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Starting your first job is such an exciting step in your life, and I am so happy that you’re taking that step soon!
But I’m guessing you’re not just excited about this new job. You might be intimidated, scared, a little insecure, or even filled with self-doubt. I totally get it, as that was how I felt with my first job as well. My surface level was extremely excited and happy, feeling amazing because I’d scored my first job. But below the surface I was a ball of nerves.
Not to worry, I got you. I have learnt from my job experiences, and I am more than happy to share what I’ve learnt with you. Starting with the best books to read for your first job. These books are all about mindset, letting your inner girlboss out into the world, negotiating like a middle-aged white man, turn your mistakes into successes and how to handle the difficult conversations.
And even though I’ve conveniently titled this the best books to read for your first job, these books are so valuable at any time in your career. Whether it really is your first job or you’ve been working for 10 years, you can always learn from these books and these authors, and that’s what makes them even better! they are amazing books ot keep in your library or on your e-reader and revisit every once in a while.
After this post you are equipped with your own arsenal of educational books that help you work on your challenge areas so you can become an invaluable employee, feel like superwoman in the workplace, and start the career you’ve been dreaming of. Here are the best books to read for your first job.
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Nice girls don’t get the corner office
A key book on the list of best books to read for your first job is Nice girls (still) don’t get the corner office. I have recommended this one before, and I will keep recommending it until the day I die.
This book is so complete on all the things women need to know for the work environment. The author lays out the most common mistakes women make, and how to fix them so you don’t have to keep making them. Examples are ‘reluctance to negotiate'(more on that later), ‘asking permission’ and ‘thinking like an employee’.
The book starts with a self-assessment, which lays out the areas you could most benefit to improve. It’s then divided into those areas – How you play the game, how you act, how you think, how you brand & market yourself, how you sound, how you look and how you respond.
It lays out the mistake, why it’s a mistake, and gives a couple pointers for how you can improve on that particular thing.
The only thing to be aware of with this book is that it’s very much focused on ‘playing the office game the way men do’ and while sometimes that’s necessary, it also very much puts us in the masculine energy. Be careful that you don’t force yourself to be something you’re not, and to pay attention to your feminine energy as well to take good care of yourself.
Never split the difference: negotiating as if your life depended on it
So about negotiating. My guess is that it’s not your favorite thing to do. You might feel too insecure, not strong enough, intimidated, inexperienced. And I don’t blame you, I know what it’s like to feel that way. But there are 2 problems with avoiding negotiation
- You never learn how to really do it properly
- You can leave a lot on the table, and never even know.
One of the reasons the pay gap is so big, is because a lot of women don’t ask for more. Even though that’s obviously not the only reason and it’s not as relevant when race gets involved, men tend to get more because they ask for more. they’re not afraid to negotiate. But somehow we’re so afraid of hearing no, getting that feeling of rejection, that we avoid it altogether.
Fortunately, I found this amazing book for your list of best books to read for your first job, that will tell you all about negotiating like a professional.
While the book is written by a hostage negotiator for the FBI, so the methods and strategies may not work for who you are as a person, I think it’s so interesting to learn more about the mindset, the possible ways to approach a negotiation, and it could help you feel a lot more confident in a negotiation situation.
Failing forward
When you’re at your first job, or any new job, the last thing you want is to feel like you’ve failed. You don’t want to feel like you made a mistake, you don’t want your superiors or colleagues to think you made a mistake, you just want to be amazing at your job, right?
I can tell you from my own experience, it won’t happen. You will make mistakes. You will feel like you’ve failed. You might even feel dumb. And that is absolutely okay, it’s part of the learning curve.
One of the best books to read for your first job (or any new job really) is failing forward. This book was so helpful to me when I kept making mistakes, and it reframes the whole idea of ‘failing’. It’s premise is to stop seeing failing as a bad thing, a sign of stupidity and failure, and start seeing it as an opportunity to learn. Because really, that’s what making mistakes is about, it’s about learning.
The author is an internationally recognized leadership expert who has worked with countless Fortune500 companies, and has educated and trained leaders all over the world. So if they can benefit from his lessons, I am confident you can too.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Another book I read early on in my first job is Crucial Conversations. I knew my communication skills needed some work, I knew I tended to avoid confrontation, avoid any difficult conversation and any feedback conversation. Basically I avoided all conversations that could have helped me grow. So along with Failing Forward, Crucial Conversations was very high up on my reading list.
I also knew it would help me further in my career which at the time, I saw progressing in an office setting. Learning how to handle difficult conversations would be useful for promotion conversations, feedback conversations and, I imagined, later on when I had people working in my own team, it would be even more helpful. Little did I know none of that would happen, but that doesn’t make the book less interesting and valuable.
One of the mantras Tony Robbins has is: ‘the quality of your life is the quality of your relationships’. And I really think a relationship can only thrive with proper communication. Which includes having the difficult conversations that need to be had, whether we like it or not.
At the end of the day we are having crucial conversations in our every day life as well, and communication skills are never not necessary. So regardless of what you do in life or what your plan is, this is a very useful read.
When’s happy hour?: work hard so you can hardly work
Is anyone more relatable than the betches? I am sure you have seen their instagram posts cross your explore page at least once, or maybe your friend has sent you one of their posts before. Never ones to beat around the bush, the betches say what they mean and mean what they say.
I have loved their other books, Nice is just a place in france (how to win at basically everything) and I had a nice time and other lies and this book was no exception. You cannot leave this of your list of best books to read for your first job, and you might want to put it at the top. Filled with alarming truth bombs, new insights and reminders you didn’t know you needed, when’s happy hour is the eye opener we all need.
Turn your working life upside down, create a couple of empty spaces in your calendar and read this book so you can become a true boss betch.
Conclusion
I am confident that with these 5 books, you’ll have a great start to your first job! There are always more things to learn, areas to improve and mindsets to change, but we can’t do it all in one go and depending on how fast you read, these may already keep you occupied for a few months.
I know that these best books to read for your first job will set you up for success in your first job, and you can always choose to grow more after you’ve finished this! If you’re a fast, excited reader like me, take a look right here, and fill your reading list!
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