Confessions2.0

Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0: Getting to and Staying at the Top of the Hiring Manager's Short List in a Confused Economy by J.T. Kirk (May 2011, 246 pages). Retail: $19.95. ISBN: 978-0-9814857-4-4.

Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 is the next collection of hard-hitting job advice from veteran hiring manager J.T. Kirk. Like the first edition of Confessions (2010), Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 is not just another book on getting a job: business writers, résumé writers, and career coaches have written books with their opinions on how to write cover letters and résumés, how to prepare for the interview, or how to build self-esteem or selfconfidence in a tough employment environment.

That’s all fine but what you really need is job advice from the hiring manager’s perspective that offers valuable insight into unwritten corporate hiring practices and guidance on how to address an organization’s needs. Résumé writers or career coaches offer a perspective of being on the outside looking in; the hiring manager is already on the inside and knows the subtleties that give one candidate the edge over others who may be equally qualified.

Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 provides more insight into those qualities hiring managers need and want in addition to focusing on how candidates can get to and keep their names at the top of the hiring manager’s short list. Kirk shows job seekers and career changers—including military veterans returning to the civilian workforce—how to package their work history into a Professional Skills, Knowledge, and Experience Portfolio (PSKE Portfolio™) and leverage it over time to separate the value-add candidate from all
other applicants. In addition, he shares strategies for negotiating the best possible compensation package without leaving money on the table.

Revised throughout, Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 expands the view from the other side of the desk that reveals the perspectives and expectations hiring managers have of people looking for a job or a new career. It is the definitive guide for job seekers. While résumé writers and career coaches may give you a fish to feed you for a day, Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 continues to teach you how to fish so you can feed yourself for a lifetime of professional and career success.

Table of Contents
Introduction to Rev. 2.0
Chapter 1: Okay, So Where Are All the Jobs?
Chapter 2: Why You Need to Get the Attention of the Hiring Manager
Chapter 3: Developing a Strategy for Your Job or Career Change
Chapter 4: Résumés: Your Ticket to Interview City
Chapter 5: Cover Letters: Selling the Sizzle
Chapter 6: Supplemental Documentation: Give Them Something to Remember You By
Chapter 7: Getting the Job: How to Control the Interview
Chapter 8: Use the Continuous Promotion Approach (CPA) to Get to and Stay on Top of the Manager's Short List
Chapter 9: Negotiating Your Compensation Package
Chapter 10: Other Options: Temporary Work, Independent Contracting, and Working for Free
Chapter 11: Just for Veterans: Transitioning Back to the Civilian Job Market
Chapter 12: Dealing with Frustration: The Mythology of "Momentum," "Hot Hand," and Social Media as a Viable Job Source
Chapter 13: How to Enjoy a Rewarding Career
Chapter 14: Postscript and Afterthought
Appendix A: Resources
Appendix B: Cover Letter and Résumé Checklist
Appendix C: FREE Online Cover Letter and Résumé Assessments and Tip Sheets

Here's What You'll Learn in Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev 2.0:

• Plan a job-search strategy that confidently and assertively positions you as the hiring manager's problem solver and solutions provider
• Design you own PSKE Portfolio to promote your assets to potential employers
• Get an interview based on a cover letter alone
• Grab a résumé screener or hiring manager’s attention within the first 10 seconds of reading a cover letter
• Avoid entries on a résumé that squash any hope of being called in for an interview
• Include entries on a résumé that demand being brought in for an interview
• Craft an interview-demanding reverse chronological résumé for remaining in the same field but changing employers
• Craft an interview-demanding functional résumé to move out of one field and into another or if for recent college graduates with no experience
• Create more than one version of a skill set on a résumé
• Show returning veterans how to translate military job skills into functional areas of expertise in demand in the civilian job market
• Leave potential employers with the most favorable impression of all candidates after the interview
• Continue to sell yourself and keep your name at the top of the hiring manager's short list long after the interview
• Negotiate the highest possible compensation package without fear
• Understand the myth of "momentum", the "hot hand", and the truth about social media as job resource
• Learn the soft skills that help you hang on to your job--and even help get you promoted--in a lethargic economy

Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 is the ONLY BOOK AVAILABLE that offers special job search advice for returning U.S. Armed Forces veterans from the hiring manager's perspective

Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 is the ONLY BOOK AVAILABLE that shows job seekers and career changers how to control the job interview from the hiring manager's perspective

Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 is the ONLY BOOK AVAILABLE that shows job seekers and career changers how to negotiate the best possible compensation package from the hiring manager's perspective

Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 is THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE for college graduates and people returning to the workforce

What Reviewers Have Said about Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0

When Kate Blogs
Read the entire review at whenkateblogs.blogspot.com

“If you’re looking for work, but haven’t had much luck, J.T. Kirk may have the answers you seek. Confessions of a Hiring Manager tells all about the hiring game with detailed strategy to get your résumé to the top of the pile, interviewed and hired! Confessions of a Hiring Manager provides the tactics necessary to land that job during tough times. “If you’ve had trouble finding work, these are among the best chapters to get you headed in the right direction. Follow the suggestions and you'll create a great résumé, excellent cover letters and have a job sooner than you would if you hadn't followed the suggestions in this book.”

Job Search Suite 101
Read the entire review at www.suite101.com

“Confessions of a Hiring Manager details excellent information on how to control the interview process and negotiating the best job offer. There is a special chapter devoted specifically for returning veterans, which should be required reading for all, as it clearly shows the effort and transferrable skills these veterans have accomplished while carrying out the dangerous duty of protecting the country. Confessions of a Hiring Manager is a well written and extremely helpful “how-to” guide for anyone looking for work or looking to change jobs in today’s economy. The chapter on résumé resuscitation is invaluable, as is the perspective of doing it all from the hiring manager's viewpoint.”

U.S. Review of Books at www.theusreview.com....

Many good things can be said about this book, but maybe the most important fact is that this book is written from a hiring manager's point of view. Most books are written by résumé writers and career professionals who do not have the hiring manager's inside view or people and job requirements. A company that is considering you always wants to know what you can do for them, not the other way around. Particularly noteworthy are the chapters on résumé and cover letter writing, where Kirk shows both good and bad examples, including what a hiring manager would like to see in the portfolio of a potential candidate.

Highly recommended for any job seeker, career changer, or a student fresh out of college entering the workforce. This book does not guarantee you a job, but it seems that Kirk's techniques and powerful tools dramatically increase your chance of getting employed."