First of all, these "find a job" books seem to be plagued by reviewers who are friends of the authors and write glowing reviews for them... Hover your cursor over the reviewer's names and see how many of them just wrote ONE review in their entire history of reviews: the one for THIS book. Coincidence? Forgive me if I'm cynical but I've seen this with a lot of these books, now and I can't help but wonder how legitimate they are.
Okay, as to reviewing this book:
I was very hopeful it would help me. And it does have some concrete info about cover letters and resumes that is probably good, but much of it is the same ole same ole info you will read in most of these "job search" books. While the info may be good, it is nothing you haven't heard before if you've done much investigation at all, and so it is sort of a waste of money to find info that you can find all over the internet and in any other book. No?
Here's the bottom line info this book imparts:
1) Ra ra ra! Sis boom bah! You CAN find a job!
That is to say, the author tries to get you out of your depression and pessimism and get you to feeling that you can find a job (even though in reality maybe you really can't).
2) Network, network, network. Networking is the answer.
What if you don't KNOW anyone who is in the kind of job you want? What if your friends are all in completely different fields? What if not one friend has EVER helped you find a job, ever? What if you're not an outgoing person and really hate "networking"? Well, then you're screwed and this book won't help you.
3) Job ads won't help you. Internet job searches won't help you. You've got to network, network, network. (See #2, above.)
4) Target a company you want to work for and go after jobs there. Okay, sure, that makes sense. But what if they've had a hiring freeze for the past year and/or are laying off people in your position? Get a clue, Mr. Myers: The economy is REALLY bad. People aren't hiring. What good is it to target companies if those companies are not hiring?
5) Your resume' isn't really that important, it's the networking that matters. (See #2, above) I disagree. I think that the resume' is VERY important and it is really the only thing you have when you are going for a job where you don't know anyone because... Right, see #2 above.
6) The cover letter is very important. This is the only part of the book that is really useful, in my opinion, at least in my case. He gives you some good advice on cover letters. You can probably find the same advice for free on the net.
My major problem with the book, aside from it being just like all the others for the most part, is that it seems to be oriented towards upper level job seekers. Look at the resumes he gives you samples of. They're all for Management and Operations Manager and Creative Directors who have no gaps in their resume's and all seem to have just the kind of experience that employers would be looking for. What about the rest of us schlubs, the probably 80% of the country who are NOT managers and directors of companies but rather, the people who make this country's wheels go 'round: the skilled laborers, the office workers, the factory workers, the warehouse workers... the ____ WORKERS...? What about US? Oh, well, you're on your own. Because the sample resumes and cover letters won't work quite as well for you, and while you can network, it goes back to the same old problem: But what if no one is hiring? Isn't that the title of this book? Well, yeah, but he says SOMEONE is always hiring. Right.
I applied for a job last month where there were about 35 positions open and do you know how many people applied? 23,600. Yes, twenty-three thousand, six hundred people going for the same 35 jobs! That gives you some idea what we're up against and, so I guess technically the author is right: Someone IS hiring! And he's right about this too: Your resume' and cover letter aren't as important as WHO YOU KNOW. If you can get your foot in the door by knowing the right people, you stand a much better chance of getting the job! But if you DON'T know anyone? Well, then you're pretty much screwed.
Like I said, I give this book 3 stars because it does have some practical advice about cover letters and, less so, about resumes. The rest of it is mostly b.s. and is oriented towards people who have great experience, have a lot of contacts who they can "network" with, and who are what you might call "management" or "upper management" types.
If you're an average "worker bee" you can probably do just as poorly by not buying any book at all, just read what you can find on the net by doing googles about resumes, cover letters, job searching, etc.. If you're living on unemployment which is probably around $300-450/week, depending on your previous job and what state you live in, who's got money for a book?
But I DID invest the money because I read the glowing reviews (questionable as they are), and I am righteously disappointed in this book. I'll be putting it up for sale here so if you want it, help yourself to a bargain. I didn't underline or mark any pages, unfortunately it isn't that kind of book.
