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book buzz:brazen careerist:the new rules for success by penelope trunk

Brazen Careerist:The New Rules for Success by Penelope Trunk

There once was a girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
When she was good
She was very good
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

This nursery rhyme sums up how I feel about business self-help author Penelope Trunk. When she’s right, she’s right; but when she’s wrong, Trunk is way off-base. In Brazen Careerist:The New Rules for Success, Trunk proudly claims that this is “not your parents’ career guidebook.” She writes for Generations X and Y, twenty- and thirty-somethings who care less about retiring after forty years with a gold watch and care more about the successful integration of career and personal life.

Some of Trunk’s chapters that I agree with include “Detours Are the Route to Happiness,” about how exploring career and life options in one’s twenties is a smart move; “You Only Need $40,000 a Year To Be Happy,” a solid argument for living within your means and being satisfied with what you have; and “The New Workplace Currency is Training,” about how cross-training and constant learning will serve you well in all areas of life.

I disagree with some of Trunk’s advice, such as that found in chapters “When Writing Your Resume Don’t Be Too Honest,” which takes the standard resume advice “use strong action verbs” several steps further; “Getting a Promotion Is So Last Century,” a pessimistic look at what constitutes achievement in the workplace, and “Use Harassment to Boost Your Career,” where Trunk theorizes that “enduring sexual harassment can sometimes be a way to gain power to achieve your long-range goals.”

Agree or disagree, love her or hate her, Trunk is a good writer who breaks down important career advice into short, easy-to-read chapters (some of which are a little too short). By using bold chapter titles and making potentially-anger-inducing pronouncements, Trunk purposely creates controversy with her advice. And we all know that controversy sells, right?

Whether you vigorously nod your head in agreement at her advice or disagree vehemently, Trunk makes you think. Thinking for oneself is the ultimate path to success for all careerists, brazen or not.

Book Buzz Barometer: B