Customer Reviews

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

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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!

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.

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.

In making a recent transition as a pastor at a church where I served for over 5 years, Dilip Saraf's The 7 Keys to a Dream Job: A Career Nirvana Playbook!, helped me understand the various aspects of making a smooth transition and gave me the edge to secure the position I was after. From interviewing to final negotiations, the book provided valuable information that I was able to apply in my transition. Plus, I was able to obtain the level of compensation that I desired. This book has impressed me enough that I plan to recommend it to my congregants and friends who are not just looking for a job but who want to make a transition and find themselves doing something more challenging and who want to learn a life skill or even reinvent themselves.

M Choy - Recruiter Career Counselor I am a recruiter who places professionals at my clients' companies. I have been in this field for over 12 years. Having come from an HR background, I know the needs of those looking for a placement. There is much preparation work prior to reaching the final goal. I am always on the lookout for good material, to help me achieve this process. I recently heard about "The 7 Keys" from several of my clients. They were very excited about it, so I decided to buy a copy for myself. Needless to say, I was very impressed with the depth of details it provides to make a candidate presentable to the client companies. The section on Resume Writing was a Breakthrough! Finally, someone has described - step by step - how to capture your genius and present it on a resume, in a non-offensive way. I was also happy to see a section on proper business etiquette, which I feel is important for anyone seeking job placement. All in all, this book is a must for recruiters. It can provide insights to their clients to "increase their landing rate." I feel this book is a "Must Have." KUDOS!

I lost my full-time job in 2001. High-tech market continued its slide in Boston and I simply gave up looking for another full-time job in late 2002. Contacting was the way to go, so, I made different resumes and started selling myself as contract engineer in different companies. Some stints lasted just a few weeks. During my networking rounds I heard about the book, The 7 Keys. So, I bought a copy. After being employed as a contract engineer for nearly three months, I decided to use the suggestion the book offers: make a proposal why the employer should hire you full-time based on the insights you have, working with them closely. So, before the term was about to run out I wrote a letter to my manager and sent it by mail. To my amazement she had a whole different view about my insights into the department and what I could do for her beyond what I did already as a contract employee. We had a discussion and then I saw her boss and within a week, I had a full-time job with the company. Now, I have full benefits and a regular employer ID badge. I can't tell you how good that feels. Thanks for a great book and an idea that is gold.

I was feeling totally stuck and hopeless, and this book showed me a way out of that whole place of being. This book teaches you how to prepare yourself from the inside out, literarily. I learned how to create my own reality from my own vision of what I wanted, and I got exactly that, and nothing less. I can't even believe such info is actually available. anyone who reads this book, and knows how to put the info contained within it to good use, will no doubt have the luck I've had. Try it, and see for yourself. This book is not at all just for those out of work and looking, it's for anyone wanting to carve out their own niche in this world, and make their personal dream a true reality.

For the past few years, I have been really stressed out with relentless work, uncertain company future and a tough economy. Because the job market is so tough, I do not dare quit my job, although I think about it every day. As an assistant to the editor of a major publication, meeting deadlines and doing research was getting to be too much with declining circulation. I took this job, fresh out of college, to help support my family. My real dream was to work in the biotech industry. A friend of mine suggested that I read "The 7 Keys", to get some ideas on how to reinvent myself. I first researched the book, its author and the publisher. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it received the "Editor's Choice Ribbon". Once I received it, I was delighted to see the rich source of information it contained. I loved the part about tapping into your Genius". I followed the steps for making a resume and was very pleased with the outcome. In a short time, I was able to apply to the biotech companies in my area. I just received a call from one of them. I am excited now and hoping to land a new job soon. I am finally on the way to making my dream job come true. Thanks for such a great book!!! BJ - Editorial Assistant

The 7 Keys to a Dream Job by Dilip Saraf is the bible for career transition whether you are a new graduate, been laid off from a job or are currently employed and looking to make a career change.

The 7 keys approach takes you step by step through the career transition process helping you to develop your own unique selling proposition based upon who you are (not just what you did in the past) and what you want to achieve by leveraging your genius.

Packed with information, exercises, practical how-tos, including developing a marketing plan, networking, interviewing and salary negotiation as well creating a powerful resume, with sample resumes and letters, this book has it all and will guide you through the realities and process of career transition, from self understanding to landing your dream job.

The 7 Keys To A Dream Job: A Career Nirvana Playbook! by Dilip Saraf draws upon the author's past three years working with employment seeking clients who were laid off during the Silicon Valley high tech retrenchments and dotcom failures. Chapters address how to adapt to sudden change including the loss of one's job, learning how to differentiate oneself and customize one's resume for maximum self-promotion when job-hunting, tips, tricks, and techniques for acing an interview, from being readily accessible to staying aware of body language, negotiation advice and suggestions for following a wide array of job leads through email, networking, and much more. Highly recommended for anyone interested in pursuing a new career. Of especial note are the in-depth delineations of e-mail hunting and other technological etiquette appropriate for online job hunting - the new social decorum of the twenty-first century.