Welcome to the Real World

March 10, 2014
Berger, founder and CEO of InternQueen.com, offers tips from the trenches to get millennials through that all-important first job. Berger presents specific proposals for new hires, such as how to schedule a successful meeting, and email templates for following up with networking contacts. The book is peppered with anecdotes from Berger’s own first job as second assistant to a Hollywood agent, including spectacular screwups like the time she sent her boss to the wrong restaurant to meet with the wrong client. Some of her “we’ve all been there” tactics may not be applicable to all readers, such as references to “piloxing” (Pilates kickboxing) or her lament about blowing paychecks on Nordstrom’s clothes and $13 martinis; unnecessary acronyms like “FIO: Figure It Out” quickly become tiresome. Still, Berger’s willingness to poke fun at herself—she shares her personal “rejection playlist”—makes for a bubbly and appealing big-sister voice. This is a solid resource for new grads who feel overwhelmed by adulthood and just want someone to tell them what to do. Agent: Katie E. Kotchman, Don Congdon Associates.