Employment Books

Great explanation of the rationale behind behavior based interviewing. Guides the interviewer through the process of developing questions and evaluation procedures. Interview process is focused, to obtain more accurate and relevant information from candidates.

Selecting the right person for a job is both an art and a science. To help you improve your chances of finding the right person, author Victoria A. Hoevemeyer proposes that human resource departments and hiring managers should ask applicants explicit questions about their skills and behavior. This approach, known as "Competency-Based Behavioral Interviewing" (CBBI), provides a clear picture of what candidates actually did in their previous jobs. Hoevemeyer's sensible idea is that if candidates succeeded at certain tasks before, they'll repeat their success in their new jobs. She provides a very long list of detailed questions that hiring managers can use to learn the specifics of candidates' skills and past performance. However, the book lacks proof that the CBBI process actually results in recruiting new hires who perform well and have better retention rates. Still, since Hoevemeyer's approach clearly elicits rich information, we believe that managers and even experienced HR professionals may find her interviewing tactics useful.

"High-Impact Interview Questions" will save you both time and effort in the interview process. It provides hundreds of interview questions that you can tailor to your organization. By asking questions that focus on the candidate's actual performance, you will increase the likelihood that the people you hire will be a good fit for the position and the organization. This book is a great resource for the new interviewer as well as the seasoned HR professional.

If I had to recommend one book for anyone who is involved in interviewing candidates, "High-Impact Interview Questions" would be it! It is a practical, thorough, easy-to-use resource and reference guide for behavioral interviewing. The added bonus is that it's organized according to competencies, making it incredibly simply to use in conjunction with an organization's current competency models.

It's great for converting to behavioral based interviewing, enhancing your current behavioral interview process, or even simply testing behavioral interviewing out by converting some of your current interview questions to behavioral questions.

There is no doubt in my mind that if interviewers use the information and tools in this book that they will absolutely find the right person for every job!

This book is easy to pick up and understand what behavioral interviewing is all about. For someone that is at the other end of the interview process (the interviewee) this book helped to better prepare me for the interview process in this day and age. Interviews no longer entail just talking about your experience. A potential employer needs more information about a person in a short period of time. By reading "High-Impact Interview Questions" I feel more confident knowing what a potential employer could be looking for and what kind of quetions they may be asking. For the price, this book is well worth it!

I have always had trouble with interviews. After reading this book, I have more confidence and feel that I am better prepared to handle the interviewing process.

I was drawn to this book because it was short and easy to read. I've purchased a few other books in preparation for an upcoming interview, and I found that this was easier to skim through, because I was able to find what I was looking for without much effort. I am applying for pharmacy school soon, and my interview will play a large part in determining if I'm accepted. I can use all the help I can get, and I think this book has given me a great headstart!

Aa a retail manager I found this book to very helpful in learning how to conduct an interview. It should be must reading for anyone contemplating a job search. Very inciteful and practical advice is given in an " easy to read and understand " format.

This book is an easy to read, common sense approach to a problem everyone faces at one time or another in their life.

I loved reading "How to win the job interview battle.." it was easy reading, and it made sense for me. I loved the examples, it helped me to understand what the author was saying, and how to apply it in my interviews. With all of the layoffs happening around the US right now, this book could not have come at a better time. Thanks

This book was loaned to me and it was not what I expected. It was down to earth reading and I read the book in one sitting. The points brought out by the author were useful. I will be using this book as a resource to help others prepare for their interviews. What I liked most about the book was the way the author chose to write it. I felt comfortable as if I were speaking with a friend. The writing style is easy to read. I wish this was offered in audio format. When I returned the book I borrowed, I decided to purhase the book for myself. I like the humor and directness. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for employment. It gives a realistic view of what different people might be confronted with when seeking employment.

I have my own staffing firm. I have made this book a must read to all my clients who are seeking jobs. If they can't recite some of this book to me, I won't send them on a job interview. This book provides an advantage to all job seekers. I want to send the best prepared and sharpest candidates to job interviews.

William O'Kelley
President of O' Kelley's Job Source.

Give this book as a gift to a job seeker and you might have a friend for life. I carry this book in my porfolio to every interview. I have had this book for two weeks. However, since then I have gotten greater responses from my power resumes that I have learned to write. It's also amazing how many questions I get asked by hiring managers that are in this book. This book has actually prepared me for them.

