Entering the Real World is a collection of practical ideas to empower young adults as they enter and adjust to the real world. The ideas are simple, straightforward and easy to adapt; no major life changes are needed (though some could result). Most high schools and colleges still focus primarily on academics and ignore teaching practical skills needed to thrive in the real world. Role models for young adults are often entertainers, Olympic athletes and sports figures, all of whom devote much time to achieve their goals. Self-help media most often teach about major changes that are needed to succeed with a new approach to living. Instead, Entering the Real World offers smaller but powerful ideas that can be applied immediately and successfully to one’s life without a “major internal overhaul.” Some of the book’s more than 140 ideas include how to: •Interview successfully and enter the workforce •Get great reference letters •Think for oneself •Begin building wealth (despite thousands of dollars in student loans) •Manage time effectively •Communicate clearly in business and personal relationships Benefits •Over 140 straightforward, easily usable and adaptable ideas •Save time and money by preventing common mistakes •Shorten the learning curve to adapt to the real world •Get ahead faster •Get a head start over your peers •Touches on aspects of mental illnesses often overlooked or shoveled under the rug Special Features •Many ideas are cross-referenced for easy access •The book is designed in small sections for easy reading on a mobile device •Most sections end with a “Takeaway” and/or a “Take Action!” that, respectively, summarize the section and suggest actions a reader can take to act on the ideas •The “Takeaway” and “Take Action!” segments for each chapter appear at the end of the chapter as a summary Author’s website available for: •Download of files referenced in the book •Errata •Interaction among readers to post comments and suggestions •Providing feedback about the book through a feedback page with an option for anonymity

Table of Contents:
Introduction vii We All Start Out the Same vii Credit for the Ideas in This Book ix How this Book Evolved ix Feedback Is Welcome x Foreword xi Dedication xiii Acknowledgments xiii Chapter 1. Entering the Real World 1 1. Welcome! 1 2. How You Will Benefit 2 3. How to Use This Book 3 Read Material in Any Order 3 Idea Numbers, “Takeaway,” “Take Action!” and “Takeaway Summary” 3 About Searching the World Wide Web 4 Should You Buy or Rent Recommended Resources? 5 Disclaimers 5 Chapter 2. If You Are Still in School 7 4. Looking for a Career? 7 5. Start Preparing Now for the Real World 8 Develop an Impressive Resume 8 Develop an Impressive Cover Letter 10 Build Your People Network 11 Build Relationships with Teachers 12 Create a Portfolio of Accomplishments 12 Protect Your Computer Files 13 6. Set Salary Expectations 14 7. Introverts and Extroverts 15 8. Boost Your Vocabulary and Writing Skills 16 9. The Lost Art of True Browsing 16 10. Learn from What You Have Already Accomplished 17 11. Common Mistakes While Still in School 17 Takeaway Summary 18 Chapter 3. Think for Yourself 19 12. A Joy of Adulthood: Thinking for Yourself 19 13. Don’t Categorize People; Everyone Has a Story 20 14. Choice and Opportunity in America 21 15. Gratitude 22 16. It’s True! A Positive Attitude Helps 23 17. Live Your Life, Not Someone Else’s 23 18. Find Mentors of All Ages 24 19. Intellectual Honesty 25 20. “I Don’t Know” and “I Made a Mistake” 26 21. Examples to Challenge Your Thinking for Yourself 26 Who Are Your Friends and Why? 26 How Did You Arrive at Your Political Views? 