Monday, October 04, 2010

The New Job Security


"When it comes to the hard work of finding great work, Pam Lassiter is the consummate pro. She has the experience, the common sense, and the proven track record. My advice: Take her advice."
The foregoing is what Alan Webber the Founding Editor of Fast Company had to say about the newly released and revised edition of The New Job Security by career management expert Pam Lassiter.

The book was originally published in 2002 and so well received that Ten Speed Press asked Pam to revise it with today's environment in mind and that she has.

Anyone who follows this blog with any degree of consistency knows that when it comes to books I put a very high premium on advice that is "real world" aka practical. I am not big on stuff that waxes philosophical or doesn't spend as much or more time on the how as it does on the what.

As was the case when the book first came out, it is filled with practical and actionable advice just as Webber's comment suggests.

I wanted to bring this book to readers' attention not just because I thought it deserved it, or even because Pam has used some ExecuNet data in the book, or even because Pam led our networking meetings in Boston for many years but because I was very happy that through the book she is able to share her expertise to an even wider audience.

2 comments:

Neil Morris said...

Dear Dave,

Re: The New Job Security and Career Management by Proxy

DIY books are no substitute for WDIWY (we do it with you). People who are out of work are happy to read books, but once the wheels are in motion, they want ongoing access to someone who understands the process. The same applies to people who want to accelerate their careers while still employed. Books are excellent conversation starters, but they can't answer questions, fine tune strategy or provide feedback. We do. The clients we support pay us so they expect and are entitled to all three, and a great deal more. We deliver--for the life of their search.

Career management by networking and recruiters plays into the hands of competitors who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty or their noses bloodied. I'm referring to people who are uncovering and landing the jobs the other folks aren't. The ones who can bear to hear the word NO and then pick themselves up off the canvas and come out fighting. Sometimes I think networking is as popular as it is because there's no rejection in it. It makes we wonder if we can afford to have people who lack intestinal fortitude running our corporations and institutions.

For the record, I have skin in this game. I work with and support clients who ARE prepared to get their hands dirty. Everyone is entitled to a fair shake. We go that much further and work that much harder so that our clients' shake is fairer and there's more of it. You won't find that in books.


Neil Morris
President
Bespoke Services, a division of F. Neil Morris, Inc.

http://ca.linkedin.com/in/neilmorris

Dave Opton said...

Neil,

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Certainly you will get no argument from me in terms of the benefits of being able to work witn someone directly as opposed to working thorugh these issues own one's own, but as we all know, not everyone can affort working with someone 1:1.

Fot that person, being able to benefit from the advice of experts in the field such as Pam can only help.