Next Job, Best Job: A Headhunter’s 11 Strategies to Get Hired Now
Rob Barnett
Citadel Press/Kensington Publishing Corp (June 2021)
How to learn what you need to know to get the best job for you
According to Rob Barnett, “If you’re currently working but frustrated with your situation, or fearing that you could get the boot any moment, the negative associations with two dirty words, job search, can bang like a war drum in your head. Searching for your next job doers not need to be harder than winning the lottery. Instead of tossing your résumé into that mysterious hole filled with thousands of résumés, you can employ a new set if strategies that leads you into work that fits you better than anything you’ve done before.”
I think those who have been recently (perhaps unexpectedly) fired — or fear that it will soon occur — will derive the greatest benefit from the material in this book. However, most of the the material can also be of substantial value to others who are now preparing for a career in business or have only recently embarked upon one.
These are among the strategic objectives that Barnett can help his reader to achieve:
o A focused, appropriate game plan
o Increased self-confidence
o A clearer sense of purpose
o Mental clarity re WHAT, WHY, and HOW
o Renewed physical strength
o “Constant itching to getting back into the game”
o “A daily dose of empathy” (for self as well as for others)
o A positive new daily routine
o More restful sleep
o A passionate desire to stay focused
o Increased hunger to succeed
Readers will appreciate Barnett’s direct, candid, no-nonsense approach to what are especially sensitive issues. He states the challenge with clarity: “It’s about grabbing hold of your anger and moving beyond ‘Why me?’ to attack the more essential question, ‘What’s next?'” He thoroughly discusses each of his “Top 11” self-care rituals to help his reader stay sane. They range from “Meditate” to “Remember the Taste of the Magic Corn Muffin.” Details about each ritual are best revealed in context, within his lively narrative.
These are among the passages of greatestvalue to me, also listed to suggest thescope of Barnett’s coverage:
o Introduction (Pages 1-7) DO NOT SKIP!
o The F Words (25-28)
o My Top 11 Self-Care Rituals (31-54) And then RE-READ it
o Welcome to the Jungle (62-63)
o And…Breathe (70-71)
o Your North Star (72-75)
o The Burning Passion of Pirates (79-81)
o Star Points (86-96) And then RE-READ it
o ET: Entrepreneur’s ‘Tude (96-101)
o Marketing Yourself (102-107) And then RE-READ it
o The About Section — Your New Bio (119-128)
o Cover Letters (134-139)
o Find Your Tribe (140-142)
o Social Voodoo (156-157)
o The Voice (166-169)
o Your Next, Best Job (182-184)
o Targeted Company Research (186-190)
o Luck (198-200)
o Be Ready to Hit Curveballs (217-218)
o Ask Great Questions (221-223)
Rob Barnett has no illusions or delusions about what it feels like to be fired. “The pain of losing your job can often feel like a fatal blow that you didn’t see coming. You may not have survived your last job, but there’s a happier shock to your system if you allow yourself to believe you’ve just lost something that can be replaced by work that’s far greater.” He stresses what you need tgo know, NOT what you prefer to hear.
I have known many people over the years who were fired. Rather than focusing on “What’s next?” they kept tripping over the past while conducting autopsies with lamentations. They saw themselves as victims or as losers. What they needed were the tools provided in Next Job, Best Job, tools that could have helped them to achieve what they really want. They needed to know what to ask for, how to ask for it, where to look, and what to require before they are offered a position.
If you or someone else you care about has recently been fired or expects to be, this is a “must-read” book.