Review: How to Find A Great Job in the Great Recession

This a review of the book, "How to Find A Great Job in the Great Recession" by Rob Wolf. I attended the Transitioning Professionals Thursday Meetings while in Tampa. Although, I did not attend the Job Search BootCamps. The program Rob offers is the first in a succession of programs. The second being the Team Up! by Orville Pierson. The third program is one on resumes and interviewing preparation. Although, Rob's program touches on this aspect and networking too.

Years prior to meeting Rob through an APICS career counselor, I had already performed much of the activities Rob touts in his book. I had developed with a CPA a financial vision that had been tracking well for many years up to 2009. Expenses were already streamlined and I was focused on the stated objectives of my plan. I knew what I wanted to do and already had a plan in place. However, following 2009 that effort went out the window with the down economy. I had actually prepared for the anticipated economic down turn but did not anticipate the savage economics of change politics that occurred simultaneously. During this time, I focused on completing some schooling, obtaining some certifications, and tried to find something reasonable that could utilize my skill sets. I was relegated to a situation in which I had to wait the environmental circumstances out. The program discusses bridging the gap on page 59-60.

Overall, Rob Wolf's work is salient and to the point. The book is a excellent guide for some one just coming into the job search situation or has been there with low results. I did find a few things that I did in my preparation that are missing in Rob's program and may strengthen Rob's program as well as also offering a new look at the book's organization. These will will be addressed in the review.

How to Find A Great Job in the Great Recession

Rob's program is a marketing program designed to prepare the job seeker for networking and the job search. The program has been running for over 9 years as has undergone several updates and revisions. The most recent revision is "How to Find A Great Job in the Great Recession: 12 Steps to A Job Recovery". The program addresses the 12 steps in 12 chapters as follows:

1. Mission Statement
2. Vision Statement
3. Assessment and Values
4. Financial Review
5. Marketing Plan
6. Networking
7. Resumes
8. Interviewing
9. Recruiters
10. Entrepreneurship
11. Accountability and Building a Strong Calendar
12. Ageism

This program is a method that works well. A stronger focus may require some reorganization of the process and grouping of the topical areas into functional topics. This is not to take away from the program but perhaps strengthen the program into functional categories. These are in no favored order. 

1. Baseline Assessment; ( Financial Review, Assessments and Values )
2. Survival Plan (Entrepreneurship, Bridging the gaps, Streamlining)
3. Strategic Plan (Vision, Mission, and Objectives)
4. Marketing Plan (Resumes, Networking, Interviewing, Channels )
5. Challenges (Ageism, moving targets, depression, rejection, recruiters, etc...)
6. Staying the course (Accountability, Strong Calendaring, volunteerism)

The Mission and Vision Statements: These are chapters 01 and 02 in the book. I agree that every marketing plan has a mission. Nonetheless, the process seems to have the vision and mission statements in reverse order. The vision usually comes first then one or more missions to effect the vision or portions of the vision. The program provides worksheets to help a person through the visioning and mission development process. Objectives fall out of the mission statement and are specific focused goals that guide the search. The objective process seems to have been missed as part of strategy development but addressed indirectly in the Financial and more directly in the Marketing planning. Despite these minor burble's, the mission and visioning preparation is excellent and focuses the job seeker on a narrower scope of the job search effort in order to yield higher results.

Assessments and Values and Financial Review: These are chapters 03 and 04 in the book. Assessments and values are about getting to know yourself. This can be taken to the extreme but the book keeps this process salient and to the point by assessing strengths and weaknesses generally found in four assessment areas. Numerous questions are posed for the reader to contemplate. As part of the assessment there is an environmental focus as well. Understanding the ground situation is essential to navigating the search. The financial review is in-depth discussing net worth, taxes, planning and survival tips. Several websites are offered in support of the assessments and financial review as well as worksheets and numerous tips. The objective overall is to streamline expenses.

The Strength and weakness assessment should be expanded to the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) method. Opportunities should be assessed by looking at skills and abilities that may apply to the search and survival in new ways. Threats are those things that diminish your market efforts such as skill obsolesces and overwhelming competition in a market segment.

Marketing Plan and Networking: Chapters 05 and 06 are the guts of the program. There is a short-term and long-term Marketing Plan. The short-term plan develops your brand and bring into focus your career search. The program focuses on networking, goals, and your skills and abilities. The long term marketing plan focuses building a network by not going at it alone - networking. The networking chapter goes into detail on how to build productive networks providing models and discussing the use of social networking. The program offers tips, asks thought provoking questions, and provides a template for the marketing plan. Overall, these chapters are well prepared covering most aspects. One missing aspect is the use of professional organizations to access opportunities.

Resumes and Interviewing: Chapter 7 and 8 cover the most common aspects of the job search. The best way to find work is to network and the resume is your billboard. The program discusses the human resource systems, the do's and don'ts, writing the resume, resume types, cover letters, as well as providing checklists, tips, and some cautionary notes. Interviewing is a challenge and the program covers the types of interviews, researching companies, a variety of interview questions, and questions you ask. This part of the program is well developed as it has had a lot of focus over the years.

Recruiters and Entrepreneurship: Chapters 9 and 10 focus on employment avenues through recruiting and entrepreneurial channels. The program goes over the types of recruiters, staff agencies, and scams. Gamification is a newer method of screening and vetting future employees. The program discusses this process. Entrepreneurship is a method of creating income when the job search plateaus. The program looks at different aspects of entrepreneurship such as franchising. At this point in the game, the job seeker is transitioning to another means of income other than working for someone. This is a necessary discussion.

Accountability and Building a Strong Calendar: Chapter 11 focuses on staying the course and being accountable to your plan and statements. the program provides forms, calendars, and worksheets for staying on target. Time management and accountability systems can become overburdening. This program keeps the effort salient and simple.

Ageism: Chapter 12 discusses the less pleasant aspect of society - discrimination. The program touches on age based discrimination providing many tips and discussing personal care. This is only one challenging factor in the job search. Other forms of discrimination are present as well as inequitable hiring practices. The program does not touch on these issues and how to compete in these other situations or other challenges.

Overall, the program is a strong program and gets people thinking in the terms of the search. In short, the program gets your head in the game. The book guides people through the process and the Boot Camp enhances the practice with all the forms, dialogue, and personalized guidance. I strongly recommend this program.

References:

Wolf, R. (2014) How to find a great job in the great recession: 12 steps to a job recovery. OutSkirtPress: Denver.