Through the Brick
Wall
by Kate Wendleton
Villard Books
1993
I was all set not to like this book. Not only does Wendleton begin with what
seems to be a fawning excerpt from her company's promotional brochure ("Our
counselors are the best," she tells us for some reason), she follows by calling
her techniques the "Parchute for the nineties." Wendleton implies that
it's time for Bolles to be put out to pasture, and humbly nominates herself
as heir to his throne.
So right from the Introduction I'm looking forward to seeing such a
pompous author fall flat on her face. But she never does. By the end of the
book, I had (nearly) forgiven her self-important opening because what
follows is excellent. This is without question one of the best general guides
to the worksearch process.
Even the material on resume writing is very good -- and that's something that
very few people get right (including most of the ones who think they're experts
on the subject). Wendleton does tend to ruin the impact of underlining by using
it too often, but in more moderate doses the strategy is superb.
Some great advice:
"You must be honest in stating your job title, and sometimes that means
not using the title your company gave you. Use a title that accurately
reflects the job you held."
"Many people mistakenly think a shorter resume is more likely to be read"
"Don't spend too much thought or energy on [advertised openings]. And
don't sit home waiting for a response. Just answer the ad ... and get on with
your search."
"You must eventually talk to people. You cannot get a job through the mail.
Don't use [direct mail] to avoid people. You are writing so you can get in
to see them."
"Ignoring all [my suggestions] can sometimes be very effective ... it is
sometimes better to follow your instincts rather than listen to the experts."
If you meet someone through a networking interview... she will almost
certainly forget about you the minute you leave. ... Sorry, but you were an
interruption."
"Measure the effectiveness of your job hunt by listing the number of
people you are currently in contact with on an ongoing basis."
"If you are ambivalent [about a job] ... you will probably not get
it. Someone else will do what he or she needs to do to get it. ... Are you
willing to go through a brick wall to get it?"
And there's plenty more. This book is filled with terrific advice and
suggestions on worksearch strategy and techniques. Highly recommended.
The New Rites of Passage
at $100,000+
by John Lucht
The Viceroy Press
2000
The target audience of senior executives will get the most value from this
terrific book, but there's plenty of outstanding advice for anyone. Not only
are the suggestions and strategies excellent, but so is Lucht's writing. This
is probably the best written book on the worksearch process.
Central theme is that there are four ways to look for work: through personal
contacts, networking, recruiters, and direct mail. All four areas are discussed,
and there's also a good section on outplacement services.
The chapter on resume writing is excellent. Lucht is a lawyer by training, but
he spent most of his career in marketing and he demonstates that he's learned
more than a few things about selling on paper.
Lucht's most contentious assertion is that senior executives should send out
at least 1,000 untailored letters and resumes (preferably 2,000) to ... well,
pretty much everyone that might have a use for them. There's a funny line
quoted in the book from a critic suggesting that the post office should
issue a commemorative stamp in Lucht's honor. It's important to know, however,
that this is not suggested in place of networking or other means -- only as a
complementary activity. From all those letters, Lucht suggests you'd only end
up with 1 or 2 offers.
Some great advice:
"Direct mail copywriting has one bedrock principle that everyone
respects ... proven during fifty years of testing and re-confirmed by test
after test today: Long copy sells."
"Your resume absolutely must do two things ... 1. Quick orientation.
2. Thorough convincing."
"Don't you just hate topically-oriented [functional format] resumes?
Don't you wish everyone did? ... The one that deliberately strips away the
employment context from the claimed accomplishments ... frustrates the
reader's comprehension. ... Your reader will never quite be able to believe
your claimed achievements unless he has a mental picture of you located at
some specific place and time in the real world actually doing them."
"Orient the reader with specifics."
"Avoid empty words and statements. Omit the self-praising adjectives
that losers wallow in."
"Don't let whatever you send merely be the 50th of a common thing and no
better than the 49 that preceded it."
On interviews: "Some people think that you should take charge. ... If
you're interviewing for ... a company that sells vacuum cleaners door-to-door,
that's probably good advice. ... Don't try to grab control."
"Don't ever talk longer than one or two minutes."
"The business world -- and society in general -- is not a meritocracy in
which the wisest and most virtuous person will be sought out from obscurity
and escorted to a position of leadership."