There are some books you have for show, some to use as a paperweight.........However, this book is a must read! I found it easy to read and understand. This was a very entertaining book for a so called reference book. I am a co-op teacher at my high school and I make sure every student reads it before I send them out on an interview. it makes them better prepared and allows them to anticipate what might be asked. The better prepared and well balnced student I send out, the more students I can get placed in jobs. Thumbs up! So, it's been a win win situation for me.

I learned more in this book about interviewing and resume writing than I did in 4 years of high school or the thousands of dollars I paid for in college. I can clearly say, I was amazed at some of the ways hiring managers or HR people interview and what they look for in a resume or a job candidate.

This book is a great source of information and I can say that my recent job was based on some of the techniques I learned and applied from this book. The thing I also liked about it. It has sections for notes and was handy enough to carry to all my interviews as a quick reference.

I read the Q&A section of this book, and the very next day I was hired for the highest paying position I ever had! It doesn't give you answers, but instead it shows you what employers are looking for

I read the Q&A section of this book, and the very next day I was hired for the highest paying position I ever had! It doesn't give you answers, but instead it shows you what employers are looking for

Bravo !!! This book got me a job almost right away. The book clearly cut the crab out and points out directly to the important objectives. The book will also prepared you to all questions that are crucial to be hire. Everyone who seeks a job need to read this book, if you want to be hired. Study the book carefully and most important, excersize and try to imagine what questions that are most likely going to be ask. My personal opinion; it is YOU who is in control in the interview instead of the other person.

After using this book as a reference and recomending it to many others; I now have the need to use it while looking for a new position. After rereading it for the 4th time I again found new and useful information that I should be aware of during the job hunting/interviewing process. If anyone is currently looking for a job, or is tentative in their job - get this book today. It is easy to read and give a great many down to earth tips.

If I could give this book a higher rating I would!The best job guide that I have ever read.I purchased Knock `Em Dead 1992 by chance. Desperate for a guide that was actually going to help. This is, without a doubt the best book I have ever purchased. This book is responsible for the success of myself and my friends. We fondly refer to it as "The Red Book" (as the issue I purchased had a red cover). I can honestly say that this book is the catalyst for the process that has given me the vast majority of my current salary. It guided me through the entire job seeking process and made the task a simple one. After reading this book the job interviews I attended were simple. At first I thought that the interviewers had read the book because they kept asking me questions from the book (word for word) and, because I had read this book I had the model answer for all of them. Nothing could trip me up. After a few interviews it became very clear that the interviewers had not read this book but the book had essentially "read the interviewers" and supplied the basis for answers to all questions. It would be unfair to mention just the interview section of the book as it provides a full guide from the beginning of the process (leaving) to the end (signing the gold plated contract). I would not like to think about where I would be in my career now if I had not found this book. I am sure that I would be better off than I was at the time of purchase but nowhere near the level that I now enjoy. Martin Yate is a genius, I doubt there has ever been nor will be a book that could outshine this work of art. I have ordered the latest copy of this book and eagerly await its arrival. If you know what's good for you - BUY THIS BOOK NOW

This book is not only for HR professionals, but also a valuable resource for marketing professionals interested in tapping the growing Hispanic market segments.

With Latino Talent, Dr. Rodriguez makes a timely and thoughtful contribution to our national discussion about the changing face of the U.S. workforce. He manages to clarify and contextualize general Latino cultural norms and preferences while steering clear of counterproductive stereotypes. This kind of frank and deep exploration of our growing community's integration with "mainstream" America is critical to our collective journey toward true workplace diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Rodriguez does a remarkable job of clarifying the ambiguity that exists in defining Latinos. Regardless of how you interact with Latinos, including as an HR specialist or marketer of products and services, I highly recommend that you focus on Chapter 3 - "Latino Cultural Aspects." Dr. Rodriguez discusses how Latinos interact with others, including "collectivism, respeto, simpatia, personalismo, and communication" (p. 37). Knowledge of those concepts alone provides your organization with a competitive advantage. Without a doubt, I highly recommend "Latino Talent." - Dr. Jim Flores

This is an excellent reference for anyone that one that wants to gain a unique perspective on America's emerging workforce. Dr. Rodriguez treats the subject with unique insight based on research and practical experience. A "must have" for managers working with a diverse workforce.

