Customer Reviews

Recession Proof Yourself!

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had this book for about a year and am interviewing again after taking a bridge job. I've read other books on the subject of job search, but none are as useful as this book for several reasons.

First, this book does a great job of being concise, which is what the job searcher needs. When you're laid-off or trying to search for a job while balancing work, family, and life, you want shorter chapters than can be quickly gleaned for action items and job-search goals because job search is stressful and it becomes easy to get stuck mentally.

Second, this book is great for helping the job searcher clarify what they want out of work. You spend over half your life at work, so your job better be something for which you have aptitude and interest. Not only that, but the job search itself is a big self-marketing game and knowing what you want and what you're good at makes your sales pitch (of yourself) that much better and more fluid.

Third, as I said above, the job search is a game of marketing yourself. You can't just send in a resume and expect anything - you have to figure out how to get your resume in the hands of someone who cares (not HR). This means that you have to do a lot of creative sleuthing and have your sales pitch ready when you actually get someone on the phone with you. This book dispels the notion that emailed resumes, cover letters, and online job applications will get you anywhere.

Lastly, this book does a great job of teaching you how to control the flow of discussion in an interview. It does this by teaching you that you, the job searcher, are picking jobs rather than allowing the manager to pick you. You are trying to determine if a job matches your skill set and interests and should ask questions accordingly in an interview. You must also interview your next boss to see if he's someone you would work well with. Once you adopt this frame of mind, as the book promised, you will start hitting interviews out of the park. At least, that has been my experience.

Like I said, I've read other books on this subject - including bestsellers - and they left me spinning my wheels in "analysis paralysis." This book actually gets you out of your rut.

It's a difficult time for job seekers - the rumor is that there are 5 or more candidates for every position. Just getting a reply to a resume submission is a big deal. Employment web sites abound, offering suggestions on how to dress for success or tune up your resume. This book is different. First, it gives the reader a sense of the landscape - why you may have been laid off, the dynamics of the overall job market, and solid pointers and suggestions for taking control of your own job search and not being a "victim".

Elizabeth Lions is a career corporate recruiter and HR professional. She speaks with clarity and insite when she gives the reader suggestions on how best to respond to difficult questions. Her advice is practical and pragmatic, and offers support and encouragement to the job seeker.

I thought the book was excellent - helpful, entertaining, and easy to read and understand. Highly recommended!

I have had the pleasure with working with Elizabeth Lions directly through her work with the IEEE-USA Career and Workforce Policy Committee and her series of articles in IEEE-USA's Today's Engineer, and wasn't surprised when I heard her book was released. In "Recession Proof Yourself", Elizabeth provides the inside scoop on the recruiting business, how it functions and how job seekers can take charge of their search. In this short read she teaches how a job seeker can better market themselves when looking for work, and provide value to their employers when employed. This book is suited not only for job seekers, employed individuals but also even employers and hiring managers. Everyone has something to gain by reading the information provided.

Elizabeth is someone who is passionately committed to assisting people finding good jobs - jobs that are both good for them and good for their careers. The book offers practical tips and inspiring anecdotes to help job seekers. If you feel adrift in your job search, I recommend reading this book.

Ed Perkins, Certified Internal Auditor, IEEE, IEEE-USA, Career and Workforce Policy Committee

The book is very useful in several respects. First, it offers simple but powerful strategies to changing careers and finding a job. Second, the author demonstrates a practical and in-depth understanding of what employers look for in prospective employees. And third, the book is easy to read.

A completely different take on the process of finding / keeping a job. The author uses a "whole person" approach to help you determine whether your current job is salvagable-- and whether you really even want to hang on to it-- and how to beat the odds by finding the position that's right for you. Her combination of job market savvy, casual style and personal anecdotes make it feel very much as though you're having a one-on-one with a very knowledgeable friend. You may be convinced you know just what's right for you in your next (or current) position... but this book might very well open your eyes to possibilities you hadn't even considered.

This book is an easy to read compendium of practical advice for the job-seeker. Written and published within the last year (2009), the book has timely advice and tips on finding a job during our current economic climate.

One nice touch was the personal anecdotes that Elizabeth scatters throughout the book. This made it seem "real" to me; unlike some books where you feel you can never live up to the author's "ideal" job-seeker, Elizabeth shares stories from her career where she took the wrong action and learned from it.

I especially appreciated the chapter on "Take your power back!". Reading it, I felt like it was written directly to me -- I learned a lot!

It's an easy and quick read so you can apply what you've learned right away.

This book contains information that everyone should have in order to direct their career, whether in a recession or in good economic times. Elizabeth provides a no-nonsense guide to owning your career & your job search. She shares her valuable experience as a recruiter and career coach with the reader, with practical tips on writing an effective resume & cover letter with the audience in mind, marketing yourself to get the salary you deserve, controlling the conversation in an interview, and negotiating during a challenging market (that's NOW!# - to name just a few of the helpful chapters in this must-have book. This guide is easy to read and just the right length so the reader can spend their time taking the specific actions outlined in this book.

I found myself out of work last year as the recession hit - and was referred to Elizabeth by a coworker. Working with Elizabeth #the best recruiter in the Portland area!) to find a great job in a tight job market was an empowering experience. She shared her valuable experience (all documented in this book) with me - and as a result, I felt prepared and in control of my job search.

Uplifting, encouraging, practical, and upbeat--just the kind of book I want my clients to have in their hands. As a Licensed Professional Counselor I have wanted to encourage clients in "down" times. This more than fits the bill! So thankful someone has put it all together and offered direction and practical steps, in a quick read. I think Elizabeth must be an incurable optimist--she would go after Moby Dick in a rowboat with a bucket of tartar sauce!

Jim Velez M.S. M.A. L.P.C.

Whether you're unemployed, concerned about your career, or just curious this is a must have book for the career section of your book case. Elizabeth brings her experience from both sides of the table, industry recruiter and career counselor to engineers, to this book. She explains how to manage a job search in this challenging economy, identify your skills, market yourself and reach success, a new job. This book flows as though you're having a conversation with Elizabeth, you know exactly what she means and there's no nonsense.

I've had the opportunity to work with Elizabeth on several activities within IEEE-USA and she brings the same pragmatic advice she's brought to her engineering clients. And if she can make it work for engineers she can mkae it work for you.


Paul Kostek, VP Communications & Public Awareness

Unlike many other career books, this was not a dry plodding tome to plow through in the hopes of finding something useful. Elizabeth's open, converstional writing style drew me along easily and quickly and still the information presented was both pratical and thought-provoking. With examples from her own life experiences, she empowers the reader to take control of the job search process, keeping the focus on finding a job that fits. It's like sitting down with a friend, a very savvy and experienced friend, who tells you exactly how to proceed to make that next best career move.