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.
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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.

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!

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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!

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