Punching In or How to Get a Minimum Wage Job and Still Keep Your Individuality
Written: Dec 29 '08 (Updated Dec 29 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Interesting, funny characterizations; good information about different corporations.
Cons: Gets a little "lecture-like" when Frankel discusses business.
The Bottom Line: If you have ever wanted to know what it was like to work at The Gap, Starbucks or UPS, check out Punching In.
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| CJsMommy's Full Review: Alex Frankel - Punching in: The Unauthorized Adven... |
I work for a major retail company, so I try to stay on top of news involving the retail sector. Lately, of course, that has focused on the economic problems plaguing the retail industry. Having started at the bottom of the ladder, so to speak, and dealing directly with customers and all of their issues, I always thought I should write a book about my experiences. Unfortunately, Alex Frankel beat me to it......sort of.
Frankel has gone undercover to discover how different major companies create the perfect front line employee. He wanted to know how the companies decided who to hire in order to find that one person who they could train to buy into the company's belief system. Once a person was hired, what kept them there? The fascinating thing about Frankel's book Punching In is the insider look into some of the major companies in America. So, if you've ever wondered what it was like to work for UPS, Starbucks or the Gap, you'll definitely want to check out this book.
Frankel is a journalist who had an idea to find out more about businesses and how they worked from the inside. What makes one employee buy into the corporate culture while another rejects it? What type of personality does each type of company look for in an employee? What "tests" do they use to determine just the right candidate for their company? Over a two year time span, Frankel became determined to find the answers to those and many other questions by applying to numerous major corporations. Luckily for us, he was hired by a few, giving us a behind the scenes glance into the world of a front line employee. Unfortunately for me, Frankel didn't apply to my company. I would love to see what an outsider would have thought about our corporate culture!
Frankel starts us out with a taste of UPS and what it's like to deliver packages during the holiday season. Before reading this book, I couldn't imagine what it must be like to make sure all those packages get to the right house in time for Christmas. Frankel gets hired as a season employee, assisting the regular drivers in their routes. He gives us a good idea of the different personalities of the drivers, as well as how they came to work there and their tenure. He also travelled to the UPS hub to give us an idea of the inner workings of UPS and how a package gets from start to finish.
We also get an inside look at the Gap. This was more interesting to me, as I work for a retail company, but not on the sales floor. I had to laugh at some of the "characters" that work at the location Frankel was hired at. We also get to learn how the Gap came to be, which I thought was quite interesting. Frankel even details how one becomes a denim expert.
Frankel interviews with the Container Store, which was one of my favorite parts of the book. He tells us about his entire interview experience, which actually happens on the floor of the store with a group of other potential hires. Although Frankel doesn't get hired by this company, he still gives us good information about the corporation. Frankel then delves into the hiring practices of many companies, and how they use testing as a pre-screen. Some of this section was a little dull, but it does give good ideas if you are looking to get hired somewhere (basically what not to do!).
Frankel also works for Enterprise, the car rental giant. This was quite interesting, as he took us through his entire training practice. This was one company that really wanted their employees to buy into their corporate culture. Let's just say that Frankel's portrayal of Enterprise does not make them look like any place I would want to work. Once again, the descriptions of his co-workers are very interesting and paint a great picture.
I loved Frankel's descriptions of working for Starbucks. He really shows how tough it is to pick up a new job when you are thrown to the wolves. His best job, however, seems to be the one he took at Apple. He worked in one of their stores, and seemed to love it. Unfortunately, this experience seems to be the one I learned the least about. He was a little lean on this one (or maybe the experience was the shortest).
Overall, I thought Punching In was a great look on the inside of a corporation for those at the bottom of the ladder. I would have to say that some parts I completely recognized from my experience in entry level positions. The corporate cultures Frankel learned about certainly rang true. The thing I didn't enjoy as much about the book was when Frankel went into "business mode" and started to sound a little like a text book. The stories about the jobs were so much more interesting, and the other stuff didn't always fit. With that in mind, I would still recommend Punching In as an entertaining read for those who have ever worked for a large corporation and want to know that they are not alone! Oh yea, and as far as the title, Frankel considers himself an individualist (not wanting to mold to any ideal), and found it interesting how he could get hired at certain companies and not others.
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: Jennifer Boyle
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