Aimee Cohen

I received a free copy of Woman Up!: Overcome the 7 Deadly Sins That Sabotage Your Success through Goodreads First Reads.

Woman Up! is a quick and easy read that offers a lot of practical wisdom women (and even men) can use to improve their chances of landing a job and getting promoted. So, what are the seven deadly sins that commonly sabotage the success of most women? Cohen refers to them as follows:

1. Kindness Conundrum
2. Competency Curse
3. Perfectionism Prison
4. Affirmation Addiction
5. Divulgence Disease
6. Miscommunication Mayhem
7. Undervalue Epidemic

Truth be told, I am guilty of five of the seven. (Firstly, I really don't need much affirmation when I decide or am deciding to do something, for the most part. And I don't trust most people to give me the affirmation I do desire... Part of being a perfectionist means I'm highly suspicious of what others say to me and why. Secondly, I don't talk much at all--though you probably couldn't tell from this review.) Cohen suggests that the most deadly of all is the seventh, and I'd have to say that I agree.

In addition to identifying these "sins", Cohen gives advice on how to combat them. She also shares some relatable anecdotes from her female clients (as well as some insight from male clients) from her career-coaching professional experience and some personal confessions from her own career path. Some of Cohen's advice is what many have heard before (like the handshake, eye contact, clothing, and similar advice). But other bits of advice are pretty new (or, at least, new to me), like the information on negotiating.

Still, one of the true values of this book is that it helps you to see yourself as others do (or might). (This is something I've struggled with personally. Every time I try to get genuine feedback, I get "nice" responses which are really not beneficial if they don't help you improve.) This helps you pay closer attention to the things you're consciously and unconsciously conveying to others. In other words, it helps with image control.

Equally important, Cohen's advice helped me with some additional introspection. For example, I hadn't realize that passing over positions just because I didn't have all the qualifications (mainly experience) was another way perfectionism was sabotaging me. (Grrr. I knew it felt bad or wrong, just didn't know why.) But, now that I know better, I'll handle it better--probably by accepting that uncomfortable feeling and applying anyway.

Overall, I have to say that I'm glad Cohen overcame the seven deadly sins and wrote this book. Having read it, I feel more self-aware and empowered to make personal and professional improvements.… (más)