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The Career Code: Must-Know Rules for a Strategic, Stylish, and Self-Made Career
The co-founders of the hugely successful Who What Wear empire share their best career advice for smart, stylish, self-starting women of all professional levels.
In The Career Code , the third book in the smash-hit Who What Wear series, fashion and digital entrepreneurs Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr bring you the Everygirl’s guide for creating your own professional success, on every level, flawlessly. The book is filled with insightful, pragmatic “career codes” to follow, as well as all of the practical, how-to advice they’ve learned while building their company from zero employees in 2006, to the thriving, multibrand, multiplatform, multi-million dollar company it is today.
In this approachable, authoritative, and inspirational book, you will find the most useful and accessible tips and tricks to strategically build your career into exactly what you want it to be, from negotiating your salary to avoiding the biggest mistake most people make when they quit. Chapters include advice on résumé building, dressing for the job you want, and how to effectively communicate at work—even with the most difficult colleagues—all done with the Who What Wear girls’ practical and polished signature style. It gives you total insight into how you can excel at work in every arena, whether you’re just starting your very first job, contemplating switching fields, or finally a boss who’s building her own team. The Career Code also includes over 20 of Hillary and Katherine’s best “life hacks” to ensure your out-of-office life runs just as smoothly as your career.
Take your ambition to the next level and give your career the stylish edge it deserves. This is the must-have handbook for every woman at every stage of her career, no matter where she sits in the boardroom.
In The Career Code , the third book in the smash-hit Who What Wear series, fashion and digital entrepreneurs Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr bring you the Everygirl’s guide for creating your own professional success, on every level, flawlessly. The book is filled with insightful, pragmatic “career codes” to follow, as well as all of the practical, how-to advice they’ve learned while building their company from zero employees in 2006, to the thriving, multibrand, multiplatform, multi-million dollar company it is today.
In this approachable, authoritative, and inspirational book, you will find the most useful and accessible tips and tricks to strategically build your career into exactly what you want it to be, from negotiating your salary to avoiding the biggest mistake most people make when they quit. Chapters include advice on résumé building, dressing for the job you want, and how to effectively communicate at work—even with the most difficult colleagues—all done with the Who What Wear girls’ practical and polished signature style. It gives you total insight into how you can excel at work in every arena, whether you’re just starting your very first job, contemplating switching fields, or finally a boss who’s building her own team. The Career Code also includes over 20 of Hillary and Katherine’s best “life hacks” to ensure your out-of-office life runs just as smoothly as your career.
Take your ambition to the next level and give your career the stylish edge it deserves. This is the must-have handbook for every woman at every stage of her career, no matter where she sits in the boardroom.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published May 17, 2016
42 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 8, 2022
This is a book made for those that want to be Employees rather than Bosses. It has some good tips if you truly have never had a glimpse into the real working world, but most of it was self-explanatory and obvious to me.
Visually, I liked it because it wasn’t jam-packed with text across pages and pages and it was a fairly quick read because of it.
Visually, I liked it because it wasn’t jam-packed with text across pages and pages and it was a fairly quick read because of it.
December 4, 2016
I'm not quite sure how a book like this got published...filled w/lots of white space and content that is literally common sense. No disrespect to either of the authors but this book was not at all resourceful. Perhaps it was meant for a younger, fresh out of college demographic but I think they would have also found much of the "code" to be purely common sense.
December 6, 2019
With bright colors, glossy pages, and helpful tips and tricks, The Career Code makes for a professional and enthusiastic guidebook to tackling your career headfirst as a modern woman. This text discusses resume tricks (that are WAY more helpful than any online suggestion listicle), outfit ideas, communication tips, and taking your ambition to the next level. From two self-made women, this book is all about helping you out so that you don't have to learn nearly as much via trial and error.
The only caveat of this book might be that it's very office-based, but regardless, the advice within these covers allow for a range of interpretations no matter where you might be working. For example, the authors offer the main differences between for-profit and non-profit jobs, and how to even create your own career within an institution.
Overall, I found this book not only designed so well, but also actually user-friendly--I've never once come across a more helpful text that aids in resumes, cover letters, and professionality in the workplace.
Review cross-listed here!
The only caveat of this book might be that it's very office-based, but regardless, the advice within these covers allow for a range of interpretations no matter where you might be working. For example, the authors offer the main differences between for-profit and non-profit jobs, and how to even create your own career within an institution.
Overall, I found this book not only designed so well, but also actually user-friendly--I've never once come across a more helpful text that aids in resumes, cover letters, and professionality in the workplace.
Review cross-listed here!
May 7, 2020
When I first started this book, I thought it would be useless, because it was giving such elementary beginner advice, and as someone who's been in the workforce for 10 years, I knew all of it. But as the book goes on, the advice gets more and more mature, so I actually like the progression. There are a lot of really great tips and thoughts in it. I especially liked the life hacks at the end.
September 8, 2017
Many reviewers commented that this book doesn't add anything new. Sadly, I agree. The contents are pretty much things you learn during college and from reading online articles (including on Who What Wear) and books. Since I'm looking to make some career changes, I read the book to touch up on some things that I may have forgotten. While 80% of the content is same old same old, the other 20% I found serves as a good reminder.