The book was an easy read and very informative. It provided a lot of helpful insight into the Hispanic communitee. I have shared the book with my recruitment team to help my staff become more effective at recruiting top Hispanic talent.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone in the recruitment space.

Lisa Rodriguez
Director, Talent Acquisition
Abbott

Kirk is a great colleague I'm fortunate to know. Lavender Road is a wonderful book. He dared to do this original study when very few had the courage to do so. The material is extremely helpful, no matter where you are in your career journey. You'll see yourself in these pages. His suggestions are sound and research-based, and, if followed, will help many increase their career satisfaction (and possibly their income too!).

Gay or straight with gay loved ones, you will gain much from reading this book! I would also encourage college career counselors and company leaders and managers to read this book to better understand what it's like for their GLBT colleagues, employees, managers, etc.

While gay men and lesbians have been "out" for awhile, some of us find that our careers are stalled and that in point of fact there may be a "pink ceiling" through which few of us are allowed to pass, like the rich men through the camel's eye in the Bible. Even graduation from a good school like USC might not be enough in and of itself to help you, particularly with a newly resurgent homophobia rampant throughout America. The Lavender Road to Success may have an embarrassing title, but the money you pay for this may be the best 15 dollars you'll ever spend. And of course with Amazon it's only $12.17 or whatever.

Kirk Snyder's done a lot of research. Is there anyone he hasn't talked to? The anecdotes and life experiences of others are sometimes tedious, like being forced to watch hours of other people's home movies of their vacations, but Snyder brings these stories to life, and we feel that we are not alone in our struggles for validation and also, of course, for more money and success in the marketplace. Do you remember the old movie "Gypsy," with Rosalind Russell playing Mama Rose, and how she kept herself and her girls going by moving from town to town always seeking our former lodge brothers of her late husband? She'd give the "secret handshake" and she'd be in like Flynn. Snyder's program involves this kind of "secret brotherhood" but in addition he presages a sort of gay meritocracy where each rises on his (or her) own merits and on what we have that's unique to us which we can bring to the table. Even if you have your own successful career you might still be interested in this book (you could always develop noblesse oblige and give it as a Christmas gift to your less-succesful exes over whom you're triumphing at the moment). As Snyder reminds us, we meet the same people going up as we did going down.

This book greatly exceeded my expectations. I expected to get a career book with the usual (albeit) useful information, and instead found myself unable to put it down. Kirk Snyder gets his message across by introducing the reader to amazing gays and lesbians who have experienced all kinds of good and bad things in their careers and then translates it into great career advice. Reading this book is like meeting new friends who teach you all kinds of powerful lessons--and not just about how to do well in your career but in life. Gays and straights alike should read this book. If more straight people read books like this there would be less homophobia in the world.

Kirk Snyder's "Lavender Road to Success" is not just about success and money. Itýs about really getting honest with who you are as a gay person and believing that you are worth going after your dreams. Snyderýs ý7 Points of Successý is worth the price of the book alone. Finally, somebody "gets it" when it comes to being gay and creating your own career success.

A lot of career books just talk around issues, but this one cuts to the chase, in part due to the stories Snyder tells about other gay people all over the country. I didn't go to USC, but I felt like I knew all of these people so well and learned so much from them. I have never seen a compilation this complete and so well told. It's actually a page-turner which surprised me.

The exercises in the book seemed like they were written just for me, which after reading this book, I know that others have experienced so much of what I have went through in my own life. Reading the book gave me a plan of my own to move ahead and I also feel like I'm part of a greater whole.

Amazingly fascinating and helpful book! As a career professional, I would recommend this book for all college and university libraries and career centers across the country! Kirk Snyder's book is also very beneficial for those in the work force who need insight and encouragement to select a work environment that is supportive, and that fits with your interests and values. Mr. Snyder's research results, personal stories, and career exercises are motivating, helpful, and heartening. This is a landmark career book that everyone should read!

Having worked as a Career Consultant I find the information Allan has put forth to be very accurate and helpful in making a career change or the decision to focus on moving upward in your chosen field.

The process Allan uses continues to be appropriate everyday not only in career transition but also everyday life. This book is worth reading time and time again in order to keep refreshed on the process.

