In the Introduction to her book, When Reality Hits: What Employers Want Recent Graduates to Know, Nancy Barry explains that she wants readers to feel “as if I’m sitting right there with you in a coaching session. I’m your biggest champion and we haven’t even met.”

That is exactly what it’s like to read this book. Nancy, a speaker and author with an impressive corporate career behind her, is friendly, positive and honest about the skills and tactics young professionals need to know. When Reality Hits is a fast and helpful read for college students and recent grads.

Here are some of my favorite tips from the book:

Build your network. “When we graduate from college and start our careers, many times we focus on the job title, salary and benefits. But in reality, it’s the people who are the most important aspects of any job.”

Own your mistakes. “If you ever make a mistake and tick someone off, just say these words: ‘I take complete responsibility.’ It completely disarms the other person. There’s really nothing else for them to say.”

Lose the attitude. “Never, ever think you are too good to do anything. Be the one who always has a positive attitude, no matter what needs to be done. Your strong work ethic will separate you from the rest of the pack.”

Respect people’s time. “If you ask for thirty minutes, take twenty-nine. Whether the meeting is with a co-worker, your boss or a client, be respectful of the other person’s time. ”

Solicit honest advice. “When you are considering a major career move or other important advice, ask trusted mentors to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. That’s the best way to receive really honest and helpful advice.”

Click here to find When Reality Hits on Amazon.com.

On Wednesday, August 27th at 12 noon EDT, I’ll be participating in a FREE American Management Association (AMA) webcast, “Improving Your Onboarding Succecss: Integrating Recent Grads into Your Workforce.” You can participate live or download later.

I’ll be presenting on the webcast along with Nancy Barry, author of the excellent book, When Reality Hits: What Employers Want Recent College Graduates to Know (which I’ll be reviewing shortly), and Malla Haridat, Director of Employer and Alumni Relations with the Columbia University Center for Career Education.

Here is the webcast description from AMA:

Onboarding is far more than logistics and a polished orientation video.

As new hires join the workforce from college each year, they need clarity of expectations, support, and the right tools to shorten their learning curve, deliver results, and stay engaged for the long term.

The fact is that today’s graduates want to make their mark in your organization and blaze a career path right from the start.

In this Webcast, we will explore the transition between college and the “real” world. Our panel will examine what both recent graduates and organizations need to know to make this transition a success. This includes:

• Business basics: what recent grads need to know to hit the ground running
• What motivates recent grads and how to keep them engaged
• Advice on how organizations should orient newly minted grads
• What managers need to know to integrate Gen Y into their team
• And much more

Today’s new hires need more than just a paycheck to keep them committed. Attend this program and discover ways to transition new hires into productive contributors as well as reinvigorate current staff.

Register now — it’s free!