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Thriving At Work: What They Didn't Teach You in School
by
If you are new to the workforce or want to jump start your career, Thriving At Work delivers a proven and practical roadmap to achieve success from day one and throughout your career. More than a dozen executives from respected multi-national companies have given their enthusiastic endorsement after reviewing this book. Even though most companies today believe college grad
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Kindle Edition, 2nd Edition, 312 pages
Published
November 11th 2020
(first published November 17th 2017)
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Start your review of Thriving At Work: What They Didn't Teach You in School

Great advice for someone who has just graduated or just started at a new job. I had no idea what I was doing after college, but this book helped a lot. Showed me some things I didn't know, showed me some things I already knew but with an upgrade, this is probably the best all around guidance someone could get.
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I recently finished "Thriving At Work: What They Didn't Teach You in School" and I loved it!
It has so much relevant information that I look forward to implementing throughout the rest of my academic career and into my professional career.
Particularly, I enjoyed the section on How To Prepare And Conduct Interviews With Confidence. I intend to utilize the smart approach to solve problems by understanding the problem, finding out the root causes of the problem, brainstorming and identifying possib ...more
It has so much relevant information that I look forward to implementing throughout the rest of my academic career and into my professional career.
Particularly, I enjoyed the section on How To Prepare And Conduct Interviews With Confidence. I intend to utilize the smart approach to solve problems by understanding the problem, finding out the root causes of the problem, brainstorming and identifying possib ...more

Very compelling read. I identify so much with the topics covered; it's like the author was walking in my shoes. The examples of real work and career situations are relevant. What I like most is the solutions and ideas from the author are practical and I can apply them to situations at work. I would've handled many situations I faced at work differently if I had this book. It's clear that the author was speaking from extensive experience, of being there and done that. What he shared is real inste
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This book is unique, one-of-a kind in its category. It's especially ideal for people new into their career or people, like myself, who struggle to make a name for themselves at work. I read and felt like the author was talking to me. The examples and work situations he described really resonated with me. I wish I had read this book earlier in my career. What makes this book unique is in its approach to reach the readers. It's very easy and quick reading. It's like I was talking to a mentor. The
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This book should be read by college students and young professionals who have just entered the workforce. The book outlines the career sequence every professional has to go through to grow and thrive at work. The book provides the readers a general idea of what skills and abilities are needed to get ahead or embrace a competitive advantage among a crowd of graduates. This book can be accessed at different points of time because the book permeates different stages of one's career and it will be a
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This book, Thriving At Work, is extremely impactful, organized and easy to read! The first chapter I read, I was completely hook and couldn’t put it down! The author did an amazing job with organizing and structuring the book in a way that you can jump from one chapter to another without feeling lost. I majored in business and have read many business books throughout my undergraduate and graduate school and if I had one book to recommend to future students for achieving success in business, it w
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I received this book when I first started my internship. It’s been a go-to for all sorts of experiences I’ve had in the workplace. I initially used the book to guide me through the initial tribulations that a college senior would experience. This includes deciding what jobs you want, how to follow through the application process, resumes and referrals, and the list goes on. Once I received my first job offer, I used it to strategically plan the negotiation process. It was even quite the gem to n
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Thriving At Work: What They Didn't Teach You in School
This book is a must read for all college students and new grads entering the workforce as it covers so many vital topics about how to navigate life after college and the corporate world. As a college student, reading this book really transformed the way I look at the internship application process, helped me better prepare for interviews, and was a great resource to turn to during my first couple internships. Michael gives lots of personal ex ...more
This book is a must read for all college students and new grads entering the workforce as it covers so many vital topics about how to navigate life after college and the corporate world. As a college student, reading this book really transformed the way I look at the internship application process, helped me better prepare for interviews, and was a great resource to turn to during my first couple internships. Michael gives lots of personal ex ...more

I highly recommend this book to any college student or working professional looking to advance their career. I found this book easy to read and during my summer internship I referenced it many times for quick tips. The book covers many topics such as communication techniques, negotiation strategies, and collaboration. I keep this book on my desk at home and it has helped me a lot in my early career. I encourage you to buy the book no matter what stage you are in your career!

