If I had to recommend “must read” books for job hunters in this economy, this book would be in my top 3.  Only 96 pages long, this is a very quick read and it’s packed full of terrific information!

Richard Bolles wrote the very famous book What Color Is Your Parachute.  That book is best for those who are unsure of their career direction and have time to wade through self-assessment and self-exploration exercises as well as job search strategies. 

The Job Hunter’s Survival Guide is for someone with little time and the immediate need for a job, who knows what they want to do and where they want to do it.  This book’s best reader simply wants to know the fastest, most effective route to get there.  Bolles gives a list of the top 6 ways for employers to fill vacancies (the top way is to fill the position with someone already inside the organization), which turns out to be the polar opposite of the way job hunters prefer to fill vacancies (as applicants outside the organization who send in unsolicited resumes.)

Additionally, Bolles talks about “The New Resume.”  Rather than the traditional resume, “The New Resume” is your online persona/brand.  Employers now have access to far more information about you than ever before, simply by doing a Google search.  Bolles says at least 50% of employers look for this information online before they hire you and that number will only increase going forward.

 Clearly, it’s vital for today’s jobhunters to join the top professional social network – www.LinkedIn.com  Also, be very careful to keep all your online content (including MySpace, Facebook and others) professional in nature – you should be fine with potential employers looking at it, because chances are quite high that they will. 

For more information on building your online brand, please watch our Career Lecture Series webinars on “Online Social Networking” and “Maximizing LinkedIn for Networking and Your Job Search.”

Happy reading!  This book is well worth it!

Written by Lisa Cook, Director of Career Services