Ed Kuntz

I've never enjoyed reading career/job search kinds of books. Never, never, never. I also hate interviews, and I panic when I think about my résumé.

But Allan Hay's Memory Mining: Digging for Gems from Your Past Good Work, at only 100 pages, didn't bother me so much.

I met Allan Hay at PNBA Trade Show in September, and after listening him talk to other people about their job search issues, I figured this was a book that I actually needed. Besides, it was short. It couldn't be too painful, right?

It wasn't.

It was helpful; definitely what I needed to hear. Allan breaks down the job search for you, and focuses on having you figure out what you are good at, and how that meets the company's needs. He understands that if you're just looking for any job, you're not going to be happy, and neither will the company.

Here are a couple of his main points that I found useful:

First: Job descriptions are rarely accurate. The job changes with the person holding it, and the HR people doing the hiring don't always know the ins and outs of that specific position. So you need to break down the description and glean as much information from that as possible, and then do research about not only the company, but the position you're applying for. So you start by breaking the job description down in to each individual function. Once you've identified all the possible functions from the description and your research, the memory mining begins.

Second: You have more experience than you think. Experience does not only come from your formal education and your previous job that was exactly like the one you're applying for. It also comes from volunteer work, the books you have read, and the individual qualities you have. So you mine your memory for any example of you using a quality that matches each function in the job description and turn it in to a story or example of how you'll be fantastic for them.

Third: It's all about caring. That's right--you have to actually want the job you're applying for, care about your professional image, and put in some effort. I guess that's not what anyone really wants to hear. We all would like to have one résumé that works for every job, standard answers to memorize for the interview, etc. But that just isn't how it works. Every person is different, likewise, every company and every job are different, too. So you have to individualize your presentation.

Allan has easy to digest worksheets to make the memory mining process easier, and ways to apply the information you dig up on your résumé, cover letter, and interview answers. Above all, I like Allan's attitude: you have to work hard to get the job you want, so you don't want to settle for just any job. Allan makes it clear that just because you can do a job, doesn't mean you'll like it. And if you don't enjoy your work, your employer probably isn't going to enjoy paying you to be miserable. The bottom line: put in the extra effort to match yourself up with the right job, and every one will be happier. Bonus: Allan makes the process pretty simple for you. All you have to do is think!

Karli Clift
www.yourinklings.com

There are a lot books on job finding out there. Most offer a minefield of methodologies, processes, and systems that absolutely positively guarantee success in finding the "perfect" career.

Allan Hay's "Memory Mining" has something more useful. He focuses on a single strategy of self-discovery that literally compels jobs candidates to identify their skills, interests, and accomplishments by reviewing past successes. By "mining" these nuggets, the candidate builds a wealth of information on real achievements that have the potential to not only define career direction but also create the foundation for résumés and interviews. The term "memory mining" is the perfect designation for a system I have successfully used in my own career consulting practice.

"Memory Mining" is a modest book, barely 100 pages. But good things can come in small packages and like the other kind of mining, the results can be "the stuff that dreams are made of."



Gary Kanter

Career & Resume Consultant

Career Management Resources

Bellevue, WA

"Memory Mining" refers to one's ability to remember successful work stories when applying for a new job. Allan Hay has developed the concept to assist job seekers perform better, particularly during the recruitment interview. The ability of a job applicant to be able to remember things they have done well is important in all interviews and particularly so when the interviewer is using a technique called Behaviour Event Interviewing (BEI).

BEI has been around for many years and is now used by an increasing number of recruiters. It calls for the applicant to recall past behaviour that may be similar to that required in the proposed job. So, applicants who can easily recall successful events will perform well in these types of interviews.

The nub of Memory Mining is contained in Chapters 3 and 4. Here the author lays out a simple way for job applicants to review their skills and compare then to the position for which they are applying. Once the applicant has identified and matched previous skills and work experiences to the job requirements, it is suggested to:
* Write the story from your perspective
* Pick a specific action you took or an ongoing job you perform that illustrates this skill
* Explain how you did it
* State the positive result
Good advice for all job seekers.

There are also many other tips for job seekers in Memory Mining such as how to update your résumé. However, I particularly liked the "cover letter" which is so often underutilised by job seekers. Recommended for anyone applying for a new job and particularly for first time job seekers.

