But there are more opportunities too. You aren't tied to the one employer any more – you can move around and seek bigger pay rises, greater responsibility, more interesting challenges. Employers no longer look down on people who want to take career breaks to go traveling or do something different. You can go freelance or set up your own business and try to make your first million. The world is literally your oyster.

In this complex world of work, the rules of work have changed. We can all think of people who got promoted who didn't deserve to be. Come to think of it, we can all probably think of someone who does deserve to get promoted, but hasn't been. And, to add insult to injury, on top of our day-to-day jobs, we're expected to deal with office politics, to be a good team player, and to network. And how do you get headhunted exactly? All of these are things that no one ever really tells you how to do.

Well, this series tells you how to do these things. And this book looks at networking – probably the most important single skill that everybody talks about, but no one ever teaches you.

Most people throw up their hands in horror at even the mention of the word. It conjures up images of having to fawn and be insincere to people you don't like in order to get ahead. However, I'm going to show you that the reality is much more civilized. No matter how uncomfortable or awkward you may feel about meeting strangers, networking is a skill that can be learnt.

But let's cut to the chase. After all, who has the time to sit and read hefty management tomes? Too often, an author has a handful of great ideas, but then ruins them by spending hundreds and hundreds of pages explaining them carefully in excruciating detail, giving too much background and yawn, yawn, yawn. I've lost the will to live. When I read one of those books, I start to flick through the chapters and pages with increasing
impatience – wanting to shout, 'Come on, get to the point!' Ah, but there is a reason why so many books are so long. The truth of the matter is that many publishers want their authors to write lengthy books so that they can slap on a big fat cover price. So this book is short and full of practical, pithy advice.

This book will not patronize or talk down to you. It is not a guide for idiots or dummies. You are a bright professional who simply wants some new ideas and nuggets of information. You do not need everything spelt out for you with endless examples to get the point across.

So if you have ever wanted to know how to get ahead in your career – but don't have the time to plough through Bible-sized manuals or books that talk down to you – then this is the book for you. Feel free to flick through and find the chapters that are most interesting for you.

Rob Yeung