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This Is How to Get Your Next Job: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want
“Why didn’t you hire the last ten people you interviewed and passed on?” Leading career expert and syndicated columnist Andrea Kay asked numerous employers that single, simple question because of what she felt seemed a glaring disconnect in the business world--millions of educated, qualified people either out of work or unhappily employed, despite an increasing number of companies with job openings they can’t seem to fill. How could that be? This Is How to Get Your Next Job is the story of her quest for answers and, more importantly, the surprising conclusions she was led to by these employers frustrated with not being able to fill these positions. The overwhelmingly common answers she received time after time were not about skills or experience but about how applicants behaved and spoke during the interview. From lack of preparation, to pushiness, to a subtly defensive attitude, these simple behaviors that prospective employees exhibited before, during, and after interviews ended up nullifying their otherwise-qualified résumé.Now, in this well-researched book based on candid insights from real-life employers, job hunters can learn how to take control of how they come across to the people in charge of giving them the exciting, rewarding opportunities they are seeking. Show them why you’re the perfect fit for their job!
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 5, 2015
This author is completely out of touch with the job market. Her examples are about CEOs who are doing dinner interviews and full day interviews. Many of her examples and anecdotes have no application to a job seeker other than at the executive level, and the rest of the advice is so common sense as to be useless, such as be on time. Although, she says, be on time or let them know. As though you would have a way to contact them! In general, you do not have contact information for the interviewer, if you can even find out who will be interviewing you! Also, 80% of the interviewers have a sheet of paper with predetermined questions that are required to be answered by someone else, as part of the interview process. At least, that is very common at a larger corporation.
December 28, 2019
The book begins well, and takes a high note. The spirit of the book hits the target, jobs are given for attitude, not for qualifications. Hired for Genius, Fired for Character.
The author captures all the aspects of cracking a job interview, except the technical details. This book works well for people who have mastered technical skills but are failing to impress the HRs or the Top level Management, which is extremely keen on the attitude of the employee along with the skills. So this book should not be viewed as the complete guide to cracking the interview. This book only helps in the last stage of the interview, when you open talks with people who do behavioral interviews or qualitative parts of the interview. Before you could reach this stage it is assumed that you have cleared the quantitative part of the interview. Which in turn is extremely critical. This book also has a lot of generic advice about how to dress, what to say and what not to say and how to behave in an interview and at work. How to build a portfolio etc... All the advice in the book is relevant to a job interview or any business meeting for that. It is also important to realize that you are always under the radar as you grow up the corporate ladder. Being watchful about oneself helps you be careful under the watchful eyes of the world.
The book hits the right notes mentioning all the ways in which the interviewers are trying to eliminate you, and are very nitpicky about the negative aspects of your resume. The interviewers are also very particular about your shortcomings, the author gives very beautiful tips about how to face the most difficult interview questions and convert them into opportunities to explain about yourself. The book loses its luster when it reaches the advice regarding attire, at this point the author is merely trying to fill pages. During the last few chapters of the book, the author has run out of steam and good advice to deliver. Other than that the book is extremely useful, the author has done her fair share of research asking people leading staffing companies and collecting the stats about interviews. The uniqueness of the author is that she managed to capture the spirit of the interview and the way to do an interview right! She does not go into the specifics of the interview. She has also captured very illustrative examples as case studies each time she tries to make a point about something.
The author captures all the aspects of cracking a job interview, except the technical details. This book works well for people who have mastered technical skills but are failing to impress the HRs or the Top level Management, which is extremely keen on the attitude of the employee along with the skills. So this book should not be viewed as the complete guide to cracking the interview. This book only helps in the last stage of the interview, when you open talks with people who do behavioral interviews or qualitative parts of the interview. Before you could reach this stage it is assumed that you have cleared the quantitative part of the interview. Which in turn is extremely critical. This book also has a lot of generic advice about how to dress, what to say and what not to say and how to behave in an interview and at work. How to build a portfolio etc... All the advice in the book is relevant to a job interview or any business meeting for that. It is also important to realize that you are always under the radar as you grow up the corporate ladder. Being watchful about oneself helps you be careful under the watchful eyes of the world.
