The Unofficial Guide to Landing a Job: For When You Want More Than the Official Line (2008)

The Unofficial Guide to Landing a Job: For When You Want More Than the Official Line, by L. Michelle !bluer 2005. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing 504 pages, $16.99, Softcover Intended Audience(s): A, K Major Headings from the Table of Contents: What You Need to Know About Getting Hired; Gaining the Competitive Edge-How to Market Yourself; Preparing Your Self-Marketing Tools; Landing the Job and Moving Forward; Appendix: Action Verbs and Sample Resumes How Is the Book Most Useful for Its Intended Audience? Clear Table of Contents so someone can either read or easily scan for most pertinent topics. Logical presentation of ideas, backed by the reasons behind the thinking and examples to illustrate. Consistently formatted summary, at the end of each chapter, which brings the ideas together before moving to the next topic. Breaks down the job search process into incremental actions so it is not so overwhelming. The Top Five Things You Learned from Reading this Book: The full explanation of the job search process is clear and helpful to someone new to looking for work, serving as an excellent road map. The idea of asset statements is used to help people find a way to present what they have to offer. These include brief explanations of context, action, and outcome (CAO). I have used this concept with clients, but have not used the term asset statements. I like it because it is a very positive approach. The explanation of how electronic resumes are used and how to prepare them is useful. Six degrees of information is a way of organizing the information that needs to be researched about a prospective employer. This includes information about the organization itself, responsibilities of the job, information about the interviewer, nature of the profession, industry trends, and current events. This gives a nice framework for the person to prepare for an interview. The section on different types of interviews is concise. It describes behavior-based, traditional, conversational, and stress interviews. By giving a clear explanation of each, with pros and cons, someone can recognize what is happening when actually in an interview. Michelle Tuilier is very well qualified to write this book. She has been a career counselor for more than 20 years. She is also Vice President of Right Management Consultants, an international outplacement firm. Her perspectives from both the employer's and the job seeker's view are helpful. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences and has been quoted in numerous publications such as Fortune and the New York Times. This is her eighth book. Tuilier understands that the challenge for a job seeker is understanding what employers are looking for and what they are thinking. Even for people who have hired staff themselves, it is hard to consider this from a personal perspective. She suggests that people put themselves into the employer's shoes. There needs to be a shift from I need a job, to What does the marketplace need, and how can I meet those needs? Because technology now allows employers to make contact with a wide number of applicants, the need for each person to understand what makes them stand out compared to their professional peers is even more important. The job seekers must prove their value, not just show they are qualified for the job. Tuilier also talks about the need to accept and use technology in a job search. This can be challenging, particularly for people who have not looked for a new job in more than 10 years. …