Since I like Who What Wear, I wanted to read the book, so when it went on sale on Amazon Kindle, I snatched it up. Who What Wear did a lot of promo on their site during the book's launch. I found the online articles that covers successful career women much more interesting.
Overall, this book may be more useful to young/college age women starting their career.
Since I like Who What Wear, I wanted to read the book, so when it went on sale on Amazon Kindle, I snatched it up. Who What Wear did a lot of promo on their site during the book's launch. I found the online articles that covers successful career women much more interesting.
Overall, this book may be more useful to young/college age women starting their career.
January 15, 2020
While this isn't the book for me I do think it would be beneficial for someone who is still in school. The design and page layouts feel more like you're reading a blog than a traditional career advice book. I thought that was unique and it makes this an easy book to open up to any topic you might need a quick refresher on.
April 13, 2023
Painfully #GIRLBOSS . There’s an entire chapter on workplace fashion and a whole bunch of their tips sound like a women’s magazine shaming women into buying things like concealer for their under eye bags. Urgh. HOWEVER, I did deeply appreciate the use of she/her pronouns when describing an employee, employer, boss, worker, or any and everyone in the book.
July 28, 2017
Very basic self help, with regurgitated tips already well known.
Formatted to seem like a decent sized book, however a lot was empty space.
Formatted to seem like a decent sized book, however a lot was empty space.
May 14, 2018
It's a book for someone who is just starting to work. Someone in their 20's.
January 4, 2019
I like Who What Wear, and therefore look forward to reading this book. I think their career suggestions are good for young college students. Too basic for people like me in their late 20s.
July 22, 2018
Easy read and useful tips.
August 7, 2018
This is more of a common sense guide to getting jobs that you would likely get if you had numerous internships and a foot in the door anyway.
July 28, 2019
Such a fun read! Great for college graduates entering the workforce!
May 6, 2020
This book was informative and definitely would be perfect for someone in their 20s. It covered a wide range of situations and even covered clothing at work.
August 21, 2021
Great concrete tips for new and young professionals and graduates.
May 17, 2022
Skews a bit towards creative jobs, but I do go back to it whenever there is drama at work and I'm thinking about making a change.
January 4, 2024
I would rate around a 3.5. It is a simple read, full of basic but efficient tools for success in a career in the earliest stages. Visually appealing but wish there was more!
Read
June 26, 2024good book, very style-heavy naturally but nice overview, especially for young females entering the workforce with career goals
September 29, 2024
This is only for 18 year old people. It should have been clear on the title. Quite misleading and useless to people older than that.
March 22, 2017
There are a couple of useful tips about hiring and interviewing, and other than that the majority of the book is about keeping up with clothing and makeup which is not as important to me in my career path. Short read.
March 12, 2020
I liked the simple design of this book. I found it to be engaging to read through and easy to find specific tips. This book had some good tips followed by interesting supporting anecdotes. That said, a lot of these tips could be found on career blogs, youtube, or articles online. I wouldn't recommend buying this book, but borrowing from the library is fine.
Overall, there was some key points I took home with me from reading this book and I'm slowly integrating them into my life.
Overall, there was some key points I took home with me from reading this book and I'm slowly integrating them into my life.
March 8, 2017
Generally good advice, nothing too groundbreaking. I did find some useful tips on hiring and training (I've been appointed to manage our internship program), so it was worth the quick read!
August 4, 2016
Why Read: I am not usually the most interested girl in fashion or makeup, in fact - I rarely wear any at all due to a bizarre mixture of laziness and complete lack of caring. Despite all of this, I found myself interested in the whowhatwear phenomenon online and through that, a number of other lifestyle-focused websites. The Career Code was written by the two creators of this website, so naturally - it was right up my alley.
Review: The thing about self-betterment books is that they can be really quite irritating. What tone of voice used, how the reader is characterized is everything. Hillary Kerry and Katherine Power luckily have each other, and that for me, was the main selling point of the book. The two women have completely different upbringings, and therefore different ideas when it comes to business and how self-making your career can go.
The book is split into 26 or so different codes that women should follow in starting out a self-made career with style following a strategy. As someone who is currently "job-seeking," I found the book enormously helpful and chock-full of both small and large tips. For instance, as a recent college grad - it's intimidating to put your job experience first, rather than your academic experience. As Kerr puts it, it will always make you seem the student, rather than the qualified applicant that you are. Other advice I found helpful was to not only reach out to your contacts, but to attend career expos and reach out to middle-level managers at companies that inspire you.
Perhaps a lot of this is knowledge that can be found online, but what also sold me on the book was how beautifully it is designed. I happen to have the book in hardback, and each of the pages are glossily designed to be somewhat like a coffee-table book, full of pictures and graphics that make each word seem more important. And despite a focus on a more entrepreneurial style career, a lot of the tips can be used for practically anything. I love too that they specify dressing for the job you want, not the one you have (something I need to personally work on).
