Working 9-5 Archives - Page 2 of 9

A step in the right direction?

August 10, 2020 Mary Kelly Ladies only!, Working 9-5 4 comments

The Complete Guide for the Working Mother
Albrecht
1967

This book is handy for all those women with money, household help, resources, etc. Even for 1967, this book is out of touch. Even though it probably only applies to less than 1% of working mothers, it does assert that household chores are not the sole responsibility of the mother and that parenting is a family responsibility. I think the author is trying hard to talk about some equality and parenting issues, but not quite ready to take it up a notch. Given the 1967 publication date, that is hardly surprising.

Best Way in the World for a Woman to make money

Women’s Work

August 3, 2020 Mary Kelly Ladies only!, Working 9-5 21 comments

The Best Way in the World for a Woman to Make Money
King
1979

This is one of those relics from the 1970s giving women some career advice. This time it is for a sales career. The book’s general premise is that a sales career can give women a serious leg up financially, and that women do better than their male counterparts. He asserts that women are more talented and intelligent that then men competing for the same jobs. Basically, the author believes that women are an untapped and overlooked resource. Women are supposedly more sociable, nurturing, and better suited to a people oriented career.

There is advice about presenting a more masculine resume. Supposedly, if you have a hobby like woodworking, it shows that you can comfortably deal with a man’s world. Typical of career books for women, there is advice about office decorum, dress, business lunch, etc.

Love on the Job

March 4, 2020 Mary Kelly Life, Death, Love, and Marriage, Working 9-5 7 comments

Love at Work
Using Your Job to Find a Mate
Kent
1988

Remember the bookHow to Marry the Man of Your Choice? How to Marry the Man of Your Choice? Well, our author strikes again by offering up the workplace as a potential spouse hunting ground. Thinking of my jobs past and present, I am not so sure I would choose someone from my workplace. I can feel every person in HR just cringing and saying “this should end well”.

Let’s Meet!

February 27, 2020 Mary Kelly Working 9-5 4 comments

When You Preside
Sutherland
1969

Another book about holding a meeting. This one is directed at the leaders of meetings and talks about organization and how to formalize the process. Fine. Although the old standby of Robert’s Rules of Order will work too.

This book adds a nice section on the type of personalities that inhabit meetings. It’s supposed to be clever, but the cartoon illustrations are not that great. Having attended meetings my entire adult life, I don’t think any book will fix meetings. I know that library meetings are a special kind of hell and seem to be a significant time suck.

Resumes for the Ladies

February 3, 2020 Mary Kelly Ladies only!, Working 9-5 6 comments

Resumes for Women
Job-winning resume guidance for every situation
Shaw
1995

Career advice is one of my hot button topics when it comes to collection development. This isn’t the worst resume book we have seen, but it is pretty awful to still have it on the shelves.

Even for 1995, the advice is weak. The idea of customizing your resume to address the special situations, such as job transfers or re entry after staying at home with kids, is limited to re-arranging your educational credentials with your experience.

This book was still in circulation and looked pretty crunchy with browning pages. This book really needs to go now. I shudder thinking that someone would try and find a job in 2020 with this antique. This should be an easy weed.

Mary

Work in a Hospital!

January 27, 2020 Mary Kelly Working 9-5 14 comments

Career Prep: Working in a Hospital
Miner
1983

Career books are one of those hot button collections that continually give me a twitch when they aren’t current. This one is really out of date with respect to job descriptions and duties. Aimed at middle/high school age, this book covers the myriad of jobs, beyond that of just a doctor or a nurse. The intent of this book isn’t too bad. I like the attempt to show what the day looks like, training needed, and what a particular job is all about. I doubt any of the job titles and descriptions even exist anymore.

Retro Nursing

January 8, 2020 Mary Kelly Working 9-5 16 comments

What It’s Like to Be a Nurse
Shay
1972

This book looks familiar. I think we featured it, but I can’t find it in our archives. It is a career book that is way past its prime. The narrative follows three nursing students through their program to graduation.

As a youth career book, this isn’t going to help anyone learn about modern nursing. Uniforms and caps turned into scrubs. I didn’t see a single pair of gloves on any of the staff. Technology and other changes make this book interesting, but obsolete. Keep it in archive, not in a current collection.

Innovation and Change

September 11, 2019 Holly Making a Living, Working 9-5 4 comments

Promoting Innovation and Change in Organizations and Communities: A Planning Manual
Rothman, Erlich, and Teresa
1976

Submitter: Someone donated this to the library along with a bunch of other mid-70s and early 80s business manuals. Do people really think we want this stuff, or do they just feel better about unloading it on the library than throwing it out themselves?