The book hits the right notes mentioning all the ways in which the interviewers are trying to eliminate you, and are very nitpicky about the negative aspects of your resume. The interviewers are also very particular about your shortcomings, the author gives very beautiful tips about how to face the most difficult interview questions and convert them into opportunities to explain about yourself. The book loses its luster when it reaches the advice regarding attire, at this point the author is merely trying to fill pages. During the last few chapters of the book, the author has run out of steam and good advice to deliver. Other than that the book is extremely useful, the author has done her fair share of research asking people leading staffing companies and collecting the stats about interviews. The uniqueness of the author is that she managed to capture the spirit of the interview and the way to do an interview right! She does not go into the specifics of the interview. She has also captured very illustrative examples as case studies each time she tries to make a point about something.
July 26, 2013
I found this book extremely useful when undertaking my first job search in nearly 10 years. Very straightforward, useful, relatable advice - especially about thinking about evaluating myself from the point of view of a hiring manager.
October 11, 2023
Overall, the author is describing how to do better at understanding the rules and at playing a particular game. My main objection or disagreement it two fold: 1) not all employers play the game with these rules. 2) the employers that do play the game with these rules are often making bad decisions, missing out on talent, and dismissing otherwise strong candidates for reasons that are not related to the job.
Okay, on the rest of it.
Most of the advice in this book falls into one of two categories. The first category is advice that is really obvious and dull. These are things like don't lie about how you know people, don't fabricate references, don't have typos, don't be late, be polite, etc. If you are brand new to job hunting or if you have trouble being aware of social norms, then maybe those are helpful for you. The second category is playing the game. These are things that aren't necessarily correlated with or predictive of on-the-job performance. The book doesn't explicitly mention handshakes, but I label this as the handshake hypothesis: you can tell how good of an employee someone would be by evaluating something completely unrelated to on-the-job performance. The author seems to condone/endorse judging people based on their "usage of “Right?” with that question mark at the end."
A big theme seems to simply be smoothly navigating conversations, so if you don't know how to politely describe your former (toxic) work environment without coming across as whiney, then practice that.
There are some things that bridge the gap between these two categories, such as wearing iPod earphones when you walk into an interview. This might indicate that the candidate isn't aware of polite social norms, but also (depending on the role you hire for) listening to music while doing the job might be just fine.
This book seems to vacillate between the ideas of be your honest and genuine self, to find a role where you are a good fit and supplicate and beg for scraps for the chance to help the company. Phrases like "she may be looking for a job and not a career in our field" gave the impression that job hunters should pretend to love the company's mission. The idea of asking the interviewer questions to show how thoughtful you are is the epitome of this; penalizing someone for asking about benefits and working hours while rewarding someone for asking about how a position contribute to the company, goals, innovation, productivity, or profits. The idea of "money is not your priority" and "Would you take any job just for the money" seem to be disconnected from reality for most workers in the world.
This was the part that rang true to me most, thinking of all the random people that reach out with no context for why they are reaching out. It irritates me, so I felt slightly vindicated seeing the author also rant on this:
While we’re on the subject, how do you connect with other professionals on LinkedIn in an honest, straightforward way? The first “do” actually is a “don’t”: If you want to get in touch with someone you don’t know, do not send a request to “Join my network on LinkedIn.” That’s like saying, “You don’t know me. So you can’t really trust me. But I’d still like you to hand over your list of contacts so they can help me and my career.”
Okay, on the rest of it.
Most of the advice in this book falls into one of two categories. The first category is advice that is really obvious and dull. These are things like don't lie about how you know people, don't fabricate references, don't have typos, don't be late, be polite, etc. If you are brand new to job hunting or if you have trouble being aware of social norms, then maybe those are helpful for you. The second category is playing the game. These are things that aren't necessarily correlated with or predictive of on-the-job performance. The book doesn't explicitly mention handshakes, but I label this as the handshake hypothesis: you can tell how good of an employee someone would be by evaluating something completely unrelated to on-the-job performance. The author seems to condone/endorse judging people based on their "usage of “Right?” with that question mark at the end."
A big theme seems to simply be smoothly navigating conversations, so if you don't know how to politely describe your former (toxic) work environment without coming across as whiney, then practice that.
