Customer Reviews

$100,000+ Career: The New Approach to Networking for Executive Job Change

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4 star:		(1)
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John has got it absolutely right!! He has taken all the information and guidance from a myriad of sources and put them together in a clear, concise and methodical fashion. John has then added his human, humorous and sincere approach to guide even the veteran "transitional" to adapt and use the information with a structured approach. Anyone can use this book to help someone help them - and to find that position you both "want" and "need" - if that is your goal. I believe the "program" can be used to network anything and anyone together for a mutually satisfying result.

RGH - March 22nd, 2006

The $100,000+ Career is good reading, period. I started the book with connotations of this being a business book, but I ended knowing this is a book about people. By humanizing the frigid concept of networking, John Davies shows how getting the job we want, or conceiving of that job in the first place, is achievable. His current job, as highlighted in the book, is proof that his ideas work.

The book bridges the gap between old-fashioned communication (you know, talking to people) and how we communicate now: sending and receiving to the world, but in isolation. With thoughtful advice and engaging anecdotes, Davies offers practical steps for how to be introduced to 100 new people, the "Law of 100" that he says can get anyone the job she wants. The trick is not in meeting 100 anybodies, but knowing how to meet the right people to help you on your job search. In this book, he shows the way.

Davies clearly embraces his own advice, using his job search experience to show the Law of 100 in action. The book extends into of social networking, being marketable without being a commodity, practical tools for organizing these efforts, co-conspirators, terrible caddies, and even a phone call to Bob Marley. It's an unusual and exciting read.

Finally, any book that begins with a quote from John Waters has to be, at the very least, interesting. Anyone, not just businesspeople, will take a lot from this book. Personally, I enjoyed the advice for how to take control of my career. More valuable that that, I also learned that networking isn't about using people to get jobs. It's about developing relationships that improve and enrich our lives (no, seriously!)

I like a book that takes an idea that I may think I may know well, like networking, and gives it some surprising twists that, in the end, has me thinking differently about that subject. John Davies' book is like that. What do I mean?

We all network to some extent. But, one of Davies' points, in your search for a new job, is that networking isn't just about establishing a new contact. It's about establishing a trusting relationship with someone new, who can then introduce you to someone who may, in the end, offer you a job. Instead of a cold call then, your contact creates an instant credibility with the person you want to speak to.

In fact, he isn't speaking of one introduction, but of setting a goal where you end up with 100 introductions, which he calls the "Rule Of 100." Why 100? Because, like with direct marketing where the response rate is in the range of 1 to 3%, going after 100 introductions significantly raises the likelihood of successfully ending up with a new job.

This is just one of the twists in Davies' book that had me re-examining how I think about and what I do when I network.

One suggestion I would make to supplement Davies' book has to do with the awkwardness of meeting new people. I don't know about you, but, oftentimes, I am at a loss as to what to say. To help, I found the book "The Fine Art of Small Talk" by Debra Fine useful.

This is not a theoretical book, which can be quite important to the job-seeker who isn't looking for a theoretical job! This is a very practical book born out of Davies' alarming job search realization that, after 18 years of running a company, he was 287th in line for the CEO job he wanted!

He realized he needed to dramatically change his job search approach and this book documents the detailed and pragmatic process he created to land the right job.

Davies covers a lot of useful ground -- business cards, executive biographies, getting over the 2nd call hurdle, the targeted number of calls / emails a week, how to use a database to track a job search, how to leverage online networks and how many new people to meet to get the perfect job - and does it with good examples, wizards, pictures etc.

I am currently in the middle of a job search where I've employed the author's methodology with good success. It has led me to 80 new relevant contacts, 50 of whom I've now met, spoken, or emailed with. It has also led to meetings with eight CEOs for the VP-level job I am targeting.

I was curious if Davies himself would help me in my job search. I didn't know him but he works in my industry and we had a common contact who recommended his book to me in the first place. I called him up (he was my 66th new contact) and used the techniques he outlines in his book to explore how we could help each other. He introduced me to several very helpful folks, including the co-founder of a company I am targeting.

It doesn't get much more practical than that! Highly recommended.

It's difficult to advance the eloquent and thoughtful reviews provided below. But, I'd like to add my recommendation for "The $100,000+ Career".

Unlike most business books, it's a quick, entertaining read. John has a gift for driving complex ideas into simple, easy to understand prose. If you're looking for an elaborate expose on business networking, this book is not for you. If, however, you're looking to advance your career in a positive way, apply basic networking techniques to all facets of your life, and enjoy yourself in the process, you've come to the right place.

I have been a successful professional for 20 years. Networking has been, and continues to be, a key component of that success. In fact, effective networking kept me employed over the last 10 years. I never used a resume. Once, I had to rush to put a resume together the night before I met executives just so HR could attach it to my file. When I was on the market, people called me.

Enter John Davies. Surely, a seasoned professional like me doesn't need another book telling me what I already know?! Not true. I work in a high-turnover environment. I recently discovered my small network of business professionals wasn't enough. It literally dried up of all opportunities. No one had a position available, and everyone I knew was aware of the same jobs. Obviously, painfully, for the first time in many years, I needed to expand my network.

I've practiced many of John's fundamental techniques over the years. But, I rarely organized my networking activities in a meaningful, consistent way. His methodology reinforced my previous behavior and offered new approaches to my current "transition".

The genius of John's book is in its application beyond the job search. His common sense approach can be used in all aspects of your professional and personal life.

I have personally recommended "The $100,000+ Career" to several people. I already know it is destined to become the first business book I re-read. Whether you're just starting a job search or are an experienced, employed networker, I suspect this book will also become the one you reference again and again.

In February 2008, as a result of the credit crisis, I found myself "in transition". While I believe that I already had excellent networking skills, when I stumbled across this book, I decided to pick it up to see what else I could learn.

What a find! Mr. Davies has created a blueprint for networking as the key strategy to an executive job search. I applied his methodology, got very focused and guess what! It worked extremely well, and it made the job search kind of fun!

His theory is that if you target meeting with 100 new people through networking, you will find a job. By the time I was at 72, I had two offers in hand. In a downward-spiraling economy, it took me a total of four months to find a job. I had the benefit of outplacement services as a part of my package, and the folks with the outplacement company were so impressed with the approach that I was using that they had me working with some of their other clients to coach them on networking (I eventually had to draw the line, since they were asking me to provide gratis a service that they were getting paid for).

The position that I accepted has turned out very well. Thanks John!!

I enjoyed this a lot and found that many of John's ideas are applicable for all , not only executives in transition . A wonderful "gift" book for those who are stuck and in need of some inspiration .