Customer Reviews

How to Land Your Dream Job: No Resume! And Other Secrets to Get You in the Door

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
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For a book that tells you not to send a resume, the author spends an awful lot of time telling the reader how to write resumes (or "resu-letters") and what to do with them next. Don't be fooled by the clever title. Jeffrey J. Fox hasn't banned resumes, he simply wants you to understand how to write versions that will work for you. He explains what to do - and not do - to land a terrific job. In bite-sized chapters that get right to the point (in a book so small you could fit it into a leprechaun's briefcase), he guides you through job-hunting research, planning and marketing the product of you. Some of what he offers is innovative; some is standard, common-business sense. Even if you only dig out a few gems, we note that this is a fine place to begin your job search - and a very fine place for job search beginners.

When looking for a job we sometimes feel like we need all the help we can get. Jeffrey J. Fox, named "Outstanding Marketer" by Sales & Marketing Management magazine to the rescue. For those either job searching or job changing "How To Land Your Dream Job" may be a helpful resource.

Author Fox who founded a premier marketing firm and has penned bestsellers such as "How to Become CEO" and "How To Become A Rainmaker" knows the actions and interactions of the workforce well. With "How To Land Your Dream Job" he urges all to be creative and offers suggestions on devising a strategy that is not only winning but yours alone.

Among the topics touched on are :
-Why resumes don't sell;
-Skip the personnel department;
-How to research a target company;
-Be a fish out of water;
-No one cares what you like;
-Ask to do a demonstration;
-Don't talk in an interview; -"I" is a bad word.

Some of the information in this book has been offered before but we can all use reminders, can't we?

Author Fox does a capable job of reading his text in an encouraging, positive voice.

- Gail Cooke

This book was originally published in 2001 under a different name. After the success of Jeffrey J. Fox's subsequent books, it's now been released in a new edition. If you don't own the first edition, "...Dream Job" is highly recommended for its unconventional advice. The premise remains as valid seven years later as it did when it was first published: Resumes don't get you jobs. Fox hammers the point home again and again, almost to the point of repetition. It's not his strongest book, but it's still better than most other business books on the market.

I stared at this book on three different occasions before I shelled out the money and bought it in mid-February of 2007. I was convinced it would be useless, but I read it and applied some of the tips to my interview process for a senior level position with one of the toughest companies with which to land a job.

On March 29th, I was offered my dream job and nearly triple my salary at this company in the top ten of the Fortune 500.

It's not rocket science, but Fox touts the value of marketing oneself as you would a company or product. It requires a lot of hard work, but in my case, the results were almost immediate. The chapters are short and to the point, but rich with little nuggets of information from suggested questions to ask during an interview to checklists during the interview process. Following his recommendations, I walked into interviews knowing as much about the company as the people interviewing me and capable of branding myself as the best candidate for the position.

If I could give the man a hug, I most certainly would, because he just helped change my life.

2010 UPDATE: Stumbled upon this old review and I absolutely agree with the comments. I should have given it 5 stars all along. That being said, the job is hell. So, thank you for getting me a job and salary beyond my wildest expectations, but you should add a chapter warning people about jobs beyond their wildest expectations....or just Fortune 10 companies. It still gets 5 stars if Amazon will allow me to update the star rating.

Looking for a job is nothing less than selling yourself. Selling is a craft and an art. No book can teach you how to sell unless you also apply its advice in practice. Selling is more like a sport: if you don't try it, you won't learn it.

Jeffrey Fox's book on selling, "How to Become a Rainmaker", serves as the basis for "How to Land Your Dream Job". Fox repeats himself quite a bit, but that's fine. His audience is different, and the point of view is different. Here is some of the advice he gives.

-A job search is also research. Look for companies where you want to work. Find key people and contact them directly, not through the human resources department.

-Don't send a résumé; send a high-impact introduction letter instead. (A sales letter.) It's counter-intuitive, but treat the résumé as you would a brochure: something to leave behind at the interview, not something you use to get an interview.

-Avoid buzzwords, describe one or two important things you did in plain English.

-Dollarize yourself. If you are a salesperson you obviously present sales figures. If you work for a cost center, say "I saved my company $250,000 on a one million dollar budget when we upgraded our IBM iSeries inventory system".

Be creative. As a consultant on a six month contract, I saved my client $100,000 in my first week by suggesting a modification to the plans for their new building. Is the figure accurate? Probably not. Is it an honest figure? Yes it is! My boss told the company's president that I had already earned my fee for the entire project simply for this suggestion. (Never ever lie. The truth is creative enough.)

Finally, these are inexpensive little hardback books, well bound and printed on good paper. Excellent value-for-money.

My only complaint is that the selling is a little too slick. I would have titled the book "How to Land a Good Job" or "How to Land A Job You Like". "Dream Job" is too much of a catch phrase. Similarly, the tone of the book is a little too breezy but the book's substance more than outweighs these minor defects. Recommended.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

Very clear and direct advice. Although I managed in the corporate world for thirty years and thought I knew exactly what I was doing, this book helped me be creative in my job search while recognizing precisely what employers look for.

I originally bought this book in 2002-3. I bought it again as I lost the first copy or lent it out. Anyway, it's quick to read and has advice that seems common sense but people neglect to follow. In a world where many jobs are not advertised, and if they are you may be up against hundreds of other people, this book can help you get a job more quickly.

Here's the most important part: Amazon lists two hardcover versions; a bargain priced one and a regular one. I ordered both (I'll return one) and they're identical except for one sentence on the title page. So save yourself 6 bucks and buy the bargain version. :)

It works. I followed the advice in the book and landed a great job. Just like it was presented in the book.

Fantastic! Jeffrey Fox has done it again. All of the right moves for all the right reasons distilled into a concise manual that you can take just about anywhere.

Great Book, Great Service. Book arrived ahead of time and in great condition