A hilarious yet savvy career guide for the generation that grew up with remote controls in their hands. (Who knew that you could learn so much about work from American Idol, Anchorman, and Entourage?)
In Whoa, My Boss Is Naked!, strategy consultant (and twentysomething) Jake Greene uses pop-culture references from the '80s, the '90s, and today to school young professionals on every stage of the entry-level experience.
Free of cliched motivational advice and bogus "steps for success," Whoa, My Boss Is Naked! reveals everything you need to know about how to get a tighter grip on the working world without becoming a sellout corporate tool:
The reason most bands suck (why everyone needs to "commit to a sound" before they can get "signed" ) Like, listen to . . . uh . . . yourself talk, ya know? (or . . . why speech fillers are job killers) Party on, Wayne (rules for expanding your business network in social settings) The rules of interview dating (tips to help you score a job)
With its irreverent humor and wisdom from the world of pop culture, Whoa, My Boss Is Naked! proves that career advice doesn't have to be boring.
Excerpts
Chapter One...
Get Up, Get Out, and Do Something
FOLD UP THE FUTON. IT'S TIME TO GO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY.
Have you ever watched the same episode of The Real World three times in a single week? Nothing changes. J.T. always gets arrested on the beach for mouthing off to the bicycle cops, and Lavender still breaks down when forced to confront her addictions to sex and flavored lip gloss...yet you still can't muster up the motivation to change the channel. Your sweatpants stink, the Wheat Thins are stale, and there's a chopstick caught between one of the couch cushions and your thigh. It's been poking you for the last four hours, so you've gotten used to the discomfort. It's 1:30 p.m. on a Wednesday...
If I just described your typical afternoon, you should be aware that you may have come down with a not--so--rare case of postgraduation paralysis, referred to in select medical circles as Midas--itis. Midas--itis is a serious psychological disorder that infects millions of twentysomethings every year and is especially common among young people with multiple interests who view themselves as "gifted" or "talented." The condition is characterized by massive swelling in the entitlement/unrealistic--expectation sector of the brain causing victims to believe that they should only pursue "golden" career opportunities. (
) Unable to quickly identify such utopian employment environments and unwilling to sell themselves short, infected parties inevitably grow depressed and recoil from the real world. Symptoms include (but are not limited to) multiple unfinished movie scripts, untouched graduate school applications, interactive gaming addiction, and/or excessive VH1 viewing.
I caught Midas--itis as a student in Silicon Valley right around Y2K. The Internet was in full boom, and it seemed as though every time I picked up a newspaper there was a picture of some kid (usually not much older than I) who had just turned a computer program into a multimillion--dollar start--up company. Google, eBay, and Napster were close enough to touch, and a constant reminder of the riches awaiting computer science graduates. Naturally, I convinced myself I should study computers, start a dot--com where roller blades and baseball hats were allowed in the office, cash in on a godzillion--dollar IPO (initial public offering), and then ride off into the sunset in a Beemer so tricked out you'd swear it could fly. Only problem: I sucked at computer science. I am not using the term "sucked" lightly, either. I don't have a single iota of technical talent in my body. I peaked as a computer scientist in elementary school playing "The Oregon Trail" on the Apple IIGS (I was particularly adept at fording rivers and hunting). To add insult to injury, the Internet bubble burst a few months later thereby obliterating my already fading dot--com dream. Even so, I naively assumed that another wave of opportunity would simply wash up on my doorstep, so I waited on the couch and proceeded to lose three months of my life to Behind the Music and PlayStation.
Luckily, Midas--itis is not difficult to cure. In fact, all you have to do is get over yourself and get off the couch. Get up, get out, and do something! Quit imagining what the working world should look like and start experiencing what it does look like. There's a reason that they call it a "job search." You need to actively hunt. Will you find a job that allows you to change the world, make millions, and unlock your full range of creative abilities right out of the gate? Doubtful, but so what? Nobody starts at the top. Even Harvard MBAs have to fetch coffee once in a while.
C'mon, would you rather spend the next...
Reviews
Jeffrey Fox, author of the bestselling book How to Land Your Dream Job...
"If you are ambitious, read this book!"
About the Author
JAKE GREENE is a twentysomething strategy and marketing consultant. Prior to founding Greene Group, he earned a master's degree in sociology from Stanford University, worked as an analyst for a Fortune 500 company, and served as Director of Client Development for a retail development start-up. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Sarah, and dog,...
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