Welcome to
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Although in the business of writing resumes and assisting others in their job search, I
understand there are those of you who are "Do-It-Yourselfers." You are probably looking for
answers on where to begin. There are thousands of resume and job-related websites.
There are hundreds of resume and job search books. How does someone know which
information truly works?
| BOOKS | ONLINE RESOURCES |
BOOKS
I have read and used the following short list of books as a cornerstone of my work. Not only are they informative and easy to read, the principles they present have been tested and proven over and over again by the success of my clients. This website, in association with AMAZON.com, is pleased to offer you the opportunity to purchase these books directly from here.
| If You Don't
Read Anything Else...
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For the Executive
(Including Recruiter Directories)
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Classics
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Communication & Assertiveness
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When You're Completely Stuck
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For Women Only
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IF YOU DON'T READ ANYTHING ELSE...
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The Overnight Resume
by Donald Asher |
If you want to write your own resume and get a powerful tool you can use, I highly recommend Donald Asher's "The Overnight Resume." From this book, you will get the most help possible out of just one resume book. |
Both Yana Parker and Donald Asher work from the premise that you should be the one in control of your career path and give you the tools needed to communicate where you want to go and overcome the obstacles to getting there.
Other books by these two authors include:
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The Overnight Job
Change Strategy by Donald Asher |
For individuals who want to refine and refocus their career, especially if you don't know where to begin. If you've hit those "I need to make a change" blues, this book will encourage you, validate your ability to create for yourself, and give you a good jumpstart! |
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Resume Catalog: 200
Damn Good Examples by Yana Parker |
Although one shouldn't perform wholesale copying of words
and phrases from other people's resumes, it can help just
to to see how others have done it. It's also important to be
looking at quality samples only. |
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Last Minute Resumes by Brandon Toropov |
This recently published short book gives a good overview of the resume process - and also includes samples by Karen Baird, CPRW, the host of this site. |
FOR THE EXECUTIVE
(Including Recruiter Directories)
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Best Resumes for
$75,000+ Executive Jobs by William E. Montag |
As your career evolves, you become aware that the expectations of what your resume communicates and how it appears have radically changed from your college graduate days. This book will help you take your resume above the standard chronological format and create a hard-hitting high-level document that still addresses all the traditional executive resume criteria. This book also addresses the importance of the cover letter with an executive resume and provides comprehensive information on letter content and presentation. |
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Rites of Passage at
$100,000+: The
Insider's Lifetime Guide
to Executive
Job-Changing and
Faster Career Progress by John Lucht |
If you haven't worked with an executive recruiter, you will be soon. Be sure to read this book. Even if you think you know how the game is played, I'm sure you'll find something new here. THIS BOOK IS INVALUABLE! Although I take exception with the resume writing chapter, Mr. Lucht gives excellent resume advice except he presents the chronological format as the only format of choice. Since the chronological format only works for about 5% of the population and handicaps the rest; I recommend the hybrid format. See "Best Resumes for $75,000+ Executive Jobs." Aside from this one caveat, no executive or aspiring manager should be without this book! |
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Executive Job-Changing Workbook by John Lucht |
John Lucht's companion volume is also an invaluable tool. |
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The New Career Makers by John Sibbald |
This is a handy little reference listing top executive recruiters in the country including a personal statement from each recruiter about what they look for in a candidate and fields of industry and occupation each recruiter serves. If you want to make an informed connection with a top recruiter, this book is a must read. This book also provides a listing of "Academy companies," those companies which have a track record for producing top-level executives. |
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The Directory of
Executive Recruiters
1999 (28th Edition) by Kennedy Publications |
If you haven't found the right executive recruiters in "Rites of Passage at $100,000+" or "The New Career Makers," a comprehensive listing, both in hard copy and media formats, is available in "The Directory of Executive Recruiters 1999 (28th Ed) published by Kennedy Publications. This directory profiles more than 4,875 offices and 8,300 individual recruiter contacts as well as an individual recruiter specialty index, with more than 400 specialties. |
CLASSICS
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The 1999 What Color is
Your Parachute: A
Practical Manual for
Job-Hunters and Career
Changers
by Richard Nelson
Bolles |
Revised annually, "The 1999 What Color is Your Parachute: A
Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career Changers," by
Richard Nelson Bolles continues to be one of the bibles of
the career development industry. If you want to take an
introspective, in-depth look at your career and how it
integrates with you as a person, Mr. Bolles provides a
comprehensive package of tools to help you. In the 1998
edition, he has also incorporated invaluable information
about the new media and the Internet.
