Monster Careers: How to Land the Job of Your Life (Paperback)

by Jeff; Hardy, Doug Taylor (Author) "My grandfather worked for Bell Telephone his entire career..." (more)
Key Phrases: job search portfolio, cover message, job search program, Monster Careers, New York, Big Footprint (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Quite simply, explains Monster.com founder Taylor, "this book is about finding and landing your dream job." It’s not just for the unemployed—there are practical tips for recent grads, people looking for something better and anyone who might be affected by the current climate of uncertain job security. Even individuals who are satisfied with their jobs might want to take a look at the "never settle" employee cycle, which involves taking one’s professional skill set to the next level, and always being ready for the next great thing. Taylor guides readers through the new basics of searching for a job, including developing what he calls a F.A.M.E. attitude: Think like a Free agent; train like and Athlete; prepare like a Marketer; and work like an Entrepreneur. He also offers sound advice in the realms of networking, telling a good story about one’s professional achievements, creating a "resume that sells" and much more. Worksheets, templates and schedules within the chapters are straightforward and user-friendly, and many of them are available online at Monster.com, as indicated by the "book-to-web" designations throughout the volume.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
An important wake-up call to the modern realities of the career jungle, with a boatload of practical help and tips for handling yourself on the hunt. (Po Bronson, author of What Should I Do with My Life?)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142004367
• ISBN-13: 978-0142004364
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #458,860 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Guide to Job Hunting and Resume Writing, March 29, 2005

By	Jonathan Nelson (Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Are you one of the people who have been at the same job for over 5 years? Did you graduate college a decade ago and do not remember how to write an effective resume anymore? How do I grab a recruiter's attention to get my foot in the door for an interview?

I work in the telecommunications industry, which has been volatile over the last several years. I looked at my resume one-day and realized that despite a great career history, my resume was rather plain and uninteresting. I had long forgotten my classes on resume writing I was required to take in college 8 years ago. I was looking for help in my professional writing ability.

This book took my resume from boring to outstanding. In all due fairness, I am not actively looking for work, so I am unable to comment on if the improved resume would help me get a job, but the book provided me with confidence. The book provides invaluable tips on writing, interviewing, negotiating, as well as tips on making your life better through the jobs you choose.

Monster Careers is one of the greatest comprehensive job guides I have written. Monster Careers is divided into 4 parts, The New Job Search Basics, Preparing Your Search, Into the Marketplace, and Landing the job.

The New Job Search Basics section discusses several general topics, such as thinking like a free agent, finding what type of job and environment you are looking for, what happens behind the scenes of a recruiter, and finding people who will help you find work.

The Preparing your Job Search section was the most beneficial section in my opinion. This section discusses planning a job search, gathering your information (the book calls it creating a job search portfolio), creating a sales pitch for yourself, and writing resumes and cover letters.

Into the Market place discusses researching a prospective company to gain a competitive edge in an interview, finding and creating job opportunities, and creating a personal network.

The last section, Landing the Job, discusses what to do in the job interview, negotiating salary and benefits, transitioning to a new job, and how to address special issues during a job search (such as criminal records, finding the first job, transitioning from military life, old age, etc..).

I'd highly recommend this book to people like me, whose resume is plain and whose writing ability is average at best. While I would not go as far as to say this should be a must read for all jobseekers, I will say that I personally found this book highly beneficial.

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worked for me, May 5, 2004

By A Customer

Last winter I was laid off from a very good job. A few weeks later a friend in the publishing business sent me an advance copy of Monster Careers, which I used in conjunction with some private career counseling. Taylor's book was at least as good as the expensive counseling - it's really well organized, easy to use, and smart. He gets you to think outside the box with some great examples and exercises.

That said, you definitely need to do the work - I put in about 5 hours/day with the book, my research, etc., but it paid off. I found a similar job to the one I had - but in an entirely different industry. I never would have looked for it without this book.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars covers many issues, something I've wanted for a while, October 11, 2004

By	J. Mcdaniel "life explorer" (GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After the job market went through such a big upheaval in the early 00's, I found myself in an unsteady position for several years. When I finally got my head back on straight, I decided I needed to refocus on how I approached my career. The unfortunate thing is that my budget was severely limited and the job-seeking and career-path finding bookshelves were filled with very specific subjects: how to write a resume, how to write a cover letter, how to handle interviews, when to wear blue to an interview, etc. There seemed to be a shortage of books that covered all of these concepts in one easy package.

Until now! This book doesn't necessarily go into the depth that some of the specialized books do, but it provided enough help to set me on a path back to my career goals. It was written in a warm and pleasant style that I found pleasing to read, and outlined things in a sensible manner. Most importantly, it helped show new ways of looking at and approaching one's career choices and attitude, and I can point at specific things I learned or re-learned from this book which assisted my re-entry into a successful career path, a positive outlook, fresher breath and higher moral fiber.