★ The bestselling “bible” for working women, revised and expanded after 7 years: Featuring expressions, writing methods, and networking strategies that can be directly applied in the workplace, this book became the career “bible” for countless people in a workplace environment that is not friendly to women. This revised and expanded edition updates content that has changed with the times, adds many new articles, and substantially restructures the entire book.

★ A practical handbook covering the full cycle of concerns for working women: The content covers everyone from newcomers just entering society to women transitioning between senior and junior roles and facing entirely new worries, filled with practical, actionable experience.

★ Systematically broken down into four major sections—language, networking, mindset, and career development: Part One, “Language,” covers speaking and writing methods for setting clear boundaries and wrapping things up properly; Part Two, “Networking,” focuses on workplace interpersonal problems that cannot be solved by excellent professional skills alone; Part Three, “Mindset,” explores emotional and inner issues, responding to core topics such as burnout and building confidence; Part Four, “Career Development,” adds new secrets for workplace mastery, including work methods in the AI era, salary planning, and considerations for changing jobs.

★ Reader rating of 9.6, ranking 4th on the weekly chart for women‘s self-growth books.

★ 2026 Latest Update · A Practical Handbook for Working Women ★
The most realistic book, cheering on women’s journey to work
Returning with stronger, more mature “words of wisdom”!

Author Lee Da-hye‘s bestselling book Words of Wisdom on the Way to Work is released in a revised and expanded edition after 7 years. Featuring expressions, writing methods, and networking strategies that can be directly applied in the workplace, this book became the career “bible” for countless people in a workplace environment that is not friendly to women. This revised and expanded edition updates content that has changed with the times, adds many new articles, and substantially restructures the entire book.

The content covers everyone from newcomers just entering society to women transitioning between senior and junior roles and facing entirely new worries, filled with practical, actionable experience.

Lee Da-hye writes: “Always muttering self-comforting words like ‘It used to be harder’ or ‘There’s no choice’ is of no use to anyone who wants to go far.” The author has grown along the way, learning from her seniors, building self-belief, and then learning from her juniors. She once again emphasizes not to perpetuate old conventions and let the world stagnate, while bringing in the perspective of “being everyone‘s senior,” gently asking: “Are you doing okay?”

Team leaders at small companies who handle a great deal of practical work but have responsibility without authority are often exhausted by the endless tasks piled on by juniors; at large corporations, juniors may even surpass them in promotions. The author understands the feelings of all these women and never forgets to offer encouragement. Drawing on years of experience as a working woman, she tells everyone: Don’t get stuck in a bad situation. Effort and reward are not always proportional, which is why unexpected goodness is also waiting ahead.

Lee Da-hye

Her work is to read, watch, write, speak, and dissect the reasons things are interesting. She served as a senior editor at the film magazine Cine21 and is the author of several essay collections, including Jokes of the Old World and The Language of Film. She is quick to react but lacks endurance; she is not good at interpersonal relationships, yet skillfully uses a “workplace persona.” Her work goals: go further, stand higher, and hold on longer.

Preface: Many People Are Gritting Their Teeth Through Similar Worries

Part One: Language – Speaking and Writing Methods for Setting Clear Boundaries and Wrapping Up Properly
Buffer Phrases, Feminine Expressions
Appropriate Short Small Talk
Feminism and Writing
Ask Boldly, Leave No Regrets
Forms of Address Are Difficult, but Still Worth Considering
Senior, You Speak Too Fast
When Anger Surges Up, Pause First
Learning to Endure Silence
The Power of “Because”
Vocabulary Training
Reading Aloud

Part Two: Networking – Becoming Each Other‘s Ladder Up in a Tilted Environment
Living as Everyone’s Senior
The Ceiling on the Number of Women
Building Networks (1)
Building Networks (2)
…