4 out of 4 stars
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Career Guidance for Now and for the Future is an advice book by Melissa Hume. The author started RCI Success, an Australia-based business that helps people write resumes, sharpen their interview skills and more.
The book starts off with a lot of practical advice about looking for a job. Some of the tips are standard fare, like what to wear on an interview. However, even with these more common notions, the author goes into appropriate depth. The focus isn’t solely on landing the job. The book also covers how to negotiate a pay raise, starting one’s own business, psychology in the workplace and so much more. She shares her relevant, career-related experiences for the reader’s benefit in addition to her behind-the-scenes knowledge. Ultimately, the author provides a full view of the job selection process from all perspectives: the job seeker, the hiring company, the recruiting office, interviewers, and even the receptionist.
Each chapter is fittingly divided into subsections that relate to the overall topic of the chapter. There are also bullet point lists, checklists, and numbered lists. The book is highly organized and easy to follow. The dos and don’ts for each topic are well explained. There are exercises for the reader to complete and several sample emails, resumes, and cover letters. The book is written in a comprehensible manner, particularly when it comes to certain things that aren’t common knowledge. The author also notes that many of the rules concerning the job selection process aren’t set in stone. It is up to the reader in many cases to make a decision, such as whether to include references on one’s CV. She provides sufficient guidelines and explanations so that readers can make informed decisions on how to present themselves to potential employers.
I’ll say now that I was really impressed by this book. I wrote down a lot of the tips in my notes, some for my own benefit and others just because they were things that people really should consider. An example of the latter is not using terms one doesn’t understand. It’s better to be oneself rather than try too hard to be falsely impressive. There’s a certain balance to strike. One of my favorite pieces of advice was a line of questioning job seekers should ask themselves: “Is this really an achievement? Would a potential employer read it and think, Who cares?” Putting a lot of stuff on a resume just to make it seem longer and fuller isn’t very beneficial. It’s the quality and relevancy of the content that matters.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was very thorough and seemed to cover everything, certainly more than I was expecting. The author points out a lot of things that I’ve been at fault of doing and provided practical advice that I will be sure to use in the future. When I initially picked this book out, I figured that it would reiterate things that can easily be found online. However, I learned a lot of new information or at least considered things to a greater degree than I ever had before. Some parts of the book are tailored to Australians. For the most part, the advice seemed to be universal. I’d highly recommend this guidebook to anyone on the hunt for a new job or just starting out in the workforce.
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Career Guidance for Now and for the Future
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