A protégée and her mentor, Emily Bennington and Skip Lineberg help recent graduates bridge the gap between college and the workforce. Motivated by the premise that free coffee shouldn't be the sole highlight of a newbie's workday, Emily and Skip regularly host seminars on career success. Both authors live in Charleston, West Virginia.

During her first years in the workforce, Emily Bennington helped manage a successful Supreme Court Justice race and became the spokesperson for a business that was under intense public scrutiny. After navigating such sink-or-swim experiences with the guidance of her first boss, Skip Lineberg, Emily discovered that not all graduates are blessed with great mentors. Today she is a frequent speaker at universities and organizations on the topic of career success, particularly advancing the skills of young women in the workplace and volunteering as a means of leadership development. Emily also teaches a graduate course on social media and hosts a popular career blog at www.ProfessionalStudio365.com. She is a member of the CAREEREALISM team of career experts and contributes regularly to business publications and blogs on professional development issues.

As a career newbie, Skip Lineberg learned the art of successful management at General Electric during the Jack Welch heyday. Today he applies those skills as the owner of Maple Creative, a marketing firm staffed with more than a few young professionals. Under Skip's leadership, Maple has grown into a thriving business and garnered dozens of prestigious awards. Skip also hosts Maple's Marketing Genius blog, which AdvertisingAge magazine named one of the 150 most influential business blogs on the Web.