You Don't Have to Learn the Hard Way: Making It in the Real World: A Guide for Graduates

Life lessons bound into a book. That's what You Don't Have to Learn the Hard Way: Making It in the Real World: A Guide for Graduates is all about. Sounds simple enough, but the trick is getting your graduate to read it! I suggest mom or dad read this book before handing it over to your high school or college graduate. Although this is something that needs to be in your child's hands, mom and dad or any other concerned elder could take the lessons in this book and slowly direct them to any child of any age.

Let's examine a topic directly from the book, "First Impressions." It immediately starts off with the "old saying" that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. It's very true and most adults will tell you that 95% of the time, you are not able to change what is impressed in the first few moments of meeting someone. So how does Parrish manage to reiterate the importance of this particular life lesson? Like countless other topics his book, he's got a red bolded statement right there in the margin area: A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. Wow - not only is it true, but pretty simple! Certainly he's got other great things to say, right? Yes, he does! Parrish's statement grabs the reader and invites further reading. On the next page is a numbered list of ways to make a positive impression and/or reassure someone else's impression they've made upon you. Again, it is pretty simple and easy!

Even though this book is geared towards those starting out in life, it is still applicable to those still living their life, no matter how far gone that seemingly "bright future" is. Rarely is it ever too late to learn something new and then apply it to your current situation or even life in general. Chapter 3 of You Don't Have to Learn the Hard Way: Making It in the Real World: A Guide for Graduates is all about making dreams come true. It's a lot easier to accomplish and realize your dreams when you are starting off fresh and new in life, just out of college, and ready to take the bull by the horns. Parrish gives you all the tools you need to get it done. But there are many of us who had to live life a little before we were able to realize those dreams, and for those of us who are mid-life and still have dreams, we can still use the lessons Parrish shares.

For example, Parrish reminds us that when we don't like the situation we are in, we should change it. Of course, the older you are, the harder it is to do… but it is possible! Parrish uses the bold red note in the margin to remind us that we can make our dreams come true as long as we are dedicated to it through and through. Our own thoughts, however negative or positive they may be, are what a reality becomes. It is really easy to forget these lessons between all the ins and outs of day to day life, and us "old folk" need to be reminded of this. However, for those starting out in life, it can be something that feeds their attitude towards their future and make the difference between personal and professional success or something less than desired.

Parrish tackles just about every topic under the sun that can help a young adult become successful in life, and if they read it, I do believe they will truly have the positive reinforcement they need to be successful where they dream of success. For parents and older adults needing encouragement to renew their spirit and outlook towards the world, they too will find the encouragement they need to look forward to life as opposed to just living it one day at a time.

Hopefully I can keep these great lessons fresh in my memory to share with my children and when the time is right, hand You Don't Have to Learn the Hard Way: Making It in the Real World: A Guide for Graduates over to them to read. Simply put, this is the kind of book we all need on the family bookshelf!

Back on the Career Track, A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work

Being a stay-at-home mom is no easy task. For me, it just kind of happened. I was frustrated in my job, tired of dealing with illnesses my son continually had because of being in a daycare, and most of all, I despised the idea of someone else seeing all of his firsts. After six months of my own personal mommy madness, I decided to be an at-home mom. In the beginning, it was really tough having only one income and even only one car, but my husband and I did what we could to make it work.
Being at home with my son has had its ups and downs. I've enjoyed it thoroughly, but really miss the social interaction I used to have while working. I feel accomplished as a mom, but as an individual I know I will soon need something more. Something being at home can't necessarily give and eventually, I do want to go back to work. However, one fear I have about going back out into the workforce is the fact that I've been out of the rat race for a few years now, and I am rusty. I used to get every job I interviewed for, but now my confidence is kaput. I've gone from working with talented professionals to a talented preschooler. From working on hundred-thousand dollar budgets for government jobs to cleaning dried play dough from the rug. All of these changes weave into my psyche, making it that much harder to even decide if I really do want to go back to work.
For all of the moms out there who can relate to these issues, and have even slightly pondered upon the question of whether or not to return to work after being an at-home mom, there are two great women who've done a lot of legwork to guide the stay-at-home mom back into the workforce. Back on the Career Track, A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin is the perfect read for those interested in the idea of returning to work. Whether it's now or years from now, issues involved in everything from making the decision to return to work, to the actual process of relaunching a successful career are covered from A to Z in this handy guide.
The introduction of the book says it all: "Our Journey from Playdough to Real Dough." It can't be put any simpler than that! When reading the introduction, I felt myself nodding and agreeing with the writers. We have a fulfilling job as a stay-at-home mom, but we itch to do something more. We miss the excitement and intellectual stimulus that comes with a career, regardless
of how we felt about our previous run on the career track, or how happy we are with our present situation. When we think about having to go back to work, it's almost physically painful to think about it. It's not just leaving our home and any of our children, but so much more. From regaining confidence in our ability to have a successful interview to actually finding a job we can enjoy. There are quite a few speed bumps on the road to success and Back on the Career Track provides the knowledge needed to plow through and get back to a successful career.
Cohen and Rabin worked with more than a hundred women who had worked in fields from law and medicine to customer service and teaching, and by doing so, they were able to come up with a workable strategy for "Relaunching Success." Part one of the book is designed as a seven step program to get back out in the workforce, and being happy about it. From learning confidence and accessing career options to getting out there and making a name for yourself under your own terms. It's a simple recipe for success especially for the career-bound mom.
Part two of the book continues with the idea of returning to work after being an at-home mom by focusing on what Cohen and Rabin have coined as the "Relaunch Movement and Beyond," covering the change we've seen in women who've gone back to their careers after staying home to raise children. Back on the Career Track then closes with the pondering upon the future and if "Relaunching Success" will become easier for women in generations to follow.
The simple fact of knowing that so many women before us have successfully returned to a career after being at home is in itself a great confidence builder. Whether I decide to do it next year or in the next five years, I know that what I've learned from Back on the Career Track will provide me with the information I need to be confident and successful in my future career pursuits.