What Does Somebody Have to Do to

by Cynthia Shapiro

Book Overview

If you are looking for a job you need every advantage you can get. What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here? puts a former Human Resources executive turned employee advocate in your corner.

Cynthia Shapiro reveals the best-kept job secrets that employers don't want you to know including:

*Secret #8: A computer is deciding your job prospects.
*Secret #12: Professional references are useless.
*Secret...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312373341
• ISBN13: 9780312373344
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Worth Its Weight in Gold

This book was worth its weight in gold for my husband's job search. After two long years looking for a job, my husband was incredibly frustrated and discouraged. He was an experienced legal professional with excellent credentials, but employers just didn't seem interested in his resume. He knew that he had to be doing something wrong but had no idea what. Then he got Cynthia Shapiro's book. Talk about results! He read the book in one weekend - applied all of the suggestions - and suddenly everything changed. Now he had interviews, call-backs, just an amazing amount of interest from potential employers. He quickly landed his dream job, and got a substantial salary increase in the process. (Amazingly, even now, companies are calling him with requests to schedule "back-up" interviews in case things don't work out with the company that he ended up joining.... can you imagine??) I only wish my husband had this book at the beginning of his job search. Folks, if you or someone you know is looking for a job, Cynthia Shapiro's book is the real deal. It is an amazing resource for job hunters, and IT WORKS.

Invaluable guide to job searching

I ordered What Does Somebody Have To Do To Get A Job Around Here after having searched for a job for over a year unsuccessfully. I am an older worker and have not had to look for a job for many, many years. Quite frankly I was baffled and frustrated by what I was seeing - overt discrimination, low paying jobs with very stiff requirements and 45 hour work weeks at a minimum. There were few responses to my initial contact with cover letter and resume. When I had interviews that seemed to go well I didn't get the follow up call. I got Ms. Shapiro's book last week and the clouds have parted in many areas! The first thing I have done is follow her guidelines in changing my resume. The eye opener for me was her statement, "It's a billboard, not a book." It has to grab the hiring managers attention like a billboard does when you are on a highway. Make them interested, want to learn more. Full disclosure is not needed. My resume was a book that covered 30+ years of work experience. It was a hard process for me but I now have a crisp, eye catching resume. Ms. Shapiro offers much more information and advice that I have started to put into use. The book is chock full of helpful insights and she is available to answer questions on her website, [...]. I have found her to be very generous with her time, information and encouragement. I wish I had this book before I began my job search! I can't recommend it highly enough

Turns what you think you know upside down

I just read this book in a day and a half. If you are looking for a job, think you might need to look for a job or want to help someone else, this is the book for you (or them). I graduated from college nearly 8 years ago and this is just the kind of information I could've used then and that I still can use now. The author breaks everything down and leaves no doubt as to why what you've been doing in your job search and even in your current job has been unsuccessful in getting you where you want to go. There aren't any company insiders, HR people or recruiters who are going to tell you what Cynthia Shapiro tells you; they are just going to expect you to know it. Getting hired and staying employed is a game and these are definitely the rules. Also, when you email Cynthia, she does call you back personally and will give you some of the best advice you've gotten in your career.

Helpful Book, Easy to Read, Wonderful Author

Like another reviewer, after reading this book I had some questions. My past experience is somewhat atypical and, as a recent graduate, am currently experiencing my first-ever professional job search. After finishing her book in just about four days, I fixed up my resume and cover letter - using her advice - and then sent her an email, expecting to get a response in a few days, if at all, and from an assistant. To my complete surprise, she called me later that day to give me my "free 15 minute consultation", which I am sure has added up to a bit more than that. She was amazingly kind and considerate, helpful more than I could have imagined, and also a good cheerleader. In a few days I'm heading off to my first job interview with a great deal of confidence - not only because of my own skills but also because, thanks to her book, I feel I understand the hiring process much better than I ever have before. This book, and this author, I highly recommend.

Fantastic Information!

I found this book to be highly insightful and informative. As Cynthia book glaringly illustrates, as job seekers, what has been taught to us in the past is woefully incomplete or grossly incorrect. This book lifts the "fog" of secrecy regarding a typical job search and hiring decisions, and confirms what some job seekers had long suspected, but rarely confirmed, regarding the process. This book helps you to recognize the sometime subtle signs regarding your chances of being hired, warning signs to look out for after you have been hired, and the signs to look out for when "...your services are no longer required". I also have to personally thank Cynthia for being a gracious, attentive author regarding here book. After reading her riveting book, I had a few question still left in my mind regarding my own particular situation. I contacted Cynthia and the telephone that is provided in here book, expecting that I would be connected to an answering service that would eventually provide me with the information that I was seeking. To my great surprise, Cynthia responded to my telephone promptly, graciously answering my questions between conference calls during her busy schedule. Clearly, this was an uncommon example of an author really going out of her way to assist one of her readers, and for that, I am extremely grateful. Again, I highly recommend this book. In this time of economic uncertainty, this book is invaluable in being able to have the necessary skills to properly locate the right job.