Stay in Control: How to Cope and Still Get the Job You Really Want: A Comprehensive Personal Strategy for Your Job-Hunting Success

This book really helped me get out of the slump I found myself in after a few weeks of job-hunting. I used the exercises (and there are a lot of them) to re-organize my routine and set goals for my job search. I was surprised at how often I found myself chuckling in recognition at some of the common job-hunting scenarios. I hadn't realized how much I was still smarting from my recent brush with downsizing until I did some of the self-evaluation "Control Builders." I wasn't sure what a personal strategy for job search success was. Not I get it -- it's just like those peak performance books. This is the kind of book that you can read several times and find something useful each time.

I got this book as a Christmas present from a friend who knew that I was looking for a job. I started thumbing through it and then ending up staying up to finish reading it.Things I liked about this book:This book talked about day-to-day personal issues you have to deal with when you are job-hunting - anxiety and stress, getting disorganized, losing your confidence, losing your motivation, forgetting your goals, getting tired of being rejected, lack of support from people around you, losing your social circle when you are unemployed. And lots of other personal issues that I hadn't even realized could affect the image you present when you go for interviews and how successful your job search can be.It was really practical. I get frustrated with those books that talk about a lot of ideas but don't tell you how to actually do anything. With this book, there were step-by-step instructions, exercises for me to fill out, quick tips in boxes, etc. There were lots of handy suggestions - even for basic things like how to get relaxed before and during an interview or what to tell that pesky relative who keeps nagging you about not having a job yet.It wasn't condescending or phony. There were examples of job-hunters' stories and I could really relate to some of them. I felt better about myself and what I was going through after I read about other people's experiences.It takes you through different parts of the entire job search process - from being unemployed, to job-hunting, to landing a job. It even talked about how to deal with getting a job and finding out that you don't like it.What I didn't like about this book:It's hard to stop reading. Here I am at 6 a.m. all excited about job-hunting with no place to go.