I absolutely love this book. I love the casual style of writing, the graphic layout, the tips and tricks and little anecdotes that make it easy to customize your own solutions. For me, it's a must read without question.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Review: The thing about self-betterment books is that they can be really quite irritating. What tone of voice used, how the reader is characterized is everything. Hillary Kerry and Katherine Power luckily have each other, and that for me, was the main selling point of the book. The two women have completely different upbringings, and therefore different ideas when it comes to business and how self-making your career can go.
The book is split into 26 or so different codes that women should follow in starting out a self-made career with style following a strategy. As someone who is currently "job-seeking," I found the book enormously helpful and chock-full of both small and large tips. For instance, as a recent college grad - it's intimidating to put your job experience first, rather than your academic experience. As Kerr puts it, it will always make you seem the student, rather than the qualified applicant that you are. Other advice I found helpful was to not only reach out to your contacts, but to attend career expos and reach out to middle-level managers at companies that inspire you.
Perhaps a lot of this is knowledge that can be found online, but what also sold me on the book was how beautifully it is designed. I happen to have the book in hardback, and each of the pages are glossily designed to be somewhat like a coffee-table book, full of pictures and graphics that make each word seem more important. And despite a focus on a more entrepreneurial style career, a lot of the tips can be used for practically anything. I love too that they specify dressing for the job you want, not the one you have (something I need to personally work on).
I absolutely love this book. I love the casual style of writing, the graphic layout, the tips and tricks and little anecdotes that make it easy to customize your own solutions. For me, it's a must read without question.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
September 25, 2016
Good book for fresh graduates or those graduating soon. Finished it in a day. Very easy read!
September 15, 2021
This was short, sweet and practical. It would make a great read for fresh grads/juniors looking to join the workforce and climb their career ladders.
To be honest, I had expected more content for seniors, so I didn’t really get as much from the book as a grad would. But regardless, the tips and tricks were sound and useful, and it was good for me to review the tips that I had been doing so far (and had them work well for me), and the ones that didn’t apply so well. I was delighted to find out that I had actually been doing ALL the 27 tips mentioned at the last chapter.
One thing that made this different to me than other books was the fashion tips. Considering the Authors were founders of whowhatwear.com, this shouldn’t have been a surprise to me. I was listening to the audiobook, so I wasn’t sure if the printed book had some fashion pictures to accompany the tips. But regardless, I took notes.
See my bookstagram review.
To be honest, I had expected more content for seniors, so I didn’t really get as much from the book as a grad would. But regardless, the tips and tricks were sound and useful, and it was good for me to review the tips that I had been doing so far (and had them work well for me), and the ones that didn’t apply so well. I was delighted to find out that I had actually been doing ALL the 27 tips mentioned at the last chapter.
One thing that made this different to me than other books was the fashion tips. Considering the Authors were founders of whowhatwear.com, this shouldn’t have been a surprise to me. I was listening to the audiobook, so I wasn’t sure if the printed book had some fashion pictures to accompany the tips. But regardless, I took notes.
See my bookstagram review.
July 14, 2016
Although this book didn't meet my expectations, it's well written and would make a perfect gift for someone looking for their first job.
As I'm in transition in another city and have a few years experience behind me, there really wasn't anything relevant in this book for my situation. The one thing I did take away was regarding my social media branding message. This would probably by my weakest aspect in my job search and did provide ideas to think about as I go about creating my brand.
There are a sections about interviewing, wardrobe, salary negotiations, and office politics.
It's well written and if I knew anyone looking for their first job, I'd definitely would give them this book. But if you have experience and looking to transition into a new city or new job, this isn't going to meet your needs.
As I'm in transition in another city and have a few years experience behind me, there really wasn't anything relevant in this book for my situation. The one thing I did take away was regarding my social media branding message. This would probably by my weakest aspect in my job search and did provide ideas to think about as I go about creating my brand.
There are a sections about interviewing, wardrobe, salary negotiations, and office politics.
It's well written and if I knew anyone looking for their first job, I'd definitely would give them this book. But if you have experience and looking to transition into a new city or new job, this isn't going to meet your needs.
January 10, 2017
This is a brilliant book for anyone who looking for a job, keeping their current job, or moving up the corporate ladder. There are tons of ideas and suggestions on finding your perfect job. I especially loved the chapters on delegating tasks to other people and communicating with co-workers. They saved the best for last when they include 27 Life Hacks that will benefit anyone. Some of these things I already do now and are extremely helpful in saving time and money. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to take their career seriously.
~April
~April
January 9, 2017
This would be great for recent graduates, but for those who've toiled in the field for some years, it doesn't tell you anything you don't already know. Still, love these ladies so happy to support them in their (career) endeavours!
October 17, 2016
For people within 3-5 years of the length of their career, this book is a must read. When I read it though it felt as though I could've written it. It's still a great resource nonetheless for less experienced professionals. Overall a very useful book!
June 6, 2016
meh. this is fine, not too much good advice for people in mid career. the last section on trying to be organized was useful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews