Book Review – Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success

It should be no surprise that the Internet has become the number one resource for job searching. It’s not just about applying to jobs and sending your resume via email to employers. The Internet is also how people network, how people get discovered, and how people effectively brand themselves to help improve both their professional and personal lives.

“Me 2.0” by Dan Schawbel seeks to offer job seekers an opportunity to learn how to promote themselves online and offline in order to improve the way employers view their candidacy.

Book Contents

• Understanding what branding means to your professional life.
• How to find your brand.
• How to build and maintain your brand.
• Job searching for generation Y.

Book Benefits

This is a book that is designed to appeal to college graduates. It’s all about generation Y and the need to create a personal brand online. Considering the dependency that Gen Y already has on the Internet, there is clearly a market for individuals to learn about how to create a professional brand for themselves. Schawbel’s strength is his advice for your online persona, and the book does a good job teaching you not only how to create a personal brand, but also why it is so important.

Book Weaknesses

As with any book written directly for college students, the rest of the population gets somewhat left out. It may still be useful, especially if you do not know much about branding yourself, but it is primarily an introduction to branding, so seasoned professionals are unlikely to receive any benefit. The book is also somewhat awkward and there is not a lot of additional job search information within the book.

Overall Thoughts

Obviously “Me 2.0” has its downsides, especially for long time workers. Even Generation X probably won’t get much benefit, and fringe generation Y that has been in the workforce for several years now may get much value either. Also, when most people seek out job search books, they are looking for one book that encompasses everything they need to know, and like most books, this isn’t it. What “Me 2.0” is, however, is a great introduction to branding, so while it shouldn’t be your primary job search book, it is a great supplement book.

Book Review – Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life

There is something about job search and job interview books that seems to encourage authors to use numbers in the title. “301 Smart Answers to Tough Job Interview Questions.” “201 Questions to Ask the Interviewer.” Today we will review another job search book titled “Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life” by Jeffrey G. Allen.

Book Contents

• Resume and cover letter tips.
• Using the Internet to impress employers.
• Networking and improving your qualifications.
• How to succeed at your job interview.
• 101 different ideas to help you land a good job.

Book Strengths

This is yet another book that is designed as much to be a motivator as it is to help you get a job. It does have a number of different tips, and some of the idea you find within the book are going to be new to those that have little experience job hunting. Each chapter is broken down into something you should “Do” and an explanation of why you should do it. The organization is useful for some, and it can be fun to read for a job interview book.

Book Weaknesses

The book has been guerilla marketed across the Internet, so it is well known. Yet overall the content is extremely hard to read. Allen throws words around that only serve to confuse the reader, and while there are some interesting tips within the book, the odd way they are presented takes away from their overall point. The book is designed for graduates with little job experience, which is useful, but it is also written as though it is going to be read by graduates, and as any young person will tell you – when you try to write to youth, you only sound silly.

Overall Thoughts

As usual with these types of job books, it is easily possible that you will get something out of it, especially if you have little job interview experience. Yet the writing in “Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life” is off putting, and can make it very difficult to understand the overarching points, especially to younger workers. There is some useful stuff in there, but much of it is lost. If you find one for cheap, maybe it is worth a read, but there are better books out there.

Book Review – Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring

There are a lot of books about jobs. So many that it is one of the most popular industries on the net. In addition, job search and job interview books can have tangible results. Did you get a job? If you did, you probably liked the book. If you didn’t, you probably didn’t. It is for that reason you cannot trust the user reviews from people that are actively searching for jobs, because their opinion of their job search book is entirely contingent on if they found employment.

However, is that really a bad thing? Shouldn’t a good book help you find employment and a bad book not? It can be argued that these reviews are perhaps even more telling of a book’s worth, because good books will help people find employment and therefore receive positive reviews. This leads to another problem: Abuse. Most book websites get bombarded with fake user accounts leaving raving reviews of the book so that people that are desperate for jobs see that job seekers “loved” the book and trust it with their job search techniques.

“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” by Ford Myers suffers from this problem. Many of the user reviews you see online appear to be written by people that did not actually read the book. Let’s try to bring some honesty to the table.

Book Content

· How to develop a strategic plan.

· The current effects of the economy.

· How people are looking for work in a bad economy.

· Information on networking.

· Cover letter writing and how to use them.

· Negotiating tactics.

· Interviewing psychology.

· How to succeed in your first 90 days at your new employer.

