Customer Reviews

Media Career Guide: Preparing for Jobs in the 21st Century, Seventh Edition

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When reading Media career guide: preparing for jobs in the 21st century, by James Seguin, I found it to be very useful as a future graduate and communications student. I think that it is an extremely beneficial resource for anybody in college, graduating from college, or just starting out. It is filled with so much information that anybody who reads it will learn something new.

Seguin discusses everything from how to find out what you want to do in communications, to how to advance in the future. It is a fairly easy read because it is organized so well and every chapter in it can be interesting to the reader. The book guides the reader from college to the working world and tells the reader how to succeed. Most of the suggestions are thought provoking because they are ideas most people have never thought of to advance themselves in the communications world.

This book tells information that will help a person throughout their entire career in communications. It also helps the reader to decide what specific field and position they would like to enter. A few times it lists the different possible career opportunities, and in part it tells how much a person could make in some different positions. For some people, that is a big deciding factor, which makes this book different. Rather than just listing each type of job, Seguin goes further. He tells the reader how to obtain the job, things to do to improve in the job, and what a person could expect in the future. It is up to date information and discusses relevant skills that a person should have such as internet and computer skills.

The career guide is one that anybody going into communications should read; it is organized very well and is probably the best resource that I have as a student in communications. While some people can talk about a profession they have in communications, this book tells people everything about communications. It does not limit the reader to learning about just one field; however, even if somebody already knows what they want to do it is still helpful. Included in the guide are sample resumes, and those are always helpful to students. Along with the resumes is a list of technological terms that people should know going into a communications field.

Not only is the guide insightful, but it can be motivational as well. In some sections Seguin basically tells you to do things for you. For example, you want to "make it [college] pay off for you." Seguin is motivating and writes clearly throughout the entire guide. For a clear guide to what communications has to offer, this guide is very thorough and gives the reader a true inside look.

"Media Career Guide 5" is an extremely helpful book for students. A major thing the author works to do is to give an inside look and good advice for those preparing to enter the job market. The book is aimed towards those interested in the communications field. James Seguin gives a good overview of available jobs, things that will help you in getting a job, and how to be successful in what you want to do.
The first chapter of the book introduces some general ideas and statistics for those starting out in the media/communications field. Then the author goes on to explain where the jobs are and how people can prepare for positions in the field. Such simple ideas as being knowledgeable about a spectrum of things, keeping up on important readings and the news, and even learning how to be a good researcher are focused on. The author makes a strong point that people in this field need to be well-rounded individuals in order to be successful in their positions. Developing mentors and building relationships are also included as helpful career-finding techniques.
The job directory section of the book is a great resource as well. It explains and introduces many possible career options. For some, this might include things that they had not previously considered. The "Media Career Guide 5" can greatly help people who are unsure about future plans for this reason. Various options are described, giving media/communications students more ideas for areas to focus on when searching for jobs. Seguin concludes that the best thing for new media professionals searching for jobs to do is keep their options open. If you have a regional preference, move to a new location before you begin your job search. Most importantly, make sure to be prepared for whatever might come your way. Preparation is key, and only in being prepared can you be certain to get what you want.
This book is a great resource for students in the media/communications field. The advice Seguin gives is sure to help any student learn more about starting a media career. The job directory and suggestions for those interested in this type of career are invaluable to students. After thoroughly reading this book and taking all the advice given to heart, I believe that those entering the media/communications field will reap the benefits and only prosper from the advice the author gives.

Media Career Guide 5 by James Seguin is a beneficial read for anyone interested in obtaining a career within the media. Although the book is under 100 pages, it provides useful information for finding a career. An overview of the media and communication job market offers a thorough review of job prospects now and in the near future. It aides in preparing you in what to expect when you enter the media workforce and what you should know when you get there.

The book includes a helpful guide to finding a job and beginning a career, the text offers job directories, career guidance, self-evaluation tools, attitude checks, suggested readings, and strategies for print and electronic job research. Sample resumes are included for a variety of media industries that provide helpful models for students.