There are some things that bridge the gap between these two categories, such as wearing iPod earphones when you walk into an interview. This might indicate that the candidate isn't aware of polite social norms, but also (depending on the role you hire for) listening to music while doing the job might be just fine.
This book seems to vacillate between the ideas of be your honest and genuine self, to find a role where you are a good fit and supplicate and beg for scraps for the chance to help the company. Phrases like "she may be looking for a job and not a career in our field" gave the impression that job hunters should pretend to love the company's mission. The idea of asking the interviewer questions to show how thoughtful you are is the epitome of this; penalizing someone for asking about benefits and working hours while rewarding someone for asking about how a position contribute to the company, goals, innovation, productivity, or profits. The idea of "money is not your priority" and "Would you take any job just for the money" seem to be disconnected from reality for most workers in the world.
This was the part that rang true to me most, thinking of all the random people that reach out with no context for why they are reaching out. It irritates me, so I felt slightly vindicated seeing the author also rant on this:
While we’re on the subject, how do you connect with other professionals on LinkedIn in an honest, straightforward way? The first “do” actually is a “don’t”: If you want to get in touch with someone you don’t know, do not send a request to “Join my network on LinkedIn.” That’s like saying, “You don’t know me. So you can’t really trust me. But I’d still like you to hand over your list of contacts so they can help me and my career.”
August 14, 2019
As a recent college graduate, Andrea hit a lot of the "no, duh" questions that I've been wondering for months. If you're an experienced job searcher, perhaps this isn't the book for you, but my father was promoted from within the very first company he worked for, and my mom was a stay-at-home-mom for most of her career years, so neither was able to give me the basic advice I needed. I had no idea that jobs expect a personalized thank you note after every interview, or how to dodge the "what salary range do you expect" question, or how to seem charismatic. I've fallen to many of Andrea's "don't do this" items, such as responding with lots positive but meaningless phrases like "Wow!" and "Cool!" I now know how important it is to elaborate and how important it is to sell yourself. I really recommend this book for younger adults looking for their first career.
October 4, 2017
I currently work as a Career Advisor for the College of STEM at Eastern Washington University. My job is to help students find internships and jobs. Andrea did a wonderful job writing what employers want to see from people looking for jobs and in my case students looking for jobs. I was seeking validation on the work doing right now is current and best practice. I was happy to find that the advise, workshop/presentation I give to students daily is accurate and up to date. I especially loved hearing the employers perspective and was happy to discover that my employers are saying very similar things.
I recommend this book to everyone looking for work or planning on working sometime in the future (I guess this book is for everyone).
I recommend this book to everyone looking for work or planning on working sometime in the future (I guess this book is for everyone).
June 30, 2021
Written in 2013, the information is pretty dated. And it certainly isn't written for 2021's tech industry. Much of the book assumes that your resume and cover letter will end up in front of human eyes, so the first impression there is important. That just isn't the case anymore, optimizing keywords on your resume is so much more important than writing a genuine cover letter.
There's tons of examples in here about what NOT to do, so for workers just entering the workforce, there's probably some solid advice. But those that have been in it for a while, move on. You'll find more relevant information elsewhere.
There's tons of examples in here about what NOT to do, so for workers just entering the workforce, there's probably some solid advice. But those that have been in it for a while, move on. You'll find more relevant information elsewhere.
February 24, 2021
If employers are this pretentious then I don't want to work for them. If you say like too many times or are worried about feeding your kids employers are turned off. What a horrible nasty person would think this. But some of the advice is valid. This book really puts things together and I need to just work for myself. I have been thinking about this for years but I think it is time to do it...
January 20, 2020
It seems like it should be common sense about the stuff Kay writes about in her book. Dress appropriately, don't have spelling mistakes in your cover letter or resume, and be careful how you talk about your previous jobs. Overall it was a quick book because I listened to it on the Libby app. I love my job and I'm not currently looking, but I figured it would help me help friends who are stuck.
May 15, 2017
The information in this book should be common sense so I didn't personally get a lot out of it. Some of the illustrative stories were quite terrifying so some people may find value in checking this book out.
