Customer Reviews

Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring: Take Charge of Your Career, Find a Job You Love, and Earn What You Deserve

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

I am giving "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring" an excellent rating for several reasons. You get a lot of bang for your buck. This comprehensive resource covers all aspects of the job search, and is a workbook too with exercises to help you gain clarity on what you have to offer and what you want. Also many sample documents, such as resumes, cover letters, job tracking forms, etc., are included - all of which can also be accessed online via the author's website. Mr. Myers states that the job search is an "inside job" and an "outside job," and he provides strategies for the reader to be successful in both realms of career management. Mr. Myers introduces concepts that most people don't consider when selling themselves on the job search - such as providing an employer with a "Testimonial Page," and submitting a "Perfect Match Letter." The author also explains exactly how to avoid revealing your salary requirements, and how to have more bargaining power when negotiating an offer. As I read this book, I felt like I had a seasoned career coach by my side, guiding me through each step of the job search process. In short, "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring" is a unique, powerful resource - especially now when the job market is so challenging!

I'm rating this book low for pretending to be something special, something specific to this job market, when it really is not. It is really "just another job search book" that the author probably had about ready to go and then when the current Depression came along he changed a few words, changed the title, and suddenly had a marketable book on his hands... without really giving us anything new, just a spiffy new package.

As the other reviewer said, the main thrust here is Network, Network, Network!
Who doesn't know that already? If you don't know it I hope you read it here in my review, then you can avoid buying this book because 80% of the book, or so it seems, is the author telling you how you must network.

The problem with networking is, some of us just don't know that many people or everyone we know says their company just laid off a bunch of people... These are tough times. So yeah, go ahead and network all you can, but it's no better than looking for jobs on the net, if no one is hiring. In fact, I would make the argument that if you live in a small town, are not an upper management type or professional, networking in your small town will likely NOT land you a job. In that case, you should use the net and newspapers, cold call, etc. in the big city an hour away to get a job. Networking is not going to help you much in that case, and any way, people in small towns just call it "asking friends". Everyone knows who's hiring and who isn't and if no one is hiring, your friends can't help you.

Now if you're a highly respected such-and-such with contacts all over the country and a great reputation, live in a big city or are willing to move, then you may well get a job by networking. But then, you won't be looking at books like this... If you're a warehouse worker like my friend, or some other non-professional worker, and you live in a small town where every company is laying people off, networking probably isn't going to get you very far.

I wish the author had spent more time on Resume's and cover letters. I'm not sure WHAT he should have done, all I know is THIS book didn't help ME much, and in fact it just depressed me because it made me feel like if I don't know 100 people to "network" with, I'm screwed. It really doesn't help the "lower and middle class" people much at all, it's more for upper class management and professional types.

To me this book just is not honest nor realistic for the majority of workers.

And it should be honest and say so on the cover.

There is nothing I dislike more than reading a self-help book that turns out to be filled with re-warmed platitudes and stale ideas. That is definitely not the case with "Get the Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring". Ford R. Myers gets straight to real time solutions, with a step by step approach that gets the job done. Finding yourself unemployed is not a pleasurable circumstance in the best economic times. In today's environment it can be downright terrifying.

From new graduates to those displaced later in their careers, this book is the best tool in your job search arsenal. So buy it, read it, do the exercises, regain your confidence and get out there, armed with a realistic strategic plan to do what needs to be done to "Get the Job You Want When No One's Hiring".

Having been in both positions of needing to look for a job after losing one and looking for a new or better job while employed, I have a considerable set of job-search skills that I have cultivated over the years. I didn't know I was missing that last little bit of knowledge until this book definitely covered it all. Between the simple, easy to understand language Mr. Myers uses and the extensive example worksheets and documents that are given I now have a killer set of job-seeking skills.

It is also a perfect book to help those that may have little to no knowledge of how to look for a job. In fact it should be considered required reading for anyone who needs to find a job or is just unsatisfied with their current one. Too bad they don't hand copies of this book out at employment offices!

By all means, buy this book even if you think you know everything about searching for a job. You will be surprised at what you will learn and I hope you get as much out of the worksheets and example documents as I did.

Ford Myers' just-released book, "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring," is the perfect Survival Toolkit for people who want to manage their career, as opposed to having their career manage them! The text is easy to read, but don't let that fool you into thinking that it's light on content. This book is like a lifetime career handbook, with a lot of important self-evaluation tools, job search strategies and online resources.

If you're like me, you'll read it through the first time, not wanting to stop to do the exercises because they'll slow you down. The entire time I was reading, I felt like the author was talking directly to me. These have been my experiences and my frustrations. Reading this book will probably feel the same for you, too.

