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ABOUT SUSAN... It’s all about the work - Susan Gainen has spent the past 25 years observing market swings, career change, new technologies and new generations bringing their own stamp and styles to work. Her clients benefit from her unique perspective on how work gets done, which combines her expertise in intergenerational communication and experience in the food business, the car business, and the business of law. Al Coleman’s Secrets to Success “This little book should be required reading for high school, college, and professional students, new professionals, and the advisers and mentors who guide them. In Secrets to Success, Al has written a blue-print for �irst-gen professionals of all colors and backgrounds which provides critical, useful, and detailed instructions for �inding and creating a path to success. He writes from the heart and, most importantly, he writes from his own experience and the wisdom of others.” A must read for first generation professionals Who is Al Coleman, Jr.? He is the son of Alfred W. Coleman III, a Liberian immigrant who lost everything in his homeland’s civil war, yet made his way into success the world of business. He died young (54), leaving his son inspired to create a document that would honor his father by helping to create a path for first-gen students who seek success. Mentoring. An early childhood inspiration which opened a door to a nuanced view of mentoring came from one of his Mother’s friends, who said “While it’s wise to learn from your mistakes, it’s wiser to learn from the mistakes of others.” Self Assessment. Career development professionals will cheer his strong endorsement of on-going self-assessment. He suggests focusing on weaknesses (to fix them) as well as strengths (to improve them), and follow the profiles of successful individuals from whom best practices can be learned. He advocates the need to be able to “pivot.” An excellent suggestion, because much can be learned from the challenges arising in a bump in the road. Real Exposure. Al urges his students to be sure that hard work is seen by all of the stakeholders on a career path: “You can’t be promoted to the next level if no one knows what you’re doing or what you’ve done.” Creator or Server. Al explores the career implications of the differences between creator and server, which echo issues in the current state of the economy in which professionals (creators) drive productivity and servers are supplanted by cheap labor or machines. Noting that servers have no place in key management or professional occupations, he opts for creativity and recommends it to others. Why pay attention to Al? He was a struggling “C” student in high school who made himself into an honors undergraduate who performed well in a number of Fortune 500 internships. He earned his law degree at a top 20 law school, and was promoted to a Director-level position at a billion dollar firm while earning multiple professional awards for legal and business leadership. He was teaching, presenting national speaking engagements, and mentoring high performing emerging leaders – all by the age of 30. For more information, please visit www.alcolemanjr.com

Susan Gainen's Book Review: Secrets to Success

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Renowned inter-generational consultant Susan Gainen provides a detailed and candid review of Secrets to Success: The Definitive Career Development Guide for New and First Generation Professionals.

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Page 1: Susan Gainen's Book Review: Secrets to Success

ABOUT SUSAN... It’s all about the work - Susan Gainen has spent the past 25 years observing market swings, career change, new technologies and new generations bringing their own stamp and styles to work. Her clients bene�t from her unique perspective on how work gets done, which combines her expertise in intergenerational communication and experience in the food business, the car business, and the business of law.

Al Coleman’s Secrets to Success

“This little book should be required reading for high school, college, and professional students, new professionals, and the advisers and mentors who guide them. In Secrets to Success, Al has written a blue-print for �irst-gen professionals of all colors and backgrounds which provides critical, useful, and detailed instructions for �inding and creating a path to success. He writes from the heart and, most importantly, he writes from his own experience and the wisdom of others.”

A must read for first generation professionals

Who is Al Coleman, Jr.? He is the son of Alfred W. Coleman III, a Liberian immigrant who lost everything in his homeland’s civil war, yet made his way into success the world of business. He died young (54), leaving his son inspired to create a document that would honor his father by helping to create a path for �rst-gen students who seek success.

Mentoring. An early childhood inspiration which opened a door to a nuanced view of mentoring came from one of his Mother’s friends, who said “While it’s wise to learn from your mistakes, it’s wiser to learn from the mistakes of others.”

Self Assessment. Career development professionals will cheer his strong endorsement of on-going self-assessment. He suggests focusing on weaknesses (to �x them) as well as strengths (to improve them), and follow the pro�les of successful individuals from whom best practices can be learned. He advocates the need to be able to “pivot.” An excellent suggestion, because much can be learned from the challenges arising in a bump in the road.

Real Exposure. Al urges his students to be sure that hard work is seen by all of the stakeholders on a career path: “You can’t be promoted to the next level if no one knows what you’re doing or what you’ve done.”

Creator or Server. Al explores the career implications of the di�erences between creator and server, which echo issues in the current state of the economy in which professionals (creators) drive productivity and servers are supplanted by cheap labor or machines. Noting that servers have no place in key management or professional occupations, he opts for creativity and recommends it to others.

Why pay attention to Al? He was a struggling “C” student in high school who made himself into an honors undergraduate who performed well in a number of Fortune 500 internships. He earned his law degree at a top 20 law school, and was promoted to a Director-level position at a billion dollar �rm while earning multiple professional awards for legal and business leadership. He was teaching, presenting national speaking engagements, and mentoring high performing emerging leaders – all by the age of 30.

For more information, please visit www.alcolemanjr.com