The 7 Keys to a Dream Job: A Career Nirvana Playbook! [Paperback]

Dilip Saraf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2004

In a job market turned upside down, job seekers need fresh approaches to get noticed, regardless of their employment status. The old methods are now dead and those looking must learn new rules quickly, to stay in control of their careers. In The 7 Keys, author Dilip Saraf lays out easy-to-use strategies for approaching job search in an entirely new light. Discover how one frustrated job seeker, already resigned to fate, got an interview, within six hours, using these strategies. In this groundbreaking work, Saraf helps you learn how to:

• Tap into your genius and present yourself uniquely
• Conquer a job even when you do not meet all requirements
• Go after a dream job even when that job does not exist
• Stay in control of difficult interviews and recover from mistakes after the interview
• Differentiate yourself in every step and become a must-hire candidate
• Negotiate a salary and get even more than you thought possible
• Manage the transition process so that you are always in control
• Eliminate fear surrounding a transition by operating from your genius
• Get back into action when a position of interest is cancelled and then claim it

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dilip Saraf?s unique job search approach focuses on the basics, yet its alchemy has transformed many careers across broad constituencies. Previously a high-tech executive and inventor, Dilip has consulted with Global-500 companies on leadership, technology, and marketing worldwide. A graduate of IIT-Bombay, and Stanford, he practices in Silicon Valley.

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (June 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595310176
• ISBN-13: 978-0595310173
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,315,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book you need!, August 3, 2005

By 

Robin Woodland (S.F. Bay Area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 7 Keys to a Dream Job: A Career Nirvana Playbook! (Paperback)

Throw all the other job search books away! 7 Keys is the only one that works in this new era of tougher competition for fewer jobs. That's because Dilip Saraf took all the standard best practices and updated them for the new job market reality. Think of this: all of Dilip's advice is based on the work he's done since 2001 with 2,000 job seekers in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area -- one of the most depressed job markets in America. He covers it all -- from resumes to negotiating the offer -- always giving both the big-picture strategy and the tiny details that make all the difference. Just his approach to doing cover letters is worth five times the price of the book.

Bottom line? I'd been doing an intensive job search the "old" way for nearly a year, getting nowhere. I'm a professional writer and communications expert, so it was particularly frustrating not being able to convey my value in a resume and cover letter. I came across this book, did exactly what it said, and scored an incredibly perfect dream job within 90 days. Sounds like late-night TV blather, I know -- but it's true!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to see a difference in your job search buy this!, March 1, 2005

By 

A. Flanders "in8consumr" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 7 Keys to a Dream Job: A Career Nirvana Playbook! (Paperback)

I was skeptical at first of yet another job search book, but have already found it making a difference in not only creating a more productive search, but also in the positive responses from potential employers in getting me in the front door! (Something I was having trouble doing...just getting past the "gatekeepers")
Aimed at those who have found themselves in a whirlwind market of bad news, cutbacks, outsourcing, and layoffs, Mr. Saraf aims to throw a lifeline to those who find themselves cast adrift, uncertain about their future and where their next job lies. He takes the reader on an inward journey, questioning what it is that we want, what job do we long for, what strengths do we possess that makes us unique, how do we target the best targets and how do we craft the right message to make us stand out from the crowd. The methodology is unique, comprehensive and does not get bogged down with the usual rehash of other job search books that only talk about the process and give some general tips. This books offer strategies (like the importance of self-knowledge, aim, and precision), insight, and tactics to make the search your own quest. Spanning both the mindsets of Eastern/Intuitive and Western/Concrete Example-driven cultures, Mr. Saraf offers plenty of insights, clear examples, carefully building on each previous chapter to provide a great foundation that you will use for the rest of your life.
Make no mistake the work is hard in trying to apply all that he has to say. But when you are consistently applying these techniques and incorporating them into your own arsenal you will see your confidence grow and start to gain a new vision in how you view your own career and how you can contribute to a company's growth.
To be fair, I only have one thing I didn't like about this book. I would have liked to see a page heading with each chapter I was in on the top right pages of the book. While in the midst of reading Mr. Saraf's comprehensive detail, I would occasionally glance up wanting to know what the overall principle, "key" or chapter I was in without having to retrench back to the front of the book to look at the table of contents. This is very minor for such a good book. Give it an honest shot and you'll see the great things I've already begun to see.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Midlife crisis, August 28, 2004

By 

Jace Desjardin - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 7 Keys to a Dream Job: A Career Nirvana Playbook! (Paperback)

A couple of years back I turned 50 and with each wave of layoffs at our manufacturing company, I was getting increasingly worried. I have worked at one other company in the past thirty years, but all my experience has been in operations and manufacturing. With all jobs going overseas and no new manufacturing going on in southern California, I was scared to death of what might happen if I got laid off. I had two things going against me: being over 50 and coming out of manufacturing, just when the whole industry was dying. I heard about The 7 Keys, through our Yahoo group. I ordered a copy. This book is written by someone who thinks like I feel. The book has an example of a supply chain manager whose job was off shored and it shows how he got a job that did not even exist and stayed in his field. That example gave me new hope. Then I had to overcome my midlife fear. The book has a well-written section on the Age Advantage with another example of how to make your resume when you cross 50. By reading it I learned how to keep my focus on my value creation and not on my age. I had to practice by doing my resume many times and making it "ageless" and showing it to friends. As I was mentally preparing myself to brave this change, I recently learned through a fellow churchgoer that his company was expanding in a new area of helping local companies consolidate production resources. I felt that I could use what I learned from this book and send a letter to a senior manager. Well, I got a call for an interview after the first round of a long telephone discussion. My age never even came up once! I am now excited about the next steps and hoping to land this job or something like this. It was a painful lesson but now I know that age is only in your head. With so many middle-aged professionals like me, struggling through their employment issues, I thought that this was a great learning, which they too can follow. You have to remember that all you need is one right job! Thanks for this great book.