Speed Up My Job Search

Recommended Books

Below are a list of books I have read and recommend, and whenever possible, I include a link to an audio clip of an interview I’ve done with the author. Those interviews start as discussions about the book, but ALWAYS include additional job search tips that can help you in your search. Even if you don’t plan on buying the books, I would encourage you to still make time to listen to the interviews you find on this page.

SuperBetter

The Power of Living Gamefully

by Jane McGonigal

An innovative guide to living gamefully, based on the program that has already helped nearly half a million people achieve remarkable personal growth.

In 2009, internationally renowned game designer Jane McGonigal suffered a severe concussion. Unable to think clearly, work or even get out of bed, she became depressed, even suicidal. She turned her recovery process into a resilience-building game. What started as a simple motivational exercise quickly became a set of rules for “post-traumatic growth” that led to a digital game that nearly half a million people have played SuperBetter to get stronger, happier, and healthier.

SuperBetter contains nearly 100 playful challenges anyone can undertake in order to build these gameful strengths. Grounded in rigorous research, SuperBetter is a proven game plan for a better life. You’ll never say that something is “just a game” again.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Pathways Through Transition

by Jack Heyden & Scott Kane

Jack and Scott are executives with over 60 years of combined experience who, in early 2000, were out of work, did not know each other and were forced to reinvent themselves to survive in the 21st Century workforce. Scott created Gray Hair Management as a networking tool for his job search, and eventually grew it to a network of over 4,500 senior managers and executives worldwide, all with a common interests and goal: finding a new opportunity in a very difficult job marketplace. In 2002, Jack joined Scott as a partner in Gray Hair Management.

Winning the Job Race: Pathways Through Transition is a tool for the job seeker who needs to understand the rules of the game, to reinvent him or herself in order to articulate the value and currency he or she brings to the table, to capitalize on current and future networking contacts, and to ace the job interview in order to win that next great opportunity.

The author spoke at our job club! Here is a clip:

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Soup

A Recipe to Create a Culture of Greatness

by Jon Gordon

It matters who is stirring the pot! Soup offers an inspirational business fable that explains the “recipe” you can use to create a winning culture and boost employee morale and engagement.

From the bestselling author of The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, and Training Camp:
* Find out how culture drives behavior, behavior drives habits, and habits deliver results
* Create relationships that are the foundation upon which successful careers and winning teams are built

A turnaround tale like few others, Soup will inspire you to work in your own company to unleash the passion that delivers superior results.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Scrum

The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

by Jeff Sutherland

If you’ve ever been startled by how fast the world is changing, Scrum is one of the reasons why. Productivity gains of as much as 1200% have been recorded, and there’s no more lucid – or compelling – explainer of Scrum and its bright promise than Jeff Sutherland, the man who put together the first Scrum team more than twenty years ago.

Drawing on his experience as a West Point-educated fighter pilot, biometrics expert, early innovator of ATM technology, and V.P. of engineering or CTO at eleven different technology companies, Jeff created a system of deep accountability and constant iterative improvement brought the FBI into the 21st century, changed the way pharmacists interact with patients, reduced poverty in the Third World, and even helped people plan their weddings and accomplish weekend chores. 

Woven with insights from martial arts, judicial decision making, advanced aerial combat, robotics, and many other disciplines, Scrum may just help you achieve what others consider unachievable – whether it be inventing a trailblazing technology, building a foundation for your family, or finding a new job!

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


The Power of Habit

by Charles Duhigg

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Wall Street Journal • Financial Times

In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential.

At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Smarter Faster Better

by Charles Duhigg

At the core of Smarter Faster Better are eight key productivity concepts—from motivation and goal setting to focus and decision making—that explain why some people and companies get so much done.

Drawing on the latest findings in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral economics—as well as the experiences of CEOs, educational reformers, four-star generals, FBI agents, airplane pilots, and Broadway songwriters—this painstakingly researched book explains that the most productive people, companies, and organizations don’t merely act differently.

I recommend paying special attention to the chapter on probabalistic thinking. Although ranking job opportunities has always been a part of goal setting for recruiters, reading this chapter is what sparked the idea to include “Probabilities” in my PHASE process. He notes how being aware of what you DON’T know is just as important as the inventory of what you know. I’ve read this book multiple times and love it!

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


212°, The Extra Degree

by Sam Parker

At 211º water is hot. At 212º, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. It’s that one extra degree that makes all the difference. Use this powerful metaphor to reach new heights.