27 Is Climate Change Happening? You Bet! But Why and How? 28 A Lighter Side of Conservatives and Liberals 31 22. Follow the Money 31 23. Be Careful with False Alternatives 32 24. Be Careful with Statistics 32 25. Failure as a Learning Tool 33 26. Two Poems for Tough Times 34 27. Common Mistakes While Learning to Think for Yourself 35 Takeaway Summary 35 Chapter 4. Communicating with Others and Yourself 37 28. What Do You Mean? Define Your Terms 37 Example: What Is Progress? 39 Example: What Are Capitalism, Communism and Socialism? 40 29. How Do You Know You Are Right? 41 30. All Facts Are Opinions; Not All Opinions Are Facts 42 31. When Are the Masses Right? 43 32. The Great Silencer: “Whose Problem Is It?” 44 33. Abraham Lincoln and the Cow’s Tail 44 34. Who Has the Risk in an Outcome? 45 35. Should You Write, Call, Meet, Send an Email, Text, Send a Video? 46 36. Relationships47 A Thought on Marriage: “Communication and Common Interests” 47 Nip It in the Bud 47 “Please” and “Thank You” 48 37. Conflict Resolution48 38. What Are Your News Sources and Why? 49 39. Advertising’s Impact on Your Life 50 40. Look People in the Eye 50 41. Common Mistakes in Communications 50 Takeaway Summary 51 Chapter 5. Entering and Adjusting to the Workplace 53 42. Interviewing 53 Before an Interview 53 During an Interview 55 Types of Questions to Ask During an Interview 56 Closing an Interview with Power and Conviction 57 Ask for the Job! 58 After an Interview 58 If You Don’t Get the Job 59 43. Getting Great Reference Letters 60 44. Side Bar: When Asking for Favors 60 45. Getting Great Raises 61 46. Negotiating for the Win-Win 62 47. Protect Your Most Valuable Asset in the Real World 64 48. Define Your Ideal Company 65 What Kind of Company Do You Want to Work With? 65 What Kind of Leadership Do You Want? 65 Understand a Company’s or Organization’s Culture and Traditions 66 The Intellectual Property Agreement 67 49. How to Get Ahead at Work 67 50. How to Prepare Impactful Reports and Presentations 68 51. Lose the Excuses! 69 52. Advance One Job or Position at a Time 70 53. People Skills vs. Technical Skills: Which Is Harder to Develop? 71 54. Accountability 71 55. The 80-20 Rule 72 56. Legal Matters 72 57. Volunteering 73 58. Common Mistakes When Entering and Adjusting to the Workplace 73 Takeaway Summary 73 Chapter 6. Life’s Situations with Challenging Personalities 75 59. Working alongside Different Personalities 75 60. Meet a Gruff and Generally Unpleasant Person 76 61. Meet an Unhappy, Complaining Coworker 76 62. Meet Someone Who Wants to Steal Software or Other Company Assets 77 63. Meet Someone Who Follows a Different Religion 78 64. Meet Someone with a Mental Illness 78 65. What Indicates a Mental Illness? 79 66. Meet Many Other Personalities 79 67. If Someone Close to You Dies or Leaves 80 68. Look for a Win-Win 81 69. Common Mistakes in Life’s Situations with Challenging Personalities 81 Takeaway Summary 82 Chapter 7. Personal Improvement 83 70. A Perspective on Personal Improvement 83 71. Building Self-Esteem 84 72. Positive Self-Talk, or What Do You Think of Yourself? 86 73. Determine Your Strengths and Weaknesses 87 74. Goal Setting 87 75. “The Stress of Life” 88 76. Use a To-Do List 89 77. “Good” and “Bad” Judgment 90 78. Set Personal Boundaries and Expectations 91 79. Dignity, Honor and Respect 92 80. Impossible vs. Possible vs. Hard 92 81. Would You Guarantee Your Work? 93 82. Yet There Are No Guarantees in Life 93 83. Ignorance and Awareness 94 84. Common Words and Phrases to Reconsider 95 “Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda” vs. “Next Time” 95 “I Have to” vs. “I Choose to” 96 Accept Compliments Graciously 96 “Are You Sure?” 96 Don’t “Try” – Just Do! 96 “Good” and “Bad” 97 Pride 97 85. The Ben Franklin Decision Tool 98 86. Common Mistakes in Personal Improvement 99 Takeaway Summary 99 Chapter 8. Time Management 101 87. Be a Hero: Save People Time! 101 88. How to Easily Be More 10% Productive Than Your Co-Workers 102 89. Urgency and Importance 102 90. Balance in Life 103 91. What Are Your Productive Times of the Day? 103 92. Respect Your Own Time 104 93. Time IS Money! 