I have been working in the same company for 5 years now and I’m just at that point where I am losing little interest and motivation to go to work everyday. This book gave me a little kick of reality and perspective. It reminded me of rational explanations as to why things are the way they are at work, and how to remain professional and not take things too personally. What’s also great about this book too was that it included case studies that make you understand each point more. I would recommend this to anybody in a work slump, or anybody just starting out their careers too!

This was a really interesting and a really insightful read. I think finding and looking for jobs can be really really difficult so credit to this author for trying to reach out. It’s a pretty interesting perspective on these things and how to stay connected so there’s that. I really liked this and will definitely continue to read from this author!

I have been in contract positions and will start my first full-time (with benefits) job soon. I was able to read this book in one sitting but it did not provide me information that I did not know already. This book is great for teens and YA that are going to start their first job and they are taking it seriously. Overall, it gives good tips, the information is concise and to the point, and I did love the case studies used for examples.

The author has found, and attempted to fill, what I think is a genuine gap in non-fiction writing: a guide for today's new hires to entering the world of work for the first time that lays out the best practices to achieve exactly what the title says and stay hired. It sets the right tone - upbeat, positive, and encouraging with just the right amount of caution, and the style is ideal to make it a quick and easy read with many of the sections including quick lists, case studies, and top tips. It's well timed for the modern workplace and includes tips on home and virtual working.

However, its greatest downfall is not giving the reader enough credit to know the obvious, and this detracts a lot from its more useful parts to make it a somewhat frustrating read. For example, explaining that your first professional job doesn't have study hall like school - I can't imagine anyone needs this spelled out for them. On a similar note, if any reader is the kind of person who needs a book to tell them not to ask their colleagues for sexual favours, I don't think a book is going to teach them that lesson. Or, as one point noted, "don't make coworkers worry you will be the next active shooter". As someone soon to start their first professional job, I'm in the target audience for a book like this, and I often felt that I was being talked down to when reading a book that tells me not to wear my clubbing outfits to work. There's plenty of advice I'd like to hear about starting my first job... but "should I verbally abuse my colleagues?" was not a question I needed answered.

In other sections, simply more expansion would have been helpful. The book frequently uses platitudes without giving actionable advice; for example, only one page is dedicated to work-life balance and the advice essentially says expect long hours, try to enjoy your weekends. I feel that more time could have been spent on advising on time management or negotiating flexible working to give some more solid insights.

It's also worth noting that this book is heavily US-centric and frequently makes reference to US employment law - not a problem per se, but it's important enough that I almost think the subtitle should read "Thriving & Surviving in the 21st Century *US* Workplace". As a UK reader, a lot of the book didn't actually apply to me and therefore was not particularly interesting. The legal focus (which is understandable given the author's background) means there is a big emphasis on these areas at the expense of what I would personally have found more helpful, e.g. advice on managing income from your first job, pensions, asking for support/mentorship, career progression, negotiation.

Overall, worth a read for any US new hires, especially those who feel they'd benefit from an overview of their legal rights and what is expected of them as a US employee as this is a good primer and a quick read. Readers outside the US, I think they will find its usefulness limited.