After I completed my first reading, I realized that this isn't a "read it and put it on the shelf" kind of book. I went back and did the exercises, and they proved to be very helpful. I actually feel excited about setting myself on the correct career path! Suddenly, it feels less overwhelming and less lonely to do what I need to do. And with "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring," I have expert help to guide me through the process.

Wow! I can't remember ever reading a job search book this empowering before! With chapters like "Every Company is Hiring All the Time, Even in a Down Economy", and "Don't Be Afraid to Negotiate in a Down Market- Be Afraid Not To", I feel like I've been let in on an insider's secret. The whole attitude of this book is that more of the power lies with the job seeker than we've been led to believe in this so-called "buyer's market." The chapter on salary negotiation alone is worth the price of the book! As a career and life coach, you'd better believe that I'll be recommending this book as a step-by-step, confidence-boosting power tool for my clients to use!

Margie Cherry
Career and Life Design Coach
[...]

"Get the Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring" is definitely NOT another Same-O Lame-O "Career 101" rehash. The strategies and tactics and stepwise plans in this book should come with a HIGH VOLTAGE warning label!

Fact is, this book will make a lot of high-priced career consultants and coaches ANGRY specifically because Ford R. Myers really does "spill the beans" on what it takes to get hired in today's terrible job market. And the ugly truth is that ALL the rules change when no one's hiring.

How is this book different? In short, every page is packed with contrarian information which - up til now - was reserved for the executive elite. Just a tiny sampling...

* Resume? Nice to have - but put it away if you want to get hired.

* Recruiters? That's the last place to turn for help.

* Which interview questions to prepare for - and which to prepare NEVER to answer!

* Negotiate tough - in this economy? Yes, you'd better!

Unlike so many books - and book series - that have been rehashing and paraphrasing the same old hackneyed advice in both good times and bad, "Get the Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring" lays out EXACTLY what you need to do, say, think, and prepare at every single step of the job search process - no matter how long you may have been looking, no matter what your salary, and no matter if you're after your first job - or your 20th!

If you're a working professional of any stripe who wants to raise your game - and by that, I mean take charge of your career, find the work you love, and earn what you deserve - you MUST buy this book now.

Ford Myers has redefined excellence in the career management book category. Get ready to dog-ear the pages, highlight major sections, take copious notes in the margins and get into massive action using this step by step portable mentor, advisor, and coach as your guide.

I was drawn to this book, because I was genuinely impressed by some of Mr. Meyers audio and video interviews. He was engaging and direct with just enough "out of the box" ideas to provoke thought and even change behaviors. Alas, the book did not reinforce my opinion. It is instead a grand list of conventional "things to try"-- many without strategic context, logical sequence, finite time allocation, or odds of success. Putting random suggestions into bulletized lists and subsections does not make it any less random or haphazard. An example is suggesting part-time teaching with little regard to the time and effort required to do this in a conscientious fashion for a student audience made up of what are after all paying customers with expectations. Numerous other side-bar activities such as blogs and social media are offered up without strategic context or purpose or how exactly they are supposed to attract decision makers who either do not traffic in the material or delegate it to others.

The job hunting advice is also too confounded with his overarching advice on "career management" if that's what you want to call it-- habits and routines for strengthening and building a career that is already presumably on a mainstream corporate climber track. That is a description that applies less and less to even well-qualified white collar professionals with the corporate carnage that is so widespread. I would go further than the reviewers who say that it is targeted to managerial class individuals to say that it is confined to the handful of corporate careerists who still remain relatively untouched on the employment ice floe. It stands to reason that their transitions may be somewhat less rocky than those of others subjected to more disruption-- at least for now. The "career management" arena seems to be Mr. Meyers sweet spot, a place he should probably stick to.

Even on a tactical level some of the advice borders on the reckless. The reader is counseled to create cover letters in response to advertisements using a two-column format of requirements vs. experience offered. A great many counselors with more sales and recruiting background assure me that this is among the worst formats to attempt, since the harried reader's eye cannot take in and process this information cleanly and will gravitate to other more pleasing small paragraph presentations. Note that his advice is not offered as "my humble opinion" but as incontrovertible truth with alleged statistics. While resumes are downplayed and networking is touted, there is ironically more tangible information on the former than the latter. I'm still waiting for the career author who can describe how to network "vertically" to decision makers rather than horizontally and randomly among peers with limited awareness or influence. Serendipity still rules with this tactic, I'm afraid.

I did appreciate the early sections on mindset and attitude adjustment. But all in all I will follow the model of movie reviewers and give this a "skip" or "rent" as in check it out at the library.

I'm so grateful this terrific book has come along during one of the worst times of unemployment. I bought a copy for my son, a recent college grad, and for several of his friends. I can't say enough about how clear and wise it is. And if they still have trouble finding work, I know I can up the ante with coaching available through the author's site. For the first time, I'm not scared about what's going to happen to these kids because I know they'll be able to find opportunities ahead of the crowd - and nail them.