I learned about this book in 2006, the year the Chicago Bears went to the superbowl. The players used it as inspiration to continously improve every detail they could.

In job search, like in everything else, the smallest detail can make the biggest difference. In the Olympics for example, the difference between a Gold medal and no medal at all is often less than one tenth of one second! Likewise, I’ve heard first-hand accounts of senior executives making it to the final selection, but then getting passed over because “they weren’t following the company on LinkedIn, and the other candidate was.”

What’s YOUR 1 degree difference? Use this powerful metaphor to reach new heights.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


The Platinum Rule

by Tony Alessandra

Tony is a sales trainer of many years, but puts heavy emphasis on understanding personality types to build trust.

I reference this book in a Friday group coaching call because he shares a great way to assess personality types on the fly by two very easy questions.

The premise behind the book is that the golden rule isn’t the right approach. Instead of treating others as you would want others to treat you, Tony explains why it’s more important, and helpful, to treat others as THEY would want to be treated.

For example, if you have a Conscientious personality type (i.e. someone who likes to review all the facts and think through every detail before making a decision), and you are talking to a Dominant personality type (someone who makes quick decisions and works at a fast pace), then if you talk to that person at YOUR pace it will be very difficult to connect and build rapport with that person. I found this to be a great resource.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


The 7 Levels of Communication

by Michael J. Maher

This is a personal favorite that I have read at least 4 times. It’s not like normal business books because it tells a story, but is packed full of GREAT ideas to network effectively. 

Like The Platinum Rule above, this book talks about a way to very quickly assess which of the 4 DiSC types someone is when speaking to them, and then is gives specific scripts that illustrate the different styles and how to adjust to them.

He also talks about a GREAT way to rank and consistently work your network. He has a prioritization plan for each person, timelines for when to connect to each type, and specific strategies to move people up or down in your rankings to keep your database accurate. I adopted many of these strategies into my Search Management Trello Boards because I liked them so much. I highly recommend getting this one.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Jedi Mind Trick for Job Seekers recommended book from JDNG.

Captivate, The Science of Succeeding with People

by Vanessa Van Edwards

Do you feel awkward at networking events? Do you want to know what the interviewer is thinking of you? Do you wish you could decode people?

As a human behavior hacker, Vanessa Van Edwards created a research lab to study the hidden forces that drive us. And she’s cracked the code. In Captivate,she shares shortcuts, systems, and secrets for taking charge of your interactions in any social situation. This is a real life manual on how to captivate anyone — a new approach to building connection

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Jedi Mind Trick for Job Seekers recommended book from JDNG.

To Sell Is Human, The Surprising Truth About Moving Others

by Daniel H. Pink

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in nine Americans works in sales., but so do the other eight!

Whether we’re employees pitching colleagues on a new idea, or a new employer to hire us, we are all in sales.

To Sell Is Human offers a fresh look at the art and science of selling drawing on a rich trove of social science for his counterintuitive insights. He reveals the six successors to the elevator pitch, the three rules for understanding another’s perspective, the five frames that can make your message more persuasive , and shows how giving people an “off-ramp” for their actions can matter more than actually changing their minds.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Jedi Mind Trick for Job Seekers recommended book from JDNG.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

by Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman, the renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next job interview can be understood by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions.

Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives―and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. This book was the winner of the National Academy of Sciences Best Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and selected by The New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2011, and on of The Wall Street Journal‘s Best Nonfiction Books of the Year 2011.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Jedi Mind Trick for Job Seekers recommended book from JDNG.

The LIKE Switch

by Jack Schafer, Ph.D., with Marvin Karlins

A former FBI Special Agent specializing in behavior analysis and recruiting spies shares his proven strategies on how to instantly read people and influence how they perceive you, so you can easily turn on the like switch.

This is one of Paul Cameron’s personal favorites! You will learn the tools you need for turning strangers into friends, whether you are on a sales call or a job interview. As a Special Agent for the FBI’s National Security Division’s Behavioral Analysis Program, Dr. Jack Schafer developed breakthrough strategies to understand what others really think about what you are saying, and how to control your communication and interactions to get people to like you.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Jedi Mind Trick for Job Seekers recommended book from JDNG.

Exactly What To Say, The Magic Words for Influence and Impact

by Phil M. Jones

Often the decision between an employer choosing you over someone else with similar skills is your ability to know exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to make it count. Phil M. Jones has trained more than two million people across five continents and over fifty countries in the lost art of spoken communication. In Exactly What to Say, he delivers the tactics you need to get more of what you want.