July 28, 2019
كتاب قيّم يجعلنا نعيد النظر عند التفكير بالتقدم لوظيفة جديدة، كيف ينظر إلينا أصحاب العمل، ماذا يتوقع رب عملك المستقبلي منك، الانطباع الذي يتركه مظهرك الخارجي الخ....ما لك و ما عليك لتكون مرشح جيد لوظيفة جديدة.
June 19, 2017
We all hear similar advice when looking for a job, but this is practical advise based on how employers evaluate us.
October 31, 2017
Some interesting points and things to be mindful about. It's hard to believe people don't understand or do most of these already but I've seen it first hand.
November 13, 2017
Really went beyond the standard job search strategies to give solid advice on how to present yourself to prospective employers
May 29, 2018
Not the most fun book I’ve read, but honestly the most useful information I’ve read to date about interviewing and getting a job. Crossing fingers the info pays off.
May 20, 2019
This was well narrated and was a good advice
August 16, 2019
It’s important to remember the why, sometimes. A Refreshing look back through these ideas. Thanks.
February 3, 2020
The mention of things to do and not to do were mostly obvious. The content was fairly repetitive. The book provided a few good tips, but I was hoping for more.
September 17, 2020
I just couldn't make it through this. The antiquity of companies that thrive on capitalism and employees as just numbers....ugh
February 24, 2019
Borrowed this book from the national library thinking that since I have failed some of my interviews, there must be things that I don't know about. One of the greatest dilemma that leads to inaction is when you don't know what you don't know, so I hoped that this book would helped me to get a better idea.
The book is easy to read, almost instructional, matter-of-factly kind of writing so it was easy to skim through. It is not bad, giving me a good gauge of the tall order of employment and not to assume certain things. Not as if the content is new, but it's a condensed version of all the timely reminders. I think the most important takeaway is giving me a sense of scale of how important I should treat interviews and really ready myself up for the high expectations and highly scrutinizing environment.
Finished this book in one day. Going to make a summary of the important points!
Edit: The summary is available here: https://www.patreon.com/jolyntato
The book is easy to read, almost instructional, matter-of-factly kind of writing so it was easy to skim through. It is not bad, giving me a good gauge of the tall order of employment and not to assume certain things. Not as if the content is new, but it's a condensed version of all the timely reminders. I think the most important takeaway is giving me a sense of scale of how important I should treat interviews and really ready myself up for the high expectations and highly scrutinizing environment.
Finished this book in one day. Going to make a summary of the important points!
Edit: The summary is available here: https://www.patreon.com/jolyntato
July 10, 2013
One of the best career books I've read (but my bar is very low--so many books are absolutely terrible). Straightforward, timely advice written in the wake of the recession. I find it hard to believe, though, that so many people *aren't* dressing appropriately for interviews or using proper English when communicating throughout the hiring process that Kay has to spend pages detailing "the 10 things you should never wear" and include admonishments to not use textspeak and copyedit your professional emails before sending them out. If people are doing these terrible things--and I am demonstratively not--why am I still unemployed? Mind boggling.
But overall, I really enjoyed this book. Kay's central idea is that it's not so much your qualifications (although there are times in this book when I feel she doesn't understand Why Good People Can't Get Jobs: The Skills Gap and What Companies Can Do About It) but how you seem to employers. Which sounds crazy, but here we are. One of the best pieces of hiring advice I ever got is that by the time they bring you in for an interview, your qualifications aren't necessarily in question--it's how they think you'll fit in with the company. I don't 100% believe this, but it makes Kay's advice understandable...and me more comfortable during interviews.
I used some of Kay's tips on a job interview yesterday, and I think they had value.
(Negative points to Kay for telling readers that there *are* jobs out there and just not the right people to fill them. As someone who has been looking for months to absolutely no avail, I question this thinking from someone who is already employed. It's a completely different world out there these days. Also, I felt that Kay relied too heavily on just a few sources and companies. More diversity would have been very much appreciated.)
But overall, I really enjoyed this book. Kay's central idea is that it's not so much your qualifications (although there are times in this book when I feel she doesn't understand Why Good People Can't Get Jobs: The Skills Gap and What Companies Can Do About It) but how you seem to employers. Which sounds crazy, but here we are. One of the best pieces of hiring advice I ever got is that by the time they bring you in for an interview, your qualifications aren't necessarily in question--it's how they think you'll fit in with the company. I don't 100% believe this, but it makes Kay's advice understandable...and me more comfortable during interviews.
I used some of Kay's tips on a job interview yesterday, and I think they had value.
(Negative points to Kay for telling readers that there *are* jobs out there and just not the right people to fill them. As someone who has been looking for months to absolutely no avail, I question this thinking from someone who is already employed. It's a completely different world out there these days. Also, I felt that Kay relied too heavily on just a few sources and companies. More diversity would have been very much appreciated.)
June 6, 2013
Honestly? I think everything that really needs to be said about getting a job has now been said brilliantly (not to mention, succinctly) by my pal Mike Monteiro in his excellent piece addressing recent grads. (And if you're interested in running your own show, get his outstanding—and also succinct—
Design Is A Job
.) Seriously. I've read a stack of these "how to get a job" books lately, because, well, a girl can dream; again and again, I come back to Mike's wise (and did I mention "succinct"?) words of wisdom.
However. If you are one for checklists and you maybe need a little more hand-holding, or if you, like I, are just a weird Virgo overthinker who likes nerding out on multiple books covering the same topic, this is one of the better ones. She explains some of the fundamental truths of today's crazy-ass marketplace in a way that people entirely unfamiliar with it might understand: some especially good, patient explanations of how one must think and act in an always-on world, and keeping track of your accomplishments in a way that will serve you later, and so on. Plus, checklists!
But if you grok what I'm saying and you're not interested in an old-timey square job, just go straight to Mike. He is an employer, and the kind you want to work for. While that's only a sample size of one (Andrea Kay, the author, has access to many more employers and placement folk), it's the only sample I'm interested in at this point.
However. If you are one for checklists and you maybe need a little more hand-holding, or if you, like I, are just a weird Virgo overthinker who likes nerding out on multiple books covering the same topic, this is one of the better ones. She explains some of the fundamental truths of today's crazy-ass marketplace in a way that people entirely unfamiliar with it might understand: some especially good, patient explanations of how one must think and act in an always-on world, and keeping track of your accomplishments in a way that will serve you later, and so on. Plus, checklists!
But if you grok what I'm saying and you're not interested in an old-timey square job, just go straight to Mike. He is an employer, and the kind you want to work for. While that's only a sample size of one (Andrea Kay, the author, has access to many more employers and placement folk), it's the only sample I'm interested in at this point.
October 4, 2014
'This Is How To Get Your Next Job' by Andrea Kay is a no nonsense guide to landing a job in the times we are in. Andrea Kay writes in an amiable style, and this is a really helpful book.
It's amazing what folks will do and say in an interview and common (and uncommon) errors are shared. There are stories from hiring managers at companies, and lots and lots of tips. There is a great list of things that employers are looking for, as well as lists of things not to do like come into an interview with earbuds on. Resume and cover letter tips are given as well as tips for calming nerves.
Having recently hired someone, I wish I had read this book first. I might have been less nervous as the hiring manager and maybe steered the conversations differently.
I found this to be a very user friendly and highly useful book. Even though much of the information would seem to be common sense, my recent experience would say otherwise. If you're looking for a career, this is a good place to start.
I received a review copy of this ebook from AMACOM Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this helpful ebook.
It's amazing what folks will do and say in an interview and common (and uncommon) errors are shared. There are stories from hiring managers at companies, and lots and lots of tips. There is a great list of things that employers are looking for, as well as lists of things not to do like come into an interview with earbuds on. Resume and cover letter tips are given as well as tips for calming nerves.
Having recently hired someone, I wish I had read this book first. I might have been less nervous as the hiring manager and maybe steered the conversations differently.
I found this to be a very user friendly and highly useful book. Even though much of the information would seem to be common sense, my recent experience would say otherwise. If you're looking for a career, this is a good place to start.
I received a review copy of this ebook from AMACOM Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this helpful ebook.
October 17, 2013
I thought the book effectively conveyed several points on the do’s and the don’ts of getting that new job. The author really drives the point home about dressing appropriately and the use of proper English. I got some good tips that I would’ve said in interviews prior to reading this book. I get nervous like most people do at an interview. I sometimes act like I’m on the stand instead of being in an interview and selling myself. I absolutely believe that although, your resume does speak volumes about you, how you represent yourself in interview can be equally important. I work in a small company so I often overhear the HR and Managers talking about people they interview. I often hear “I just don’t see them fitting in here” or comments on how they dressed, even if there resume looks great.
