Review by naomisorge -- Finding A Job in Tough Times
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naomisorge
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Review by naomisorge -- Finding A Job in Tough Times
[Following is a volunteer review of "Finding A Job in Tough Times" by Dr. Tim Johnson.]
We all know how it feels to be unemployed or underemployed. Confidence is low, money is tight, and motivation is hard to come by. Finding A Job in Tough Times by Dr. Tim Johnson aims to change that. It contains exercises and advice intended to help job seekers of all ages and backgrounds find a new job. The first edition of this book was published in 2002, with the 4th and most recent edition published in 2019.
I chose this book because part of my job is helping unemployed people build their confidence and skills. With the rapid pace of change in the job market, I'm always looking for new information. However, I would not recommend this book to any of my clients.
The book contains several sections featuring exercises that aim to help the reader refine and clarify their job search. There is an introductory section where readers are asked questions to help them define themselves and their careers to date. The book then moves on to what Dr. Johnson calls The 6 Steps to Success. These are: re-define yourself, re-define your goals, re-examine limitations, create opportunities, and never say no.
As steps to success go, these sound pretty good, regardless of the unnecessary hyphenation. I liked the encouragement for readers to tell and interpret their own stories and improve on all areas of their lives, including relationships, public service, and education. However, in many places, there was no mention of what readers should do with the answers to the questions posed in the exercises, or how the answers would be helpful to their job search.
There were also a lot of points where I was left wondering what the author was trying to do. For example, under the heading "What does the future look like?" were the words, complete with odd spacing and in capitals,
"IN A WORD
BLEAK"
Hardly encouraging for someone who is struggling with unemployment!
There were plenty of other moments where I questioned why certain statements were included. For example, when the author, an older white man, emphasizes that it's extra hard to find a job when there are so many immigrants who will work for less. Or that employment agencies only collect resumés to make themselves look good and that they have no intention of reading yours. Such statements are not only wildly inaccurate but also seem very discouraging.
I was also surprised to discover that the discussion of online activities that can help or hinder someone in their job search is very limited. There are a few links to different websites scattered throughout the book. But there is no discussion of how one could use social media to find a job, for example. And there is also no mention of the importance of making sure that all one's photos and statuses on social media accounts are work-appropriate. In an era where social media is a big part of people's lives, its lack of inclusion in the book is a major oversight. The book does contain an exercise about updating your profile on LinkedIn, however the chapter preceding this exercise doesn't mention the website at all.
I would rate this book 2 out of 4. It would be ok for someone who is looking for a basic guide to analyzing their skills, abilities, and goals and is comfortable doing so with the limited guidance contained in the book. But if you're looking for a guide to modern job searching, particularly making use of online resources and social networking, you will be better served by a different book.
******
Finding A Job in Tough Times
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We all know how it feels to be unemployed or underemployed. Confidence is low, money is tight, and motivation is hard to come by. Finding A Job in Tough Times by Dr. Tim Johnson aims to change that. It contains exercises and advice intended to help job seekers of all ages and backgrounds find a new job. The first edition of this book was published in 2002, with the 4th and most recent edition published in 2019.
I chose this book because part of my job is helping unemployed people build their confidence and skills. With the rapid pace of change in the job market, I'm always looking for new information. However, I would not recommend this book to any of my clients.
The book contains several sections featuring exercises that aim to help the reader refine and clarify their job search. There is an introductory section where readers are asked questions to help them define themselves and their careers to date. The book then moves on to what Dr. Johnson calls The 6 Steps to Success. These are: re-define yourself, re-define your goals, re-examine limitations, create opportunities, and never say no.
As steps to success go, these sound pretty good, regardless of the unnecessary hyphenation. I liked the encouragement for readers to tell and interpret their own stories and improve on all areas of their lives, including relationships, public service, and education. However, in many places, there was no mention of what readers should do with the answers to the questions posed in the exercises, or how the answers would be helpful to their job search.
There were also a lot of points where I was left wondering what the author was trying to do. For example, under the heading "What does the future look like?" were the words, complete with odd spacing and in capitals,
"IN A WORD
BLEAK"
Hardly encouraging for someone who is struggling with unemployment!
There were plenty of other moments where I questioned why certain statements were included. For example, when the author, an older white man, emphasizes that it's extra hard to find a job when there are so many immigrants who will work for less. Or that employment agencies only collect resumés to make themselves look good and that they have no intention of reading yours. Such statements are not only wildly inaccurate but also seem very discouraging.
I was also surprised to discover that the discussion of online activities that can help or hinder someone in their job search is very limited. There are a few links to different websites scattered throughout the book. But there is no discussion of how one could use social media to find a job, for example. And there is also no mention of the importance of making sure that all one's photos and statuses on social media accounts are work-appropriate. In an era where social media is a big part of people's lives, its lack of inclusion in the book is a major oversight. The book does contain an exercise about updating your profile on LinkedIn, however the chapter preceding this exercise doesn't mention the website at all.
I would rate this book 2 out of 4. It would be ok for someone who is looking for a basic guide to analyzing their skills, abilities, and goals and is comfortable doing so with the limited guidance contained in the book. But if you're looking for a guide to modern job searching, particularly making use of online resources and social networking, you will be better served by a different book.
******
Finding A Job in Tough Times
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The MISOGI Method by Jody B. Miller