Practical, smart, and well-written. You can tell the author has a lot of experience. Things you don't think about every day on the job, but are helpful in all the different aspects of a job are described with expert skill and insight. I have the kindle version so I can check pertinent chapters anywhere! Highly recommended for any one who wants a leg up in their career.
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Loved this book! It is full of useful information gathered from Michael's extensive career experience. If you want to know how to get started in your career, how to interview and write a resume, or how to deal with difficult bosses and co-workers (we've all had em), among many other career steps, it's in this book. It's like having a career mentor in your pocket.
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“Thriving on work” was came in time while my internship started at Stanford. Michael was the host of career workshop that packed with full of fascinating insights and applicable experience within. Michael has very sincere, integrity, and genuine personal qualities reflect he's a great author and advisor. I, myself recognized the soft skills and techniques he expressed in the book are on not only expandable in the career aspects but be expected to use them in our lifespan. I highly recommend read
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Thriving at Work! That's truly what this book helps you conquer. Corporate world is an enticing world for the young and new, yet can be extremely overwhelming in both good and complex ways, as it can lead to tremendous angst and stress as we get entwined in the complexity of how to deal with situations that can make or break our career. I found the author's ideas and recommendations in this book would have delivered a "win-win" solution in many situations I have faced in my 15 years of work life
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It helped me find my dream job! No matter which stage you are in your career, this book provides valuable advices to help you thrive!
I'm a software engineer in Silicon Valley with 15+ years of working experience. Recently I wanted to switch job. This is the first time I tried to look for a new job without referrals as I wanted to try new fields. I was talking to several companies at the same time and each company evaluates their candidates in different ways. For example, one company asked me to ...more
I'm a software engineer in Silicon Valley with 15+ years of working experience. Recently I wanted to switch job. This is the first time I tried to look for a new job without referrals as I wanted to try new fields. I was talking to several companies at the same time and each company evaluates their candidates in different ways. For example, one company asked me to ...more

Excellent read. Ideal for people new to workplace or people struggling to make it in their career. I find a lot of what the author covered is common sense approach and skills on how to work with people. But especially now a day, common sense skills are sorely lacking. I see this at work all the time, people don't know how to work with others or worse, make work a hostile environment. This book is very timely. It helps remind me of the importance of learning and continuing to develop the "soft" s
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As someone who has worked for large and small companies, both as an individual contributor as well as a people manager, I can readily say two things: 1. I wish I had access to this book early on in my career journey...would have made my entry into the workforce easier and more clear, and 2. although i've been working now for nearly two decades, this book is one that I'll keep on my bookshelf as I found many things to be immediately relevant and helpful. The author has a personable writing style
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If you are new to the workforce or want to jump start your career, read this book. It is a no B.S., straight to the point book that shows you what you need to do to succeed at work and in your career. The author paints a road map on how to achieve success at any phase in one's career. I wish I had this book 10 years ago, but even now when reading it, I find many nuggets in the book to be quite relevant and that I can apply at work. There are numerous real work examples of the challenges people w
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Thriving At Work is an easy ready and has provided me with a lot of great examples of how I can set myself up for success in my career. As someone who’s early in their career, I’ve found the tips to be extremely helpful- from navigating my job search, to figuring out how to best work with varying personalities, to gracefully resigning from a position! Michael shares a lot of his personal examples which help reassure readers that a lot of challenges faced and questions in the workplace is normal.
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THRIVING AT WORK provides lot of tips for anyone who wants to start a career, manage his career growth, and advance at work. Whether or not you are fresh at work or have many years of experience there are many practical tips for everyone.
For me, I have been referencing the book for getting ready for switching jobs. The first five chapters cover good amount of information for decent preparation for jobs switching. Don’t forget about the chapter #19 that talks about job offer negotiation which is ...more
For me, I have been referencing the book for getting ready for switching jobs. The first five chapters cover good amount of information for decent preparation for jobs switching. Don’t forget about the chapter #19 that talks about job offer negotiation which is ...more