One of the most informative parts if Seguin's book was the list of the 34 "Strategies for Success." The author lists everything from basic computer skills to things such as knowing all aspects of the company you are about to work for. I also found the job directory portion of the book to be especially helpful. The directory lists various titles within the industry and a description as to what the position does. This is especially helpful when wondering about what kind of specific duties you may have in your profession. The book also includes sample resumes of professionals in the communications field. There is a resume for almost any career in media and they are good examples as to what to include and what not to include in your resume.

I enjoyed reading the book and did gain some knowledge from it however when I finished reading I felt as if I had already known a lot of the information. It seemed as though some of the content of the book was somewhat obvious. This particular information would be very helpful for say a senior in high school who is exploring major options and particular careers. I think that when one enters college they quickly learn the things that Sequin points out in their classes. Although I didn't learn much from this book, I found it very helpful in completing a resume and knowing exactly what kinds of jobs are out there. This book is a quick read so I would recommend it to anyone interested in a media career.

At just under 100 pages, James Seguin's Media Career Guide 5: Preparing for Jobs in the 21st Century may seem like a quick read. But for any aspiring communications professional, a quick read will not suffice. Seguin has loaded the book with statistics and background, two aspects of the professional world that many job seekers may not realize.
A big part of the media industry these days is convergence, the blending of different media to reach an audience. While many students are aware of this phenomenon, just as many aren't - and understanding convergence is vital to working in communications. Seguin explains that convergence and technology isn't just for computer nerds.
Seguin also offers a list of jobs that are typically associated with a communications degree. He adds, however, that there are many more fields in which a communications professional can find a rewarding job, including education, law and the arts.
One of the most valuable aspects of the books is Seguin's list of 34 "Strategies for Success." These range from the obvious - learn good computer skills, read constantly, work well in teams - to ideas that may not seem to have anything to do with communications. Seguin urges beginners to study the budget of a company and familiarize oneself with the financial aspect of the job. Keeping a portfolio of one's work as well as samples from professionals is another good tactic, he says.
An especially helpful section of the book provides a list of newspapers, magazines, and trade publications along with a short description. There's something for everyone, from the New York Times to the Hollywood Reporter.
Since the goal of many young communications students is to find a satisfying, exciting job relevant to their interest and field, Seguin's Job Directory will be helpful for those reading the book. Seguin explains the various titles in the industry and what the typical duties are for a person interested in those positions. He also offers a list of job-related web sites, including those geared toward specific media (journalism, advertising, broadcasting, etc.)
An appendix shows readers a few sample resumes of communications professionals. Whether one wants to work in PR or radio, advertising or teaching, these samples show what's good to put on a resume - and what to leave out.
Anyone interested in working in communications should read this guide. It has helpful information for all realms of communications. Recent college graduates will probably get the most use out of the information, but thirtysomethings who are considering a career change can use it just as much.

The Media Career Guide, by James Seguin, is unique in its intent - but that's not necessarily a good thing. Books about résumés and interview strategies are a dime a dozen, but works focusing on making one's self an appealing candidate for a job in the many different forms of media are few and far between, perhaps for good reason.

Whether a person wants to work in TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, public relations or advertising, this book brings to light seemingly obvious tips that one might not come up with on his or her own. However, many of the ideas in this book are SO obvious, they didn't need to be written in a book. Strategies are outlined - step-by-step - for becoming more cognizant about improving one's skills. The 34 preparation suggestions are divided into sections - "get started," "learn all you can learn," develop and attitude for success," "take action" and "know your field." But just by looking at the section titles, one can see that there aren't any revolutionary ideas being presented here.

I will say that, because this book outlines many obvious things, people who have read the book should not have any excuse for not being prepared to get a media job, aside from being completely lazy.

Suggestions range from actively planning for a career in the media to places to look for more information to make one's self an expert in a specific area. The tidbits of advice direct you to places to go for more information. There's no specific help in this book, when there easily could have been; there are only suggestions as what somebody should start looking into, with ideas about how to do that. The writer seems like he wants to go more in-depth at times but backs off.