Bob Selden, author What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers

We all need to search for a new job at some point of our life. Allan Hay, a professional career management and development consultant advises you not to just look for the next job, but the right and best job for you with the help of "Memory Mining."

Allan starts by coaching you on how to uncover and develop your own unique success stories for your job interviews. He defines "Memory Mining" as "...reach back through all your education, training, and job experiences to find the contributions you've made during your day-to-day experience." He wrote: "Honesty and enthusiasm result from our willing to look at ourselves before looking elsewhere for our best."

"Memory Mining: Digging for Gems from Your Past Good Work" covers every aspect of job hunting and interviews, including job description and requirements and "Memory Mining," prioritizing your skills, updating your resume the easy way, a cover letter designed to grab the reader, responding to posted job opening, the promise and pitfalls of interviews, etc. Allan discusses not only how to create a good resume to include your formal education, special training, relevant work experience and transferable skills, but also how to write a cover letter to place "positive expectations in the mind of the reader even before he or she has looked at your resume."

"Memory Mining: Digging for Gems from Your Past Good Work" has 112 pages (including "Content," "foreword" and "Acknowledgements") and is a great book and a gold mine itself. It is a must-have for job seekers!

Many candidates mistakenly think that if they only get the interview their personality and speaking skills will seal the deal. As a result, they do not practice or put their best foot forward. The book is a great tool for the experienced executive, inside candidate or new graduate - everyone benefits from evaluating their unique fit for a postion using the structure and advice set forth by Drake. There is nothing like taping yourself answering the 10 most common questions to appreciate your opportunity to clarify your value proposition.

I have used this book personally and given it to my friends and colleagues - who have used it. I know of no one who has used this book and not been offered the job.

This book is only 200 pages and can be read in a day or two. It is well organized. The first section is how to locate that perfect job and land an interview. Drake makes suggestions for networking, employment agencies, and executive search firms, with examples of contact letters and other great materials. He then takes you into the interview prep phase. He starts with helping you look right - professional, prepared, and confident. The next sections take you through the interview process, and he goes through the 10 "standard questions" asked by interviewers. "Tell me about yourself" "What are you strengths/weaknesses" and so forth. I throughly enjoyed how he assists you in forumlating the proper responses so they are professional and you feel confident. He then assists you in follow-ups, and the much desired negotiation phase. Drake helps you to be prepared from start to finish with this book. You MUST go through his skill builders as these are key to being prepared, confident, and winning that perfect job. I strongly recommend this book to all in the job market, whether it be administrative, technical, or other. I won my first interview and got the job I had dreamed of. The others did not answer as confidently as I did, nor did they state thier answers in a professional and knowledgeable manner. I owe my new job to this book. Be prepared, be professional, and be confident. Read this book, do the skill builders on paper and go over them. This is one book that will help you land that perfect career. Good luck!

The Perfect Interview is the interviewing book I recommend to all my outplacement clients.It clearly explains what applicants must do to make the most positive interview impact. In addition, the book provides practical exercices for developing skills to optimally respond to the interviewer's questions.

This book saves me countless hours in coaching my clients. They say that the book is easy-to-read and really helps them understand what it takes to successfully convey their skills and positive personal qualities.

I would highly recommend this book for job interviewing preparation. Also recommended for job interview preparation are the job interview guides published by Vault.com, including the Vault Guide to the Case Interview and the Vault Guide to Finance Interviews. Good luck!

The perfect interview was exactly the book I needed. It showed me how to present my personality qualitities and job experience in a way that makes a positive impact. During my recent interview (after reading the book) I felt relaxed and confident because knew what I was going to say and how to say it. And, best of all: I got the job!

Lester used humor and orgainzed writing metholodgy to teach you how to start your career. She acted as a mother to give you much advice on evaluating yourself and employer, writing resume, preparing interview and following up; but I sure your mother never told you these.

I spent six weeks looking for a job before I bought this book, and one week looking after I read it. Great strategy, easy to read. Helped me get my current job.

I recently bought Real Life Guide to Life After College to learn how to write my resume. This book includes software to build a paper resume and an online one also. I graduate next month and already have tons of interviews set up thanks to the tips in this book. Although I haven't yet read them, there are sections in here on managing your money and the Internet too.