This is a quick read, but many of the phrases used will spark even more ideas to help you know what to say in the right situation. In our JDNG meeting I used one of his ideas, “if you’re anything like me, you found that hard to believe like I did when I first heard it, but…” as a way to respond when you spot skepticism on the face of an employer.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Jedi Mind Trick for Job Seekers recommended book from JDNG.

When, The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

by Daniel H. Pink

Everyone knows that timing is everything. But we don’t know much about timing itself. Our lives are a never-ending stream of “when” decisions: when to start a business, schedule schedule an interview, or leave a job. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition.

Timing is often seen as an art, but it’s really a science. Drawing on research from psychology, biology, and economics, Pink reveals how best to live, work, and succeed. How can we use the hidden patterns of the day to build the ideal schedule? How can we turn a stumbling beginning into a fresh start? Why should we avoid going to the hospital in the afternoon? What is the ideal time to quit a job, switch careers, or schedule an interview?

When distills all the research and data about timing into a fascinating, readable narrative packed with stories and practical takeaways giving you compelling insights you can apply to your job search.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Jedi Mind Trick for Job Seekers recommended book from JDNG.

Never Split The Difference, Negotiating Like Your Life Depended On It

by Chris Voss

Life is a series of negotiations you should be prepared for: buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a home, deliberating with your partner. Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any discussion.

Chris Voss was the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator.  This book takes you inside the world of high-stakes negotiations and into Voss’s head, revealing the skills that helped him and his colleagues succeed where it mattered most: saving lives. In this practical guide, he shares the nine effective principles―counterintuitive tactics and strategies―you too can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Drive, The Surprising Truth About Motivating Ourselves

by Daniel H. Pink

Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach, but that’s a mistake. The secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


2-Hour Job Search, Using Technology to Get the Right Job Faster

by Steve Dalton

A job-search manual that gives career seekers a systematic, tech-savvy formula to efficiently and effectively target potential employers and secure the essential first interview.

A job-search manual that gives career seekers a systematic, tech-savvy formula to efficiently and effectively target potential employers and secure the essential first interview.

Learn to work smarter (and faster) to secure first interviews. Through a prescriptive approach, Dalton explains how to wade through the Internet’s sea of information and create a job-search system that relies on mainstream technology such as Excel, Google, LinkedIn, and alumni databases to create a list of target employers, contact them, and then secure an interview—with only two hours of effort. Avoiding vague tips like “leverage your contacts,” Dalton tells job-hunters exactly what to do and how to do it. This empowering book focuses on the critical middle phase of the job search and helps readers bring organization to what is all too often an ineffectual and frustrating process.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Rejection Proof

by Jia Jiang

To de-sensitize himself from rejection, Jia Jiang set out to be rejected for 100 straight days. He not only learned how to handle it better, he learned how to ASK better! When he wasn’t afraid, he could hear opportunities to rephrase the questions to make progress, and was shocked by how many people said YES to his crazy requests! His 100th ask was to help his wife ask Google for a job. They said yes. This is an outstanding book, inspirational, and can help you learn how to deal with rejection.

Click here to see Jia Jiang’s TED Talk

Jia Jiang came to the United States with the dream of being the next Bill Gates. But despite early success in the corporate world, his first attempt to pursue his entrepreneurial dream ended in rejection. Jia was crushed, and spiraled into a period of deep self doubt. But he realized that his fear of rejection was a bigger obstacle than any single rejection would ever be, and he needed to find a way to cope with being told no without letting it destroy him. Thus was born his “100 days of rejection” experiment, during which he willfully sought rejection on a daily basis.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


A Taste for Work, Your Menu for Career Success

by Teri Clancy, Joy Maguire-Dooley, and Sally Morrison

This book is a collaboration of 3 job search experts who walk you through the job search process from start to finish, with favorite family recipes in each chapter! They show you how to figure out what your ideal job would look like, all the way through your strategic approach to the first 90 days of your new job.

The methodology described in showing you how to select the right career for you is truly the best I’ve ever read. I interviewed Joy for this review, and our “quick recap” of the book turned into a 27 minute conversation with additional strategies to help you with your search.  At the end, she shares a personal story that will give you chills, you don’t want to miss it so be sure to listen through to the end (and get some great tips along the way).

Click play to hear my 27 minute discussion with the Author, Joy Maguire-Dooley

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door, Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You

by Harvey Mackay.