104 94. Time-Saving Filing Tip 105 95. Common Mistakes in Time Management 105 Takeaway Summary 105 Chapter 9. A View of Corporate America 107 96. The Main Reason for This Chapter 107 97. What Is “Corporate America?” 107 98. Perceptions of Corporate America 108 99. A Look at One Company in Corporate America 109 100. Does Corporate America Rip You Off? 110 101. Risk and Reward 111 102. What Is Fair Compensation? 112 103. “Your Fair Share” 114 104. Greed and “Free” 114 105. What Should Companies Do with Their Profits? 115 106. If You Have a Complaint with a Company 116 107. “Last Chance to Send $1.00!” 117 108. Common Mistakes about Corporate America 117 Takeaway Summary 117 Chapter 10. Wealth, Finances and Investing 119 109. What Is Wealth? 119 110. Wants vs. Needs 121 111. Setting Your Wealth Bar 121 112. How to Start Saving Money 122 113. How to Increase Your Savings Account Balance Quickly 123 114. The Power of Compound Interest 124 115. But Later the Money Won’t Be Worth Much! 125 116. Keep a Budget 125 117. Budgeting Tools 126 118. Key Ideas for a Budget 127 119. Learn Economics in One Short Lesson 129 120. Cash and Credit Card Management 132 121. Your Credit Report and Credit Score 133 123. Investing in the Stock Market 133 124. William J. O’Neil and CAN SLIM® Investing 134 125. Getting Started with the CAN SLIM® Investment System 135 126. An Example of a Successful Stock 136 127. Common Mistakes about Wealth, Finance and Investing 136 Takeaway Summary 137 Chapter 11. Thinking of Your Own Small Business? 139 128. Thinking of Starting Your Own Small Business? 139 129. Naming and Branding Your Company 140 130. Acquire Business Skills 141 131. Focus: What Is Your Niche? 142 132. Teamwork 142 133. Profit: What It Is, What It’s for 142 134. Corporation, Sole Proprietorship, LLC or DBA? 143 135. Assorted General Ideas That (Eventually) Worked 143 Sales Strategies that Work 144 Help Customers Become Self-Sufficient 144 Short, Crisp Proposals 145 Eliminate Time Wasters 145 The Purpose of a Written Contract 147 Business Modeling 148 Sales Projections 148 Maintaining Contact with Prospects and Customers149 Following Up on Sales Proposals 149 Luck in Business 150 Quality vs. Price 150 “Each Word Costs $1.00” 151 136. Assorted Custom Programming Business Ideas That (Eventually) Worked 151 Bring Two Copies of Anything You Install 151 One Way to Pay Programmers 151 CoDevelopment 152 Requirements Analysis First, Then a Fixed-Price Quote153 137. If You Want to Raise Your Rates 154 138. Common Mistakes in Starting and Running a Business 154 Takeaway Summary 154 Chapter 12. Suggested Videos 156 139. Why These Videos? 156 140. Steve Jobs – Commencement Address at Stanford University, 2005 156 141. Susan Cain – The Power of Introverts156 142. Dr. Kelly McGonical – How to Make Stress Your Friend 156 143. Overuse of Mobile Phones? 157 144. A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work 157 145. Hans Rosling – 200 Countries, 200 Years 157 146. Harold Evans – Who Really Invented the Franchise? 157 Chapter 13. Dealing with a Mental Illness 158 147. About Mental Illnesses 158 Mood Tracking 159 Sleep 159 Taking Medications 159 Help from Family and Friends 160 In Case of Emergency 160 Dating 160 148. Side Bar: What Makes Us Human? 160 149. Side Bar: A Challenge to the Next Generation 161 Chapter 14. Venturing Out 162 150. How Do You Proceed from Here? 162 References 165 Feedback Is Welcome! 169 Index 170