Book Strengths

There is no shortage of ideas in “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring.” The book is fairly comprehensive, covering many aspects of job searching, job interviews, networking, etc. Saying “no stone left unturned” is an overstatement, as you will see in a bit, but when it comes to comprehensiveness of the types of topics available in the book, “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring” has quite a bit. The book also uses a motivational tone that some job seekers may appreciate, and it argues several unconventional points, including why resumes are not as important as people believe.

Book Weaknesses

Though there is a lot of different types of content, there is not a lot of depth to the content. The book dedicates very few pages to its important points, and does not go into depth on a lot of topics. Similarly, it has points that we tend to disagree with, such as using a blog to find a job (see here). Expansion is its greatest weakness, however, as the points we disagree with are debatable. Finally, the book focuses way too much on networking. Not everyone can network, and not all jobs that you may be seeking have many networking opportunities.

Overall Impressions

Though the reviews of “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring” may appear to be mostly fake, at least the book contains information that people can truly use. The only real issue is the depth that the book goes into, the tone (motivational writing isn’t for everyone), and the emphasis on networking, which isn’t as useful a strategy for more entry level positions. “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring” is a useful resource, but not a great resource.

Book Review – “The Resume Kit” Review

Here at Everyday Interview Tips, we focus a great deal on job interviews. Job interviews are where even the most qualified applicants make the most mistakes, because you cannot look for help from others to have a successful interview. On the other hand, you can have everyone and their mother give you advice on your resume, and if you listen to the right advice, your resume will be very strong.

Still, as much as people like to give advice on resumes, few of your friends are truly experts, which is why it is always a good idea to get help from other sources. “The Resume Kit” by Richard Beatty is a great resource for those looking for expert resume help, and may be a useful tool if you need advice on perfecting your resume.

Book Contents

• Information on creating a resume for online use.
• How to use correct resume language to help you resume stand out.
• Resume myths and facts.
• Different types of resumes and how to use them.
• How to write cover letters.
• Resume and cover letter samples.

Book Strengths

The sample resume and cover letters are easily the best aspect of this book. There are a number of them, and the easiest way to learn is to see someone put them into practice. Also, there are a number of different types of resumes, so reading information about how to utilize each one of them is very useful. The information is sound, there is very little bad advice, and because these books are dedicated towards helping you create a winning resume, you can bet that they stay focused on that goal.

Book Weaknesses

The main weakness of the book is that much of the information is available elsewhere. Sometimes it is hard to justify paying for something that you could find online if you know where to search. However, it is important to remember that when you look for information online, you never know who is providing that information. Is it reliable? Is it not reliable? The author of “The Resume Kit” is reliable, so you know the information is sound. Still, it is technically available elsewhere for free, so that can be a downer.

Overall Impressions

As stated, the information in “The Resume Kit” is solid, so it is useful to help you craft your resume. Its only flaw is that you can find similar information elsewhere for free, but if you would like a hard resource that you can keep with you from a reliable source, The Resume Kit is still worth the purchase.

Book Review – Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You

Everyday Interview Tips focuses mostly on how to succeed at a job interview, because job interviews are one of the main places that individuals struggle. They are a weird, twisted game where you are asked a number of annoying questions that you need to answer with a confidence that you probably don’t have. However, job interviews are irrelevant if you cannot find a way to impress employers, and job interviews are terrifying if you can’t get over failure. “Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door” by Harvey MacKay was designed to supply you with everything from job search strategies, interview techniques,  handling rejection and more. It is one of the leading books on impressing new employers and finding a way into the companies of your dreams.

Book Contents

• How to network and why it is important,
• How to handle job interviews.
• How to create an explosive resume.
• How to tell when your job may be in jeopardy.
• How to add creativity to your job search.

Book Benefits

“Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door” is a motivational book, first and foremost. It’s designed to get you pumped and passionate about job searching, because there is a lot of truth to the idea that you are more likely to succeed when you make it your mission. The book also uses some fun to read examples for how to be successful and put the tips in the book into action. There are some useful tips for job interviews, as well as networking strategy.

Book Weaknesses

The book is not necessarily designed for young workers. It is more for business professionals that have experienced recent struggles in the job market. The advice and strategies inside of “Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door” are not mind blowing. They are useful, certainly, but despite its claim that it is going to supply you with groundbreaking tips and strategies, it’s still pretty standard stuff.