Harvey Mackay is known mostly for his strategic books on how to be successful in business. However, in this book he takes his strategic approach to success and applies it to the job search. He is one of the ultimate success stories, and has done some incredible things on a huge scale. To give you an idea of the level this guy is on, check out the list of his friends who endorse the book: Larry King, Shaquille O’Neal, and Lou Holtz. He shows you how to present your product (you) well enough to land that big account (a job).

Harvey’s books always have a motivational spin to them, and this is no different. He helps you understand the importance of attitude, and more importantly, he helps you put on the right one. Sales people deal with rejection regularly, and job seekers will get their share of it. He shows you not only how to handle it, but how to take advantage of it. My favorite aspect of this book is the importance Harvey puts on maintaining your network, offering solid strategies to help you do that. I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Mackay on Job Talk about this book, please enjoy it.

Click play to listen to our 30 minute discussion with Author Harvey Mackay on Job Talk Radio.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Knock’Em Dead, Secret & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World

by Martin Yate, CPC

This is one of the most thorough job search resources available, top to bottom. This is an updated version of the 2011 edition in which Martin reached out to a select group of career search experts, myself included, and featured our best job search strategies collaboratively. I feel that was an especially smart approach, and gave his Ultimate Job Search Guide series of Knock’em Dead books an edge over all the others.

When we had Martin on Job Talk we discussed the book, but also some specific Resume Writing ideas, Cover Letters, and dealing with Age Discrimination.

Click play to listen to our 26 minute discussion with the Author, Martin Yate on Job Talk Radio.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Job-Hunting Online, A Companion to What Color Is Your Parachute? 

by Mark Emery Bolles & Richard Nelson Bolles.

Have you seen our Online Resources page? Picture that page, multiplied by 188! (the number of pages in the book) Some of the resources I list on that page were originally brought to my attention through this book. The key difference is that they offer a great deal of explanation of each site, why they like the site, and what you can expect from the site. In addition to the links and explanations, they have pages of their own thoughts and advice on each topic throughout the many chapters in the book. It’s nice because you can view this book both as a business book you can look to it for advice, as well as for reference material. This is a good one to have in your library. Richard Nelson Bolles, Author of “What Color Is Your Parachute?” co-wrote this book with his son, Mark Emery Bolles.

Click play to listen to our 23 minute discussion with the Author, Mark Emery Bolles on Job Talk Radio.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


What Color Is Your Parachute? 2014: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers

by Richard Nelson Bolles

The Parachute series has been a staple of business strategy and career change for many, many years. We were very proud to call Richard Bolles of friend of Job Talk. Published in 22 languages and 26 countries, and with over 10 million copies sold, What Color is Your Parachute? has helped millions discover their unique gifts, skills, and interests and land a job–even in hard times.

This 2014 edition of “[one of] the 100 best and most influential [nonfiction books] written in English since 1923,” according to TIME.com, is refreshed with up-to-the-minute statistics, job-field analyses, and advice on social media and search tactics (including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype, Yelp, and YouTube). However, Parachute’s core message remains intact: WHAT, WHERE, and HOW.

Click play to listen to our 28 minute discussion with the Author, Richard Nelson Bolles on Job Talk Radio.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Success Is a Choice: Ten Steps to Overachieving in Business and Life

by Rick Pitino

This book has nothing to do with Job Search, and EVERYTHING to do with Job Search! This is truly one of my all-time favorite books, so even though I don’t have an interview with Rick to share with you, I had to include it on my list. Rick is a very successful basketball coach, and I’m not even a basketball fan, but this book still resonates with me.

The idea that he very powerfully conveys is that success truly is a choice; it’s not a lucky break, it’s not a fortunate set of circumstances, it’s a choice. You choose to show up to that interview on time. You choose to study interviewing techniques. You choose to learn how to find hidden jobs and buy books on job search to help you land a job faster. These are all choices you can make to impact your search. This book is filled with real life examples of triumphs over unthinkable lows. I know the author has done some things out of character of the types of people I would follow, but I still really like this book and believe in its principles; I think you will too.

Disclosure: The button below is an Amazon Associates link. By using it to purchase this book on Amazon, you get the exact same price you would if you went to Amazon directly, however, SpeedUpMyJobSearch.com will be paid a small referral fee (less than 10 cents per dollar) for referring you. That helps us maintain this site and keep our enrollments low. We appreciate your help!


Stay tuned as we keep adding more recommended books to help you with your search!