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Job Search Must Have Books

CTC | August 10, 2011 | 7:30am

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If you or someone you know is actively searching for a new job, or even passively surveying the job market, there are a number of notable, recently-published books to consider. Covering topics such as evaluating career choices, unleashing the power of successful thinking and writing winning resumes, these books are sure to satisfy any job seeker.  

What Color is Your Parachute? 2010 A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers  

By Richard Nelson Bolles

Richard Bolles  self-published his revolutionary job seeker’s handbook more than three decades ago – when career-oriented reference books were practically unheard of. The book  became an instant classic, selling over 10 million copies and spending nearly six years on the NY Times bestseller list. Bolles updates the guide annually and the expanded thirtieth edition includes fresh examples and insight – relevant information for today’s tough job market. Also available is Bolles’ recent and timely The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide: How to Find Hope and Rewarding Work, Even When “There Are No Jobs”  is essentially an abridged version of Parachute. This reference book conveniently boils down Bolles’ strategies to a mere 100 pages.

Another book focusing on career advice is Strategies for Successful Career Change: Finding Your Very Best Next Work Life  by Martha Mangelsdorf. The author penned a column covering career changes for the Boston Globe for four years. This book is the culmination of what Mangelsdorf gleaned after interviewing numerous experts in the field.

The “how-to” style guide offers specific details and fresh ideas. For example, Mangelsdorf suggests taking the edge off of a major career change by making an internal move within a department first. Essentially, she suggests bridging the chasm of a major career change with baby steps.

If you’re interested in delving into the minds of successful people, consider John C. Maxwell’s How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life. Long regarded as an expert on leadership, Maxwell details 11 essential elements to more effective thinking. You’ll probably be familiar with many of the concepts, but by blending a mix of powerful quotations and illuminating anecdotes, the author reinforces the significance of these concepts and inspires the reader at the same time.

For those looking to update or polish their resumes, two recent publications stand out. In Amazing Resumes: What Employers Want to See – and How to Say It, co-authors Jim Bright and Joanne Earl delve into the psychology behind the resume selection process and expertly take the reader through creating an effective resume. How to Say It on Your Resume: A Top Recruiting Director’s Guide to Writing the Perfect Resume to Every Job, by Brad Karsh and Courtney Pike separates itself from the pack by devoting an entire section to candidates who have been laid off or out of the work force for a prolonged period of time.

So, when you’re deciding on your next read, pick up one of these books and educate your job search. They’re sure to educate, engage and entertain.

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