The Harvard Business School Guide to Finding Your Next Job [Paperback]

Robert S. Gardella (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000

Following the road map to your next job as fast as the business world is evolving, so is the search for the right job. Forces such as the changing nature of the employee/employer contract, globalization, consolidation, the quest for work/life balance, a workplace in constant flux, and lack of job security means that more professionals are looking for new jobs more often. Yet developing and managing effective job search can be a daunting task for even the most experienced professional. Whether you are searching for a new job or just considering a change.The "Harvard Business School Guide to Finding Your Next Job" offers a road map for planning and conducting your search. The guide covers all the key elements of the job search process - from creating a resume to dealing with emotional side of job loss, from choosing references to staying motivated, and from using various search strategies to negotiate job offers. Practical direction is given for allocating time effectively and focusing on those job-search activities that are most likely to be successful, and concise yet comprehensive.The "Harvard Business School guide to Finding Your Next Job" puts the demanding job search process on perspective for experienced professionals and first time job seekers alike.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Landing a new job is hard work. Robert Gardella, assistant director of Alumni Career Services at Harvard Business School, believes it also "is one of the most important things that professionals do" today, as changing times and increasing opportunities mean "they are doing it much more frequently." In The Harvard Business School Guide to Finding Your Next Job, he lays out a complete program that should expedite the process no matter what your situation. After acknowledging the many intellectual and emotional considerations involved, and conceding "there are few absolutes" because the process "is an art, not a science," Gardella describes a concrete but flexible program for building a reference base, preparing résumés and cover letters, formulating strategies to locate appropriate openings, handling interviews, and negotiating offers. Among his key tips: Fully inventory your skills, interests, and experiences before you begin; draw up a list of specific, related accomplishments that can be quantified on your résumé and stressed in your interviews; and develop associated networking systems--which ultimately are responsible for two out of every three job offers--by, in part, volunteering reciprocal information and referrals to those who help you. --Howard Rothman

From Booklist

The Harvard Business School is known for its career guides in fields favored by "b-school" graduates, such as marketing, finance, and consulting. Harvard's Office of Career Services within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has also published Martha Leape's more generally oriented Harvard Guide to Careers, but that was last updated with its fifth edition in 1995. Now Gardella, who is associate director of Alumni Career Services at Harvard Business School, provides straightforward, savvy advice on the job search process itself. Based on his extensive experience as an outplacement counselor, his tips have been adapted to benefit any job-seeker at any point in his or her career. Gardella covers references, resumes, letters, interviews, and negotiation. He also details a strategy for planning and executing a job search campaign, and discusses the emotional aspects of looking for work. Special topics include the "long-distance" job search, job fairs, and overcoming age discrimination. Gardella also stresses, however, that "the bottom line in the job search . . . is networking." David Rouse

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578512239
• ISBN-13: 978-1578512232
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,113,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Trading on the Harvard name, May 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Harvard Business School Guide to Finding Your Next Job (Paperback)

I can't believe this book was even published. It is nothing more than another in a long line of "laundry list" job search books, including such advice as "don't be late for an interview" and "dress conservatively." Make sure there are no typos on your resume or cover letter, and SIGN that cover letter too! Not bad advice, mind you, but hardly worth the price. And if you have to be told not to be late and to sign your letters, you are already beyond hope. There are already hundreds of career books crowding the shelves, better written and certainly better organized than this one--which rambles and repeats itself. If this guy wasn't at the Harvard Business School I can't believe this would have ever made it into print. Don't judge this book by its cover--the fact that it comes from a business school doesn't make it worth buying.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Start here, April 24, 2002

By 

Pumpkin King - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Harvard Business School Guide to Finding Your Next Job (Paperback)

I thought this was a great book. It's not that detailed about any one topic, but gives an overview of the whole job search process. It gives you perspective, and that's useful no matter where you are in your search. And for each topic, he provides a bibliography for more detailed study. If you're just starting to look for a job, then this is a book that will give you a framework for organizing how you might go about it, and then you can refine your understanding by finding the books in his bibliography. You might say its purpose is to keep the disparate parts of the job search coherent and unified, and focused toward your goal of getting a job.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Complete, March 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Harvard Business School Guide to Finding Your Next Job (Paperback)

Outstanding book, covers all topics with clarity. No fluff or hype. Excellent for organizing yourself, covering all bases. References other books for further info on specific items.