27. Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet - Carla Harris

This was my first book from the "business" section of Borders - and I'd like to start frequenting that section more often. The author, Carla Harris, is a managing director at Morgan Stanley. She offers her "pearls" of guidance - lessons she learned from twenty years of experience on Wall Street that can help anyone (especially great advice for women) maneuver through challenges of the workplace. My favorite tidbits:

- In discussing self-presentation, Harris gives a formula that is great to keep in mind: "Your self-presentation + the baggage of the beholder = the perception about you in the marketplace."

- In creating a perception and conditioning people to think of you in the way that you want them to, ask yourself this question: "How do I want people to describe me when I'm not in the room?" Harris recommends that you identify at least three adjectives you would want people to use when they talk about you when you are not present. This is important, she says, because all of the major decisions about your career are made when you are not in the room and can't speak for yourself!

- The best chapter, in my opinion, was the one on finding a mentor. Harris identifies three categories of what most people generically call "mentors": (1) the adviser, (2) the mentor, and (3) the sponsor. The adviser is someone you turn to for discrete advice - someone preferably in your field and company. The mentor is the person you can talk to about the "good, the bad, and the ugly" of your career - and with whom you can share more of your personal business and goals. The sponsor is someone in your field - preferably a supervisor - who has clout in your company and can stick up for you.

Unfortunately, this book was a typical women's self-help book in a lot of ways: "know what you want," "know your goals and go after them," etc., and lots of cutesy anecdotes. I did notice a few typos ("roll model"? Really?) - I know I'm not a perfect writer, but I can't stand when I pay for something and there are typos in it! [Barbri ... take note of that!]

All in all, this was a good read as I'm coming out of school and getting ready to start work. Thanks to Kyle for the rec on this one. If anyone has recommendations of other books in this genre - please post a comment and let me know!