From Fantasyland To The Rat Race: A Practical Guide to Thriving in the Real World

Life is not easy when you are new to the "rat race." You will not know what to expect or what to do and you are playing a game without knowing the rules. Unfortunately, there are no Cliff Notes or tutors to help guide you through the confusing parts. To make matters worse, the stakes are higher and the pressure is on you. That is why we wrote this book. We have both had some terrific and gratifying experiences in the work world. Many errors are commonly committed by young professionals early in their careers. But we believe they can be avoided with some down-to-earth, practical guidance and a little effort. This real-life, how-to book will help you through many of the difficult challenges you will encounter as you begin your professional life. The stories and experiences contained in this book are real. We combine our own experiences with those of other successful young business people to provide a best-practices, how-to guide to help you navigate through the rough waters of your early career.

Eric J. Hinds grew up in Middletown, N.J. Eric graduated from Villanova in 1992 with a major in marketing, where he played varsity soccer and was president of the Marketing Society. Eric accepted a position in March 1993 with Automatic Data Processing as an entry-level sales representative. He quickly established himself as a top sales person finishing among the top three in sales in the entire region. A regular at the annual President's Club trips, Eric was ranked number five in the nation out of 1,700 sales reps across the country. In January 1996, Eric was promoted to sales manager. He was the youngest sales manager in the history of the region and built a reputation as an up-and-coming manager. Eric's teams continually exceeded their goals and finished each year at the top of the heap. In July 1997, Eric was promoted to sales director and was instrumental in developing and creating new and innovative revenue streams. Eric decided to join a large brokerage house in May 1998 as an assistant vice president. Eric currently lives in Holmdel, N.J., with his wife Karen and two sons Eric and Connor.