Job Hunting for Dummies (For Dummies Series)

YOU DON'T NEED, to use magic to find the job you want -- and Job Hunting For Dummies is the proof. Here, you can find practical, how-to advice and invaluable resources you can bring to bear on your job search. With the guidance of your personal mentor Max Messmer, Chairman and CEO of Robert Half International Inc., the world's largest specialized staffing firm, you discover the secrets of the experts, from determining what you want and need in a career and preparing a straight-to-the-top-of-the-pile, winning resume to researching companies online and networking with influential people.

Max Messmer is eminently qualified to instruct on all things job-related. He's chairman and CEO of Robert Half International Inc., the world's largest specialized staffing firm, and he's penned numerous articles, columns, and books (such as The Fast Forward MBA in Hiring and Staffing Europe), so Messmer knows a thing or two about how to apply for a job effectively, and he has a few words to say on how not to blow it, too.

He knows, for instance, how overwhelming and intimidating the job hunt can be, and how useful it is to break the monster down into prioritized, bite-sized tasks. There are detailed chapters on organizing, setting targets, and scoping out the field, plus essential chapters on writing a résumé and cover letter that present you in the best light, pursuing job leads, and performing well in the interview spotlight.

Messmer's experience in the field makes his advice reliable. You know that when he suggests how to research a company before the interview so you are somewhat knowledgeable about what they do, and when he warns against pink résumés and sarcastic cover letters, he's offering the collective opinion of hundreds of staffing professionals. It's advice worth reading, no matter how qualified you already are to do the job once you get it. The only misleading aspect of Job Hunting for Dummies is the title, because no dummy would do something so smart as to increase his or her application advantage by reading Max Messmer's book. --Stephanie Gold