Emphasis is placed on developing good habits before one enters the workforce and once a job is secured. While every point is valid, again, many seem to state the obvious. Everyone knows that you'll be a better job candidate if you're more qualified that other applicants. Many of the author's suggestions just restate that idea in slightly more specific ways.

The book also contains an adequate list of resources for finding jobs. I've seen comparable lists for job banks before. People who have already searched for jobs probably won't find anything new in this book. Also listed are publications and organizations to look into that could provide an extra edge to somebody seeking a communications career.

The book also contains a guide to what media jobs are actually out there, something that could be helpful to those who know they want to work in communications but aren't exactly sure what all is available. People who know what they want to do might also be able to pinpoint their specialty using this section. Realistically, however, people who are serious about media careers will already know all this information. I learned nothing from this section.

This book provides tremendous incite to a person entering into the communications field and who has lots of questions about the process. I think that this book is more geared towards someone entering college, possibly a freshman or sophomore because as a college senior I can't say that I learned a whole lot about the things mentioned in this book that were geared toward my focus which is journalism. All of the information in the book was true and helpful, but I think I knew 90% of the things provided by the author James Seguin.
I also think that this book would be a great resource if you were torn between two different media fields because then you could compare the two in some of the sections offered by Seguin. I thought that some of the tips were a little extreme and he often times went into too much detail. I didn't think he needed to define what different newspapers covered such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times because they are so well known that they speak for themselves. But then again I guess some people may not know what they write about and he needed to cover all bases. I felt myself reading the book and finding the information provided to be things that I have heard all throughout college. Most of it was self explanatory suggestions that if you are getting ready to go into the real world, you better know it all ready or you are in trouble.
I did however find that the examples of industry trade and specialty publications was helpful because I didn't know a lot about those and he provided the names and a brief description of those and how important it was to try to read them. The tip on joining professional groups was also a good part of the book because a lot of those groups are hidden and difficult to find information on, but he again gave names and descriptions so that you can look into the groups and become involved.
Providing the websites of job sites was also a helpful part of the book because I did not know that there were job search sites for different states. I did know they had them for different communications areas, but I had planned on researching those at a later date, but now I can just use the book because it provides the web addresses there.
Other than including descriptions of groups to join, web addresses of job search sites and industry publications, I found the rest of the book to be repetitive of things I have already learned and been told. I guess that is a good thing, but definitely I think that the book would be great for someone just entering college because it is a nice introduction into the field of communications.

A career guide is always useful to have and this one proves to be quite beneficial. The Media Career Guide: Preparing for Jobs in the 21st Century by James Seguin puts almost everything a person needs to know about entering the media world into a quick reference tool.
The guide includes a directory of job types and a list of job banks, tips to be successful when doing a job search, information about interviews, sample resumes and a FAQ section.
The first chapter of the book addresses questions the reader needs to consider when planning a career in a mass communications field. The growth of the Internet and other technological advances, journalists being hired to do more than just write stories, and the uncertainty of whether or not the area will be a strong place to grow in the coming years are just some of the questions put forth at the beginning of the guide. I thought it was a good idea because it gets the reader to think beyond just landing their dream job.
Throughout the guide, I think Seguin tries to answer the three questions he asks at the beginning: 1) What are employees looking for in a recent graduate? 2) Are media and communications industries good places to look for jobs or to hope for a career? 3) Where do companies look for qualified college graduates? These questions are successfully answered through the tips, the "Where the jobs are" section and the different lists throughout the guide.
Most of the guide is a collection of 34 tips to prepare for entry into the field. Although the tips are helpful, I felt like a lot of them were common sense. As a senior journalism major, it was helpful to have them written down and be able to read through them, but I felt like I already knew most of the tips. I think it would have been better if he had made more of the tips specific like the list of recommended readings or the list of job banks instead of including things like start career planning early, keep a portfolio and find internships. Not that these things are not important to include in a career guide, but they could have been put in a more general area.
Overall, Seguin's guide is a good resource to have if you are majoring in any kind of mass media field. The job directory and the sample resumes are enough of a reason to keep this guide on your shelf.