective part of the corporate team might be a great tool. Wouldn't it be great to be able to give the new worker something to read to learn how to make the most of an employment experience from Day One? What a smart idea!

The Ultimate New Employee Survival Guide could have been that book . . . a real treasure for new employees and their bosses. Unfortunately, when I started reading beyond the cover, my spirits dampened . . . fast. As an employer highly sensitive to the messages that ought to be conveyed to a young person, I was dismayed and disappointed.

The author begins with a sort of lecture about how work is going to be dramatically different than college. OK, I'll buy that. But he wouldn't let go of the theme. Once said is enough said. Annoyingly, the theme continued to the point that I just wanted to stop reading. The message clearly emphasizes that work is a 180° shift away from college. OK, we understand that. Let's move on. We know that college course grades are not given at work: "The first thing you have to do is accept it. That's just the way the working world is. Then you have to learn new ways of judging your performance...." The tone casts employment in such a negative light, college students reading the book may elect to go on to grad school just to avoid the experience!

Holton does offer 12 Steps for New Employee Survival (does "12-step" sound familiar?). 1.Attitude. 2. Expectations. 3. Breaking In. 4. Impression Management. 5. Relationships. 6. Supervisor. 7. Organizational Culture. 8. Organizational Savvy. 9. Organizational Roles. 10. Work Savvy. 11. Task Knowledge. 12. Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes. The chapters of the book dig into each of these steps, with explanations, advice, and "Fast-Starter Tips." The author encourages the reader to quickly gain a sense of ownership about one's career. A list of Ultimate Survival Tips summarizes each chapter.

But the most irritating problem surfaced in the advice that Holton gives his young, impressionable readers. Most of it, in my opinion, is wrong and might damage a new employee's chances of success. There is some good mixed in with what I consider to be negative counsel. Judge for yourself. "If you persist in focusing on the fun in your life, you only confirm their assumptions about you. Your challenge in your first year is to show that you are serious about working hard. Once you establish that reputation, you can loosen up a bit." "Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut during the first six months." "The first year on the job is not the time to try to find a mentor." "Most new hires get noticed for all the wrong things they do." "A bad boss is not a legitimate excuse for poor performance."

There is a lot of valuable advice in this book. The approach is worthwhile and could help a lot of new employees. If you recommend the book to a protégé, I'd encourage you to schedule some coaching time to interpret the content and the attitude so you get your new employee started on the right foot. This book could serve as a model for you to develop a new employee guide specifically for your company-something that could help younger and older workers as they join you.