Customer Reviews

Are There Any Good Jobs Left?: Career Management in the Age of the Disposable Worker

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"Are There Any Good Jobs Left?" is an absolutely indispensable guide for anyone who is just entering the work force (like myself), is in career transition, or is in what they perceive to be a "job for life". Holland is the only author I have ever seen who not only shatters the fallacy that the jobs of yesteryear still exist, but he actually gives the reader a step-by-step methodology on what to do about it---that is, how to write a resume, interview, network (among other things), and simply survive in this new age of the disposable worker. I actually followed Holland's steps to "Value Creation", and within 2 hours of posting a resume on Monster, I had 3 phone calls for interviews. I've ordered a bookshelf's worth of "how-to" job search books in the past, and just completed Louis Uchitelle's "The Disposable American" as well. While Uchitelle identifies the similar situation of the "disposable worker" that Holland does, Holland's advice on how to survive and prosper in the age of the disposable worker is light-years ahead of Uchitelle's. A fantastic book overall.

This book was a tremendous asset in causing me to think different about jobs, career and the employment market. A big picture perspective is tempered with practical advice and a highly seasoned understanding of what is needed to succeed in the job world today and tomorrow. However, the tone is optimistic and supportive in helping people re-tool their attitudes and configure their skillsets for today rather than that of yesterday. An incredible amount of brainpower went into this book in making the ideas easy to grasp and explain.

On the other hand, the author could have done tons more to demonstrate his idea of showing how applicants can add value to an employer. For example, there are no resumes in the book showing his approach at work, let alone resumes before applying his approach. Also, more descriptions of how people applied his ideas would have been helpful. Being able to operationalize good ideas is highly important so a number of real examples of people applying his approach successfully would have been a great addition. Certainly, there must be a group of deserving highly talented folks who are interested in receiving the message of this book and applying it in their job search so we can see how it worked for them.

The future can be a scary thing, but with Bill Holland on your side with this book you can be equipped for an exciting rather than depressing future.