Title: The Success Factor: Navigating the Treacherous Waters of Corporate America (The 21st Century Worker)
Author: Ted Bagley
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-4990-1541-6
Pages: 142
Genre: Business & Finance, Non-Fiction
Reviewed by: Allison Walker
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Pacific Book Review
The workplace of today is not the workplace of ten years ago. For the first time in recent history, author Ted Bagley writes, four generations of professionals are working together, with a fifth preparing to join. In his novel, “The Success Factor,” Bagley defines these five generations of career professionals, and describes the conflicting expectations they may carry when cohabitating the same workspace. His novel offers advice not only on how to find and keep a job, but how to progress in corporate industry and make a career from it. For college graduates just entering the workforce, as well as professionals re-entering the workforce, Bagley’s “The Success Factor” is a useful source of information.
After moving past some introductory information in the first few chapters, Bagley delves into some practical know-how for finding and keeping a career. “The Success Factor” is not so much a how-to novel because it gives step-by-step instructions, but rather because Bagley writes about what employers expect. For example, his tips for resume writing are superb, and a wonderful example of the kind of insider knowledge readers can expect from the book. Rather than telling readers how their resume should look, Bagley explains what he expects from a high quality resume.
Bagley has an intimidating list of qualifications for job candidates, but he also addresses some very important key skills; such as a personal brand, how a job candidate dresses and speaks, and building relationships within an industry. Despite his lengthy list of skill sets, Bagley redeems himself by offering invaluable advice for obtaining a job and mastering these skills. He particularly enjoys story-like metaphors, and these give the book a practical yet humorous tone. Reading Bagley’s story about “The Pike Syndrome” or his explanation of “being a chameleon,” makes the advice he imparts much more memorable.
Besides metaphors, what Bagley seems to love most are quotes. This fits hand-in-hand with his advice that people entering the workforce find and learn from an experienced mentor; that these people can be an invaluable source of information for young professionals. In fact, every chapter begins and includes some type of quote. In many cases, these quotes are made by famous individuals, people whose names need no explanation. But in a few instances, lesser known names are cited that could benefit from more description. This is also true for some of the research cited. For example, a study by George Wright is presented as evidence to support one of Bagley’s arguments, but no further explanation of who Wright is or what he studied is given. There are a few cases where more description on the research cited would be helpful not just in identifying names but in lending credibility to the information in the book.
In addition, small inconsistencies within the book make the text difficult to follow at the text moves fluidly between narrative tenses, sometimes acting self-aware and addressing the reader, and other times continuing in third person. At a few points Bagley contradicts himself. Small details like these interrupt the flow of reading, and should be addressed to make the book more accountable as a whole.
With a potentially greater age gap than ever between workers, the expectations employers have may not be consistent with the job skills college graduates have, yet these five very different generations of people must somehow learn to work together. For the modern white-collar professional, whether looking to join or to re-enter the corporate workforce, “The Success Factor” is a collection of insight into a potentially confusing environment.