"Parachute" was the first book that put the tools of self-actualization in the hands of jobseekers and I highly recommend this book for its concepts. |
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The Three Boxes of Life
and How to Get Out of
Them: An Introduction
to Life-Work Planning by Richard Nelson Bolles buy now |
Another worthy book by Richard Nelson Bolles. I personally
found this book even more rewarding than "Parachute."
Taking a philosophical approach, it combines real-life information with a valuable perspective on life definition. This book is good for anybody. |
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Sharkproof by Harvey Mackay |
This audio cassette edition is a recap of Harvey Mackay's concise, informative book of the same name. Broken out into brief chapters, the book gives solid advice on finding a job, keeping a job, and coming out a winner no matter what. There's a section on asking for a raise that's worth the price of admission alone. Take this on the road with you for your morning commute and play with the information each day on the job, see what happens! |
WHEN YOU'RE COMPLETELY STUCK
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The Wizard of Work: 88
Pages to Your Next Job:
A Simple,
Straightforward
Job-Search Book for
People Who'd Rather Be
Working Than Reading a Book by Richard Gaither, John Baker |
The title of this book pretty much says it all. This book is packed with information and worksheets that will get you "up and at 'em" in no time at all. Not mentioned in the book, but from speaking with him personally, I know Dick Gaither has successfully worked with individuals that most of society had given up on and developed for them the tools that can turn around a low-confidence attitude and to communicate that individual's value to hiring managers. I highly recommend this book for young adults and anyone who's feeling stuck; although professionals at any level can benefit from this book. |
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The Trick to Money is
Having Some! by Stuart Wilde |
And now for something completely different...
This fun, lively book approaches money-making on an energy level, presenting the concept that the universe is affected by your thoughts and that if you can't have it, you won't make it. A concept Mr. Wilde introduces early on is the idea that many people will not pick up a penny in the street. He asks the question, "if you invalidate the universe's offering of a penny, why would the universe give you a million dollars?" How can you break old habits and allow the universe to take care of you? Read this book and find out. |
COMMUNICATION and ASSERTIVENESS
Sometimes we are faced with sticky situations when if we had just known what to say and how to say it, everything would have come out much better. Here are three helpful books to prepare for future "tight spots."
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What to Ask When You
Don't Know What to Say:
555 Powerful Questions
to Use for Getting Your
Way at Work by Sam Deep, Lyle Sussman buy now |
Providing clear examples, this book can help you turn
around an emotionally-charged situation or rise above a
potentially damaging power play. Even when you're not
feeling particularly clever or you haven't had your first cup of
coffee, the solutions provided in this book are easy to use
and adaptable to your individual situation.
Includes an excellent chapter on Job Interviewing. |
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Success With the Gentle
Art of Verbal Self-Defense by Suzette Haden Elgin |
This sophisticated book provides powerful concepts from the
field of linguistics. Learn how to adapt your speech for your
audience. When things get nasty in the boardroom, hold
your own and come out smelling like a rose.
This book is one to be read slowly and absorbed a chapter at a time. Unlike "555 Questions," you might not be able to adapt this book quickly into your everyday but integrating this book's concepts into your communication habits will probably change your life. |
FOR WOMEN ONLY
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Games Mother Never
Taught You by Betty Lehan Harrigan |
Originally published in the 60's, "Games Mother Never
Taught You" by Betty Lehan Harrigan continues to give
sound, practical advice for women in business, especially in
male-dominated industries. If you've hit the glass ceiling
and don't know how to get past it...if you don't understand
why ignoring golf can hurt your career...if your boss starts
talking about quarterbacking and you think he's just talking
about last Monday night's game...if you don't know the
power spots in office layout and furniture, you need this
book.
Fortunately, less true now than when first written, but still very much prevalent today. |
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New Women's Dress for Success by John T. Molloy |
Again, if you are working in a male-dominated industry, I
highly recommend the very current "New Women's Dress For
Success" by John T. Molloy. In my opinion, the author
doesn't have a personal bias on the information he presents
but presents a carefully and extensively
researched perspective.
My clients who have followed its advice have
found that they are taken much more seriously and their
careers have really taken off.
If you can't move forward and don't know why, take a look at this book. |
ONLINE RESOURCES
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Extension -
University of Berkeley includes online
Continuing and
Professional Education - Stanford University
Extension -University of California Santa
Cruz
College of Extended Learning of San Francisco State
School of Extended Education of Sonoma
State
Extension of California State
University Hayward
School of
Liberal and Professional Studies of Dominican
Saint Mary's College of San Francisco offers a
number
Undergraduate Evening
Degree Completion programs by the
University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA) |