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 http://www.everydayinterviewtips.com/should-your-blog-play-a-part-in-your-interview). 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.