5 Books That Will Energize Your Job Search
Finding an almost perfect job (There’s no such thing as the “perfect” job.) requires strategy.
The following are 5 books I recommend you read to energize your job search. These books — think of them as being your companions — will provide tactical action steps and remind you that the right job for you is out there and within your ability to get it.
1. How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
I’m sure you’ve heard of this book. Have you read it? If yes, how long ago?
Having sold more than 30 million copies since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People lays out the importance of emotional intelligence and positivity. When navigating today’s ever-changing employment landscape, these are survival skills you want to have.
The most significant takeaways from this book, which is pure gold, are the 6 ways to make people like you (the goal of an interview):
- Smile.
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
- Remember, a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound.
- Sincerely make the other person feel important.
2. What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles
If you read only one book, then make it this one. What Color Is Your Parachute? has been in print since 1970. Since 1975 it’s revised annually, so it never feels dated. Besides learning the fundamentals of writing a resume and cover letter, networking, interviewing, and salary negotiation, Bolles’s book will help you ascertain what type of job(s) best fits your personality and skillset.
It’s no secret a large percentage of people aren’t happy with their job. In many cases losing your job can be a blessing. You’re now free to go out and find a job and company that you can better mentally align with. This book can help you land back on your feet, enjoying new employment that’ll make you jump out of bed in the mornings.
3. The Art of The Interview: The Perfect Answers to Every Interview Question, by James Storey
Most likely, your interviewers won’t ask you to recite the bullet points on your resume. You’re going to be asked questions that’ll help your interviewer judge whether you’re right for the job and fit with the current team and the organization. While you can’t predict what questions you’ll be asked, Storey’s book equips you with strategies you can use to respond to every type of interview question, including the nerve-wracking hypothetical situations.
4. The Networking Survival Guide: Get the Success You Want by Tapping Into the People You Know, by Diane Darling.
A harsh job search truth: Applying to posted jobs is the equivalent to playing the lottery.
With so many people looking for work and most jobs not being advertised, networking is an essential aspect of your job search. Networking has landed me most of my jobs.
The good news is you already have a network of friends, family, and colleagues (past and current). Now add the people you went to school with. Then add the parents of your children’s friends. Then add the people you regularly interact with (neighbours, security guards, baristas, club members). Your next step is to broaden your network professionally. Darling’s book will help you do that.
5. The Social Media Job Search Workbook: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Work in the Age of Social Media, by Joshua Waldman
Conducting a job search today doesn’t compare to how it was done 5 years ago. Learning how to leverage social media networks (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, to name a few.) will give you an enormous advantage over your competition.
Throughout his book, Waldman gives excellent examples and explanations, along with step-by-step instruction. This is the perfect book to guide you if you’re just starting to build your profile on social media or looking to revamp your profile(s).
By reading these books, you’ll get a sense of how your job search should look like. You’ll become more confident in your search, start optimizing your current networking and widening it and begin acing interviews.
