Monster Careers: How to Land the Job of Your Life

Are you one of the people who have been at the same job for over 5 years? Did you graduate college a decade ago and do not remember how to write an effective resume anymore? How do I grab a recruiter's attention to get my foot in the door for an interview? I work in the telecommunications industry, which has been volatile over the last several years. I looked at my resume one-day and realized that despite a great career history, my resume was rather plain and uninteresting. I had long forgotten my classes on resume writing I was required to take in college 8 years ago. I was looking for help in my professional writing ability. This book took my resume from boring to outstanding. In all due fairness, I am not actively looking for work, so I am unable to comment on if the improved resume would help me get a job, but the book provided me with confidence. The book provides invaluable tips on writing, interviewing, negotiating, as well as tips on making your life better through the jobs you choose. Monster Careers is one of the greatest comprehensive job guides I have written. Monster Careers is divided into 4 parts, The New Job Search Basics, Preparing Your Search, Into the Marketplace, and Landing the job. The New Job Search Basics section discusses several general topics, such as thinking like a free agent, finding what type of job and environment you are looking for, what happens behind the scenes of a recruiter, and finding people who will help you find work. The Preparing your Job Search section was the most beneficial section in my opinion. This section discusses planning a job search, gathering your information (the book calls it creating a job search portfolio), creating a sales pitch for yourself, and writing resumes and cover letters. Into the Market place discusses researching a prospective company to gain a competitive edge in an interview, finding and creating job opportunities, and creating a personal network. The last section, Landing the Job, discusses what to do in the job interview, negotiating salary and benefits, transitioning to a new job, and how to address special issues during a job search (such as criminal records, finding the first job, transitioning from military life, old age, etc..). I'd highly recommend this book to people like me, whose resume is plain and whose writing ability is average at best. While I would not go as far as to say this should be a must read for all jobseekers, I will say that I personally found this book highly beneficial.

After the job market went through such a big upheaval in the early 00's, I found myself in an unsteady position for several years. When I finally got my head back on straight, I decided I needed to refocus on how I approached my career. The unfortunate thing is that my budget was severely limited and the job-seeking and career-path finding bookshelves were filled with very specific subjects: how to write a resume, how to write a cover letter, how to handle interviews, when to wear blue to an interview, etc. There seemed to be a shortage of books that covered all of these concepts in one easy package. Until now! This book doesn't necessarily go into the depth that some of the specialized books do, but it provided enough help to set me on a path back to my career goals. It was written in a warm and pleasant style that I found pleasing to read, and outlined things in a sensible manner. Most importantly, it helped show new ways of looking at and approaching one's career choices and attitude, and I can point at specific things I learned or re-learned from this book which assisted my re-entry into a successful career path, a positive outlook, fresher breath and higher moral fiber.

I have found this book an excellent resource in my job search. I bought it at the beginning of my search, and whilst juggling many other areas of my life, I was able to dip into it quickly to find out exactly what information/guidance I needed to proceed with my interviews and career planning. Monster Careers allows the reader to focus in on whatever specific job-search issues are relevant and urgent, and the information is presented in a very easy to locate and digest fashion. I am able to use this book as my job search progresses, in a completely non-linear way that suits my busy life. I highly recommend this book as an incredibly useful and challenging book to help those who are looking for their next career opportunity.

As a founder of one of the largest networking groups in New England, I have been exposed to many different types of job-hunting strategies. The information in "Monster Careers" accurately reflects the new hiring landscape. The authors give the reader both the high-level and "behind the scenes" perspectives for these changing times. From describing what motivates hiring managers to negotiating compensation "Monster Careers" provides the tools needed to manage a career through different business climates. This is an invaluable resource at any career stage.

Last winter I was laid off from a very good job. A few weeks later a friend in the publishing business sent me an advance copy of Monster Careers, which I used in conjunction with some private career counseling. Taylor's book was at least as good as the expensive counseling - it's really well organized, easy to use, and smart. He gets you to think outside the box with some great examples and exercises.That said, you definitely need to do the work - I put in about 5 hours/day with the book, my research, etc., but it paid off. I found a similar job to the one I had - but in an entirely different industry. I never would have looked for it without this book.