by Fred Coon
Monster Careers: How to Land the Job of Your Life
Jeff Taylor with Doug Hardy
Penguin Books 2004
Jeff Taylor is a well-known figure in the world of entrepreneurs and business circles worldwide. Aren’t familiar with the name? Jeff is the founder of Monster©, the world’s largest and most powerful job board service. Jeff has just completed a new book with Doug Hardy, the General Manager and Editor of Monster Careers.
I was contacted by Doug a few weeks ago and asked if I would consider reviewing their new book in The Gladiator. During our conversation, I was delighted to learn that not only does Doug subscribe to The Gladiator but so do many others on the Monster staff.
I have decided to break this book review into two parts. The article today focuses on overall philosophy, format and ease of reader use. In the next issue of The Gladiator, I will focus on specific content and its use as a guide for navigating the job search process.
As many of you who have read The Gladiator know, I am not prone to overstating things. Perhaps because of Jeff’s descriptions of his recommended search tactics, I was drawn to the overall tone the book sets for the reader. Its solid, dead-on approach to many of the obstacles faced by job seekers in today’s economy not only reflects my own thinking, but the practices employed by our team of professional placement experts.
PHILOSOPHY
Jeff points out that not only has the composition of the job market and the profile of the job seeker changed, so has the time frame for their holding a job. Job seekers are facing competition much more fierce than previously anticipated. One of the great points made in Jeff’s book deals with his “Never Settle” philosophy of the employment cycle. This too, is a two-edged sword. There are both employee and employer dynamics to this cycle.
The main point is to learn, to get better by working with peers and mentors, and to understand your worth and compare your worth to others. Then either move up or move on. From the company side, their function is to recruit great talent, train that talent, increase your skills and subsequent productivity and then the natural selection process of produce or move on takes place.
Maybe this is oversimplified, but the essence of the statement is true. Jeff does a great job of graphing both of these processes; and they become clear as to the reader’s place and role in each.
One of the philosophies of the book is Jeff’s presentation of the “new” job search basics. As those of us who are career professionals already know, the world has turned and the concepts used even five years ago to secure employment are now, many times, considered invalid. This is due to current web-based technology and how it is used in major corporations. Unlike many authors, Jeff doesn’t dwell on this forever but does present the reader with an overview of the current situation in the employment struggle.
The theme of the book is founded on Jeff’s philosophy of F.A.M.E., which is stated as follows:
Think like a Free Agent
Train like an Athlete
Prepare like a Marketer
Work like an Entrepenuer
He follows this theme throughout the book. Let me digress to simply say that we set rules that are reviewed by our clients before we accept them as placement candidates. Jeff’s book hammers home the same philosophy we hold dear regarding developing and maintaining a positive attitude, thinking outside the box, working your buns off to get ready, doing more and better homework than the competition and then using all of your wiles to achieve success. This philosophy is a must for personal and professional success – without exception.
FORMAT
I suppose the thing I respect the most is the wide variety of credible sources used in its compilation. Contributors are given credit, not only in the preface and dedication section where one expect to see that sort of thing, but also throughout the book as specific topics are addressed. Some of the names you will recognize, others you will not. Doesn’t matter, really, it is a very prestigious list of contributors providing excellent ideas and advice.
The book is laid out beautifully, unlike some career books I have seen that are presented to the reader with either too much text (boring or great late-night sleep remedy) or confusing (too many cartoons, margin junk, hype and meaningless stuff) and therefore pretty lame.
Jeff’s book shows an excellent balance of text and graphic inserts that support the narrative points well. We human beings like stories. Jeff includes excellent supporting stories in the book and that helps to break up the narrative with graphically pleasing supporting information.
The type font is Gil Sans. The line spacing is nicely separated, thereby making it easy reading for those of us over 50. So for those who must wear glasses, you won’t get cross-eyed trying to read the print. My compliments to the layout team who actually set the book in its easily readable form. It is one of the best I’ve seen in this regard.
The book begins with a discussion of the job market and follows the job search process from the beginnings of the search to the successful acceptance of the new position and beyond. It is sequential in its approach and that is helpful to any job seeker who searches for a guide to the process of securing a new position.
WEB SUPPORT
Jeff offers web-based references throughout the book by introducing Trumpasaurus, the Monster character symbolizing the company in all web, print and TV media campaigns. Throughout the book, he inserts “Trump” to note where the reader can log onto Monster and find relevant information about the particular subject that they are reading.
This is a great way to communicate to the reader about where to find resources. To find the material referenced, the reader must type the URL (hopefully correctly the first time) into their computer as they explore the site. A few of the exercises he shows in print are, by their very nature, tedious. No matter the author, this cannot be helped. I faced the same problem with my own book, Ready Aim Hired.
For example, Jeff attacks the problem of developing and tracking an active network. Seems simple. But with a multiplier of two or three for each network source, it can explode into literally hundreds of leads and ends to follow and tracking this becomes a logistical nightmare.
With the tremendous resources available today, the author must at least debate the dilemma of print versus web as a means of book delivery. Interactive web-based exercises allow the reader to complete their exercises quickly and, at the same time, retain the ability to save their answers for later use or alteration, as their particular circumstances change.
Authors providing a full spectrum of reader involvement by utilizing the technology resources available to them will be rewarded by the reader for providing a better “total” reader experience. That is why I look forward to hopefully seeing Jeff and Doug put the links and exercises on CD-Rom in an interactive web-based format to make it easier for the job seeker to manage and execute their job search.
EASE OF USE
This part of the review is really easy to write. The book is very user friendly. It flows well and provides great examples throughout the book. There are certain examples that I found really, really helpful and instructive and will describe those in my next review that will be out in two weeks. At that time, I will focus specifically on the book’s content.