Overall Impressions

There is nothing wrong with a good book that has basic information on job searching and interview techniques. Quite the contrary – a good book is a great way to ensure that you know the basics, and “Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door” is written in such a way that you should get some decent enjoyment out of it. Still, if you are expecting some sort of amazing, life altering strategies, you may be disappointed.

Book Review – 201 Best Questions to Ask At Your Job Interview

It is not often that a job interview book is extremely specialized. Most of the time these books are designed to be a one stop source for job interview information, complete with a variety of different tips for job seekers looking to break into the professional world.

“201 Best Questions to Ask At Your Job Interview” by John Kador doesn’t fit that mold. As the name implies, the book is solely about asking questions at your job interview, including tips and strategies for generating these questions and, of course, 201 questions you can ask.

Book Contents

• 201 questions to ask at your job interview.
• Memorable bad questions and memorable great questions.
• Information on how to select questions.
• Why these questions are beneficial.
• How to research the company in order to find the best questions.

Book Benefits

If you need question ideas, this book is works extremely well. Not only are many of the questions going to impress the interviewer, but the thought process that goes behind each question is sound. Though you may not come up with a great question from the specific examples posted, the mindset that you will have from understanding why the questions work should be enough to give you an edge.

Book Weaknesses

Though there are some benefits to this interview book, there are also a number of weaknesses. Obviously content is a key weakness. Most people only ask between 5 to 10 questions at their job interview. Having 201 question examples is nice, but not necessary. That is also the extent of the content, so you will have to come up with other questions from elsewhere. Similarly, the usefulness of some of the questions are debatable. Asking a hiring manager “What is your mission statement?” during an interview is only going to show the employer that you did not thoroughly research the company beforehand. Kador had it as a recommended question.

Overall Impressions

It’s hard to fault a book for providing what it says it will provide. It’s called “201 Best Questions to Ask At Your Job Interview,” and that’s what you receive. Yet it is the opinion of Everyday Interview Tips that any book that promises 201 great questions should be absolutely sure that all of the questions are going to be beneficial, and may examples Kador provides are debatable. Similarly, a lot of great interview books can supply you the same information and provide other content as well. If you truly just want interview question ideas, “201 Best Questions to Ask At Your Job Interview” is fine. If you want more, you should look elsewhere.

Book Review – Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World

Easily one of the best selling job books on the market today, “Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World” by Lindsey Pollak is a popular job and interview book for recent graduates. Many parents like to buy this book for their kids once they have completed college, and many college students use it as a reference for when they break into the corporate world.

Book Contents

• How to change your mindset and actions from “student” to “professional.”
• How to educate yourself on the job market and the world.
• How to start your career search.
• How to network with other professionals.
• How to gain experience in the world.
• How to write your resume.
• How to over-prepare for job interviews.

Book Benefits

The book does a very good job dealing with its reader as a person. It discusses such things as mindsets, office personalities, and what you really need to do to break into the corporate world. The job hunting tips are top of the line, and they teach you how to utilize today’s technology to find a job. There is also a heavy focus on network that, while it can be painful for some of the shyer professionals, has some real value in the corporate world.

Book Weaknesses

Strictly on a personal level, the writing style of the book can be a little better. Its interview tips are useful but sparse, as the book is designed to be more of an overall reference for college graduates rather than specific tips guide. Also, the book focuses such a great deal on changing who you are as a person that some college students may find the tips to be disconcerting.

Overall Thoughts

“Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World” is a quality interview and job search tips book for young college graduates. It is tough to call it an “essential read” due in large part to its overall focus and the quality of the tips inside, but if you are looking for a solid job book, especially as a gift for a student or recent graduate, you could do much worse than “Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World.”

Book Review – Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions

It is no secret that the best way to prepare for a job interview is to practice answering interview questions. Indeed, the more interview questions you have an answer for, the more likely you are to confidently supply the employer with a response that leads to your employment.

Still, how do you know what questions will be asked? You could make them up from the top of your head, but it is far easier to simply find a list of common job interview questions and practice answers for them. One such list can be found in a book known as “Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions” by Matthew Deluca.

Book Contents

• How to Answer Personal Questions
• How to Answer Educational Questions
• How to Answer Experience Questions
• How to Answer Questions About Behavior
• How to Answer Illegal Questions

Book Benefits

Every applicant can and should benefit from knowing common interview questions and how to answer them. “Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions” supplies those questions, and gives a run down on strategies for answering each type of question (educational questions, experience questions, etc.). These are useful to all job applicants. “Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions” also gives you background information on why the question was asked in the first place (including how it was designed to trick you), allowing you to respond accordingly.

