JOB!

Employment guru Gillis (The Real Secret to Finding A Job?, 2009, etc.) presents an easy-to-read guide for the 21st-century job seeker.

At first glance, Gillis’ claim to help readers find a job “in one day” feels like a late-night infomercial, but this thin volume’s three-step plan for landing employment—or moving up the ladder—is surprisingly practical. An increasing number of companies use filtering software that rejects résumés before they are even read by humans, so today’s job search is not about getting selected, says Gillis. Instead, it’s about not getting eliminated. While this automated rejection may seem daunting to the unemployed, the author’s breezy, conversational style makes the job hunt less frightening. There is solid, familiar advice here, such as the importance of emphasizing what, as a potential employee, a person can do for a company in terms of making or saving money. Gillis urges job searchers to begin the process by brainstorming/free writing an “Accomplishments Worksheet” to be honed and presented at an interview. However, getting the telephone call that lands the interview is the major theme of this book. Gillis’ innovative (and perhaps uncomfortable) message is to stop randomly sending out traditional résumés, which he calls “obituaries,” because old style résumés only deal with the past. The author suggests that job seekers should use his signature, one-page “Short-Form” résumé as a template, and an example is included in the book’s appendix. An entire chapter is devoted to learning how to recognize and apply keywords, which could help an applicant’s Short-Form résumé receive points from filtering software and make its way to the top of the selection process. Each section of the résumé is explained in simple detail, and as Gillis describes it: “Your Short-Form Resume is your job search ‘tease’ and your target is the hiring manager whose attention you want.” Per Gillis, once the manager calls for more information, an updated, traditional résumé should be ready to email at a moment’s notice. A well-crafted Short-Form résumé will also be eye-catching once it lands on a human’s desk; e.g., numbers should be written out, as $3,200,000 looks more impressive than 3.2 MM. In addition, the author uses memorable examples of his experience in the hiring field to explain what he appreciated when scanning a résumé, such as a simple “Seeking Statement” that notes the exact job for which a person is applying, including any reference numbers. Though searching for work in today’s economy is tough, Gillis’ professional advice is a good beginning.

An upbeat yet realistic aid for job hunters.