I am about to graduate from New Mexico State University with a BS in Marketing. I bought this book, followed the directions, and I landed a cool job that I start right after graduation. The biggest thing I got out of it was how to approach interviews and sell myself to the interviewer.

You might be able to find a number of books with advice on starting your career, but you won't find one with as consistently good advice - or as practical. At the same time, the Real Life Guides give you a readable book. With advice like this, hopefully you'll be able to avoid mistakes others have made for you.

This outstanding book is more relevant for women of 2000 than ever before, because Sequencing--a term the author coined--has now become the preferred way of life for millions of women throughout the country who have predicated their own life choices on the concepts set forth in the book. This new edition of the groundbreaking study elucidates how women make their choices regarding fulltime careers, leaving fulltime work to mother their children, then developing a host of methods to use their training and expertise in new ways. Today this book is the paradigm for the way almost all married mothers choose to design and redesign their adult lives. It is a MUST for all married mothers, as well as for women contemplating motherhood.

I was so fortunate to able to stay home with my daughter full-time. Before I stayed home full-time, I had had a varied and lucrative career life. But being a mom was my priority. When my daughter went to pre-school, I started working part-time and now that she's in kindergarten, I'm working full-time as a librarian, and my career choice allows me to work around my daughter's school schedule. I can take her to school and pick her up after school. I am now working in my dream field, and my job is only going to continue to grow and allow me to advance. If I hadn't been able to take the time off for my daughter, I don't think I would have found such fulfillment in my career life once I decided to re-enter the workforce. This book is great support for Moms who choose to stay home full-time and put their career life on hold for a few years!

This is the first book I've read that gives a concise, accurate account of the dilemma professional women face once they become or consider becoming mothers. It provides welcome support of moms who are called to stay at home with their children during the precious preschool years and beyond. It also provides strategies on how women can later reintegrate their careers to meet their needs and the needs of their families rather than those of their employers. I highly recommend Sequencing to all working moms!

This is an important book for working mothers who want to stay home to raise their children. It is a scholarly, qualitative study of 350 women who left their jobs to raise their families. Sequencing is unique, I believe, for its feminist critical analysis of Western (particularly American) feminist theory. The author argues that the model of feminism made famous by women such as Betty Friedan is based on the male or "fatherhood" model of working outside the home, with children raised by a substitute caregiver. Her problem with this model is that it excludes and avoids addressing the special choices and needs of mothers of infants and young children, many (if not most) of whom feel a very strong desire to be with and nurture their offspring, full-time. But rather than hurling simplistic and reactionary insults at modern feminists, the author constructively contributes to the Nature vs. Nurture debate and contemporary feminist literature. I did feel, however, that Cardozo's analysis suffered from the same classism and racism as Western feminism generally. I found myself searching for examples of African-American women and poor women who took very real and consequential risks, who truly sacrificed every possibility of achieving the American Dream, in order to stay home with their children. I found one example: one young woman interviewed made a tormenting decision to raise her baby in a ghetto rather than ship her off to a relative or daycare provider while she worked outside the home. But even though the author paid lip service to poor women, I ultimately felt like this book was written mostly about and for white, middle class, college-educated women who give up professional careers--not poor women who sacrifice everything--to stay home and raise their children. I kept searching for inspiration from an example that spoke to my own needs and my own situation, and didn't find it. Although the book at least attempted to achieve class parity, which is more than a number of others written on this subject have done, its classism and racism left some holes that deserve better attention. Nevertheless, Sequencing offers a unique and titillating twist on the discussion of modern feminism and is extremely relevant for mothers of the '90s. I highly recommend it. Sharon Reilly (jdreilly@ntplx.net

Sequencing, a term coined by the author, is the process ofmaking adjustments in your life and career so that you are able tostay home with your children during their formative years. There areso many ways to do this, from starting a home business to quittingwork altogether and reentering the workforce years later. This is theaffirmation that women who opt to stay at home with their childrenhave been waiting for. This book and philosophy have become the basisof a national organization called "Mothers & More"(formerly known as F.E.M.A.L.E.) that works as a support group forSAHMs and as an advocate for their rights as members of theworkforce...I can't say enough about this organization! It hasbrought an end to the isolation and routine of being a full-time mom.