Book Weaknesses

This is not a bad book, but it does have a number of weaknesses. First of all, many of the questions in the book are irrelevant in today’s job world, so while it may be offering 201 questions, not all of them are going to be relevant. Secondly, the book is lacking in additional job interview information. Interviews are not just about the questions, and it is the opinion of this author that any interview book should give a great deals of additional interview tips in additional to questions. Otherwise you will have to buy more than one book to learn all of the ins and outs of job interviews.

Overall Impressions

“Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions” is exactly what it sounds like – a book with interview questions and answers. There is nothing wrong with that. Still it does feel like there should be a bit more to it. Questions and answers are great, but if the questions do not occur during the job interview, then the book becomes retroactively obsolete. It’s not a bad book by any means, but there may be better places to go to get questions for your interview.

Additional Links:

• Common Interview Questions and Answers

Book Review – Winning Job Interviews

There is no denying that at their heart, job interviews are a competition. They are an intense battle that requires you to beat your competition. Some of your competitors may have cheat codes. Others may have a nicer system than you. Your goal is to play your best and beat them anyway, winning the job and leaving the other applicants defeated.

That is the belief Paul Powers took into his book “Winning Job Interviews.” It is designed to prepare applicants for battle and give them the tools they need to land a job in today’s difficult economy.

Book Contents

• Information on finding great jobs.
• Information on getting more job interviews.
• Information on succeeding in those interviews.
• Information on bartering for the highest salary.

Book Benefits

Part of interviewing is about confidence. Paul Powers uses Winning Job Interviews to help inspire that confidence. He writes in a way that is meant to pump you up for the interview and he tries to blend a little humor into the mix so that you find the process more relaxing. He covers job searching in addition to job interviews, but he focuses his book mostly on interviews, which is useful if that is the information you are seeking.

Book Weaknesses

The book is not very long, and the actual amount of information contained in the book is deceptive. Despite being a book on interviewing, there are maybe 20 to 30 pages actually dedicated directly to the act of interviewing, very few interview questions and answers, and a lot of fluff pieces. The author does try to integrate humor but it is not particularly hilarious. The information is also not tailored to a particular group.

Overall Impressions

“Winning Job Interviews” is not a bad book. It is going to be especially useful for those that find books to be uplifting in addition to informative. To cynics or those looking for a lot of interview help, “Winning Job Interviews” is likely not your best bet. If you want to find an interview book that will motivate you and give you some good tips on the job interview process, “Winning Job Interviews” is still worth the purchase. See if you can find a used copy first, though.

Book Review – Job Interviews For Dummies

Everyone knows about the “For Dummies” books. Popular around the globe, these books are designed to simplify complex topics so that everyone can understand them. “Job Interviews for Dummies” by Joyce Lain Kennedy follows in that tradition. It is an easy to read book that provides tips for succeeding at job interviews.

Book Contents

• Preparation advice and strategies.
• Reduce job interview anxiety.
• Supply winning answers to difficult questions.
• Work your qualifications in effective ways.
• Salary negotiation tips.

Book Benefits

As usual, Job Interviews For Dummies presents content in a straight forward manner in terms that are both simple and entertaining. The writing is light hearted and keeps you interested with an order to the topics that makes sense.

One aspect of Job Interviews for Dummies that makes it unique is the information on surviving personality tests, as well as information on evaluating the job offer and how to decide when to walk away. Job Interviews for Dummies is, like all of the “For Dummies” series, informative and rich in tips and advice.

Book Weaknesses

Though it may not be fair to the author or the purpose of the book, the fact that the job interview book is ONLY about job interviews is still a mark against it. Many other books provide similar information while still providing tips for job searching, resumes, etc. That makes this book less valuable, even if it ultimately wasn’t designed for that purpose.

In addition, “Job Interviews for Dummies” does not really provide any new or groundbreaking information. It is simply a culmination of general (though useful) tips about interviews. It is nothing more, nothing less. In many ways that is all you need, but if you have read an in depth interview book before, the information may be less useful. It is also not written for graduates. It is written more as a general reference.

Overall Impressions

“Job Interviews for Dummies” is a good interview reference, especially for beginners and those that feel they need a lot of help in order to be successful in interviews. It is more of a basic reference than an encyclopedia of job interview information, but that is okay, because its primary purpose is to help make interviews easier for those that struggle, and it succeeds in that regard.