Don't Send a Resume: And Other Contrarian Rules to Help Land a Great Job

You've read the how-to-figure-out-what-you-really-want-to-do books and completed their soul-searching assignments. You've prepared a resume worthy of the world's top performer in your field, and you've printed it on discreetly fabulous paper. And you've sent it to the (select, of course) few hundred employers you'd like to work for... and still you're looking for that great job. No wonder, then, that a book with the title Don't Send a Resume has grabbed your attention.

Jeffrey Fox is the ultimate marketer, consumed with and successful at ensuring his product stands out and is snatched up--and in this case, that product is you. Don't Send a Resume is his tip-laden guide on how to make yourself visible, desirable, and ultimately invaluable to your next employer. Dismissing the well-worn routes of sending unsolicited resumes and contacting personnel departments, Fox concentrates on what will turn job-seekers into super salespeople. While occasionally just spiced-up commonsense, his advice is simple, direct, and often ingenious, supported by details and made colorful by the odd illustration. Understand the jargon of job seeking and translate that jargon into meaningful marketing clues. Determine how the job you want creates value for the company and "dollarize" yourself accordingly. Look for a job in the unorthodox places that other job-seekers overlook. Write "boomerang" letters in response to job ads. Don't expect employers to care about your job objective or what you like to do; they only care about what they need. Don't talk and tell in an interview; answer, ask, listen, and sell. Whatever you do, don't order sauce-splashing food in a lunch interview, however tempting the dish. Oh, and don't forget to ask for the job. --S. Ketchum