All companies have two things in common: making money and fixing things that will inevitably go wrong. This according to a new book by Martin Yate, CPC, called Knock 'em The Ultimate Job Search Guide 2012 (Adams Media, 2011, ISBN: 978-1-4405-2572-8). As a result of wanting to make money while needing to solve problems, companies hire people to solve those problems.
You could easily be one of those newly hired problem-solvers. Yate offers readers three lessons to take away: companies are in business to make money, both you and the company want to make money as fast as possible, and there are buyer's markets (employers) and seller's markets (employees).
Today's Job Search
Yate writes, "Job search isn't nanotechnology; you'll find a common-sense logic in everything I show you and wonder why you didn't see it before."
Everybody feels "crappy" when it comes to searching for a new job. Nonetheless, the author writes that job change has become "an integral part of modern life." He lists some interesting statistics for a 50-year work life:
- A job change will occur every 4 years
- Most people will have 3 or more distinct careers
- There will be an economic downturn every 7 to 10 years
Yate also writes that regardless of the job title, everyone is hired to be a problem solver. With that in mind, the guidebook to your next job goes into in-depth detail to help you get where you want to be professionally.
Transferable Skills and Professional Values
There are several really great lists including: a list of transferable job skills such as communication, technical, verbal, social graces, critical thinking and multitasking. Yate takes a new approach to the difference between creativity and having ideas.
"Ideas are like headaches. Creativity on the other hand, is the ability to develop those ideas and the strategic and tactical know-how that brings them to life," writes Yate.
He also puts a new twist on the definition of a leader, "Leadership is the most complex of transferable skills that you will develop to make a success of your professional work life. It is a combination of all of the other transferable skills."
Resume as a Financial Document
Any professional needs to keep an up-to-date resume on the ready, be it when looking for a new job or for having it ready for those unexpected opportunities that may come your way. Yate says "Your resume is the most financially important document you will ever own."
A few of the topics that the author includes in the resume section are:
- Getting inside the employer's head
- Recruitment and resume banks
- Targeting your resume to different jobs
- Tips on writing and formatting a powerful resume
- The cover letter
- The executive briefing
The information presented for resumes is detailed and helpful to competing in the new job market. The resume is no longer the same old stoic document of the past. It has to be a calling card.
Building a Professional Brand
There are some words and phrasing considered old school such as building a professional reputation. These days, you build a professional brand. Yate also goes into great detail with tips on building your own professional brand and then communicating that brand to potential employers.
There is a Competitive Differentiation Questionnaire included that can help you start building your brand. Yate also discusses networking in the job search, which can also help build and promote your brand.
Interviewing
There are so many aspects of the job search that have changed, including the job interview. There are phone interviews, mealtime interviews, by-committee interviews, and some people may get interviewed poolside or in the airport. Yate spends several chapters on interviewing.
He includes information, tips and techniques on:
- Preparing for interviews
- Interview questions and answers
- Body language
- Handling stress and illegal questions
- How to interview in one of the new venues where interviews can be held
- Follow-up, Negotiating and Handling Rejection
As important as preparing and getting to an interview is, following up after an interview is also a vital part of the job search puzzle. Sending emails, thank you letters or making phone calls are detailed in this part of the guidebook.
As with all of Yate's Knock 'em Dead books and as with previous editions of this book, the author writes comprehensively about the topic. I highly recommend this book which is a complete handbook to getting your next job or making your next career move.
