Hunting
for a job? 3 books show how to search with success.
BY
RICHARD PACHTER
rpachter@wordsonwords.com
Originally
published on Monday, June 14, 2004 in The Miami Herald.
A friend of mine started his new job a couple of months ago and
he's doing really well, thank you very much. I predict, in fact,
that he'll become a manager within the year. But while engaged in
his recent employment quest, I reminded him several times that he
already had a job -- finding a new job, which is a full-time vocation
in itself.
.
He's a positive, intelligent and resourceful person, and his strong
sense of responsibility to his family helped keep him focused. Plus,
he left his last position on good terms with his boss, having had
his position eliminated rather than being terminated for ''cause.''
But under any circumstances, the search for employment is usually
a difficult endeavor.
The tools have changed; the advent of the Internet has radically
altered the search, but the goal is still the same: gain an interview,
learn about the position and get the job. Here are three recent
books that offer wisdom and inspiration for those times when one
door closes and the other door has yet to be found.
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Monster
Careers: How to Land the Job of Your Life. Jeff Taylor with Doug
Hardy. Penguin USA. 416 pages
Monster.com
revolutionized the job search — and the classified advertising
business for newspapers. The Internet site lists thousands, even
millions of jobs from all over the globe and allows searches customized
by geography, position, salary and more. But unlike its print counterparts,
Monster permits users to post their own résumés that
are viewable by prospective employers. Newspapers have since overcome
this competitive advantage with their own sites (such as Careerbuilder.com)
that allow them to combine in-paper ads with those viewable on the
Internet.
Jeff Taylor, who founded Monster.com, has written a Monster-savvy
book for job seekers. This is a very good thing, in fact, as almost
everything is geared to getting the most out of his site for your
job search. But it's also a bad thing. Some of the advice is generic
or transferable to other venues, but most of the focus is on Taylor's
site. That said, his book is a user-friendly, upbeat tutorial that
can serve as a helpful primer, especially for rookies who need to
have a Monster on their side.
The
Procrastinator's Guide to the Job Hunt. Lorelei Lanum. NAL. 240
pages
If you need to work but procrastinate, you probably deserve to
sit on the sidelines, but never mind. The best thing about this
volume is that author Lanum cuts to the chase and offers a straightforward,
no-nonsense plan for going after a gig. She's not a deeply experienced
recruiter or HR pro, but a good writer and lucid communicator. That's
enough, in this case. Nice job!
.
10
Insider Secrets to a Winning Job Search: Everything You Need to
Get the Job You Want in 24 Hours — Or Less. Todd Bermont.
Career Press. 215 pages
Bermont also proceeds directly, and makes no pretense of thoroughness.
Instead, he gives top-line information, breaking the process down
into ten obvious but important areas and offering tips and ideas
within each topic. It's a good approach and one that's easy to take
-- especially for those on the employment trail who may already
be overloaded with information, advice and emotions. Works for me!
Like business books? Join the club.
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