At times, I thought the examples were geared more towards higher skilled professionals and found it hard to relate. I think it’s hard to cater to everyone and I got enough information that I thought that this was a worthwhile read.
At times, I thought the examples were geared more towards higher skilled professionals and found it hard to relate. I think it’s hard to cater to everyone and I got enough information that I thought that this was a worthwhile read.
August 19, 2014
Book Review- This is How to Get Your Next Job by Andrea Kay
This book had some really great points about what not to do in interviews and what employers are really looking for. The person looking for their next job wants to show they are a good match for the company. The author is a head hunter who finds people when companies need them and she gives her findings. She has talked to all sorts of employers and those looking for jobs and compiled information that is helpful and practical.
This book is easy to read and she gives an optimistic approach to help those find a job that need one. This book really focuses on interviews and preparing for them, what to say, what you should look like and how to present yourself in the best light. If you are looking for more of a book to help with resumes, this may not help you as much. I give it a 4 out of 5.
This book had some really great points about what not to do in interviews and what employers are really looking for. The person looking for their next job wants to show they are a good match for the company. The author is a head hunter who finds people when companies need them and she gives her findings. She has talked to all sorts of employers and those looking for jobs and compiled information that is helpful and practical.
This book is easy to read and she gives an optimistic approach to help those find a job that need one. This book really focuses on interviews and preparing for them, what to say, what you should look like and how to present yourself in the best light. If you are looking for more of a book to help with resumes, this may not help you as much. I give it a 4 out of 5.
September 18, 2014
A lot of what this book suggests seemed to me to be common sense and I couldn't believe it was necessary to tell people some of the things such as be on time to interviews. But, apparently there are a lot of people out there for whom that is not obvious.
So a lot of the book was a good review/refresher. However, there were parts that gave useful insights and tips. The last section was very interesting about things you should do after getting a job. The book is worthwhile for that alone.
I listened to it on CD. I am not sure why, but the voice of the woman who read it was distracting.
So a lot of the book was a good review/refresher. However, there were parts that gave useful insights and tips. The last section was very interesting about things you should do after getting a job. The book is worthwhile for that alone.
I listened to it on CD. I am not sure why, but the voice of the woman who read it was distracting.
June 23, 2016
This is a must-read if you've been circling around your next move for a while, but haven't gotten very far for your efforts. After reading this, the way forward became crystal clear, with a stunning realization: a lot of us go about this process the wrong way. See it from the employer's point of view, and suddenly it becomes pretty obvious how to go about it. I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that this book helped me navigate a very important career move, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who needs guidance in the right direction.
July 19, 2015
Very helpful look at job hunting from the employer's point of view. You won't find any help choosing the right career for you, but you will find a lot of practical tips to present yourself in the best light. Kay makes very clear how important those first impressions are, and how social gaffes and other small mistakes can derail you even if you're an otherwise strong candidate. Though some snap judgments employers make may seem unfair, this book was helpful and encouraging overall.
November 18, 2015
I listened to the audio version and the reader was very annoying. The author constantly threw in stories about herself what she has done and seen. She mentioned very obvious things throughout the whole book. "Don't chew gum"/ "don't be late" / etc. if one is applying for the Positions she describe the people already know this. Even someone looking for their first job has heard these things from parents or teachers.
June 12, 2019
آمل أن لا يتأثر ارباب العمل بهذا الكتاب فيزيدهم عنت وانتقائية ظاهرية على ماهم عليه في هذا الوقت، استوقفتني نصيحة للمتقدم على الوظيفة تقول "لا تكن متواضعاً" ودللت الكاتبة بدراسة تذكر أن النرجسيين كانوا الأكثر حظاً في القبول ومعلله أن سيرة الموظف وانجازاته لن تتحدث عن نفسها، كانت لفتة جيدة حيث أنني ابالغ بعض الأحيان في تحري التواضع على حساب حق التقدير والاعتراف بجهودي، الأمر الذي يظهرني بمظهر غير الواثقة في بعض الأحيان.
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