Thriving At Work is an easy to read book with a broad range of topics. It covers a comprehensive list of topics from negotiating a job offer to dealing with conflicts to managing your manager. What I liked most about this book is that you don't have to read the book in it's entirety - you can just pick and choose the relevant topics for yourself. There are many golden nuggets of advice in this book which would be useful for both the seasoned worker and new grads. I highly recommend it especially
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I am a college student and I am looking for a job right now. I was frustrated and did not know what I should prepare and how to prepare for a job. My friend recommended this book and I really get helped after I read this book!I just read the starting out and the communicating. I rewrote my resume and I got a couple of interviews and the book really helped me during the interviews. I learned how to communicate with other people and how to negotiate job offers. The author Micheal gave good example
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Thriving at Work is rich with important advice for those learning to navigate within a company workforce which could be pretty complex – it’s like having your own personal coach! It covers many of the soft skills which are sometimes even more important and not taught in any schools -- read this and you will immediately gain wisdom that would typically take years to acquire. It's rich with practical advice and examples, and great not only for those early in their careers, but anyone who wants to
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I wish I had this book when I started my career over 25 years ago. The guidance it provides matches the much of what I learned about being effective and succeeding during my career in technology product management. It is an easy read with different topics clearly broken out by chapter. The focus is not on the technical aspects of any specific job, but rather the practical aspects succeeding in a professional environment.
This is a great reference for those just starting out in their career or mor ...more
This is a great reference for those just starting out in their career or mor ...more

I am a business owner and also an employee of the State of CA. I have read many self development books such as this, but many of the contain very similar ideas. After reading about 5-10 of those books, the ideas are repetitive, but not this book. I came across many insights that I have seen in others. One interesting thing about this book is that it breaks down different stages of employment and what a person should do differently. Highly recommended if you want to be a key person in any associa
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I really like this book. It is very helpful in my work life. It covers all the aspects regarding to professional career. I had a chance to join the author, Michael's workshop on 'how to create a resume' and 'How to prepare a job interview'. He was very nice and provided the audience very great advice. After that, I finished reading the whole book, I found there are more helpful tips in the book for anyone at work to follow. This book is definitely going to change your mindset and becoming more i
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What I like the most about this book is that people can choose which part of the book to read and learn. It is not necessary to read the book in a sequential order. This is not only a great book for students who need to boost their networking or learn how to be more marketable for companies when they are writing their resumes but also to professionals that are already working. It is a well-organized and well-written book. Very easy to read and follow through. Simply put, this is a book that is w
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Essential guide to navigating your career for new graduates. This book presents and teaches the intricacies, subtleties, and hierarchy of the workplace in a fashion that enables the reader to enter the workforce a more prepared and experienced employee without having to go through the trials and tribulations of an entire career. Overall, a smart and practical collection of tips and strategies that provides great clarity into the professional world.

Honestly, I first thought that this would be a very boring to read, but I was totally wrong. What makes it interesting and captivating to me is that it is based on life experience, and therefore, I could connect and recall many described situations. I love the way it’s organized to enable the reader to read precise topics without having to go through the whole book.
I really like this book and strongly recommend it to all, from newly graduate to long time professionals.
I really like this book and strongly recommend it to all, from newly graduate to long time professionals.

"Thriving At Work" is aptly named. Michael Dam's own experience lends to his credibility; the little tips and tricks he provides in his book have helped me personally improve my standing in the office. As a new graduate, I had no idea of the little nuances of joining the work force, and he really addresses those head on. To be perfectly honest, I would suggest this to anyone with a career, old or new.
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I cannot recommend this book enough if you are just starting off in your career or are looking to see the big picture on career advancement. It covers literally everything about getting a job and working your way up the ladder. It is an easy read, applies to virtually any industry or field, and it to the point. I wish I had found this book sooner. It should be required reading for college seniors. 5/5!
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An entrepreneur specializes in business consulting, a teacher and career coach. During his 20+ years of high-tech career, Michael served in many functions and various management levels, including a Senior Director position. He was recognized as an outstanding people manager and many of his employees have gone on to become senior executives in multi-national companies.
To fulfill his passion for te ...more
To fulfill his passion for te ...more
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