From B.A. to Payday: Launching Your Career After College

By Michael Wilder and D.A. Hayden

As college graduates soon find out, the real world is tough. Sure, it was hard getting into the right school. But landing a good job is a lot harder. The number of new college grads now outnumbers available entry-level jobs by at least 25 percent. But that figure--sobering as it is--is deceptive, given that only a fraction of those jobs are career-worthy. So how do you succeed in a marketplace that's stacked against you? According to professional career counselors D. A. Hayden and Michael Wilder, you've got to approach the hunt for employment as if it were a marketing campaign. In other words, you've got to make yourself a brand--by creating a clear "story" for yourself, understanding your target audience, and developing an effective communications plan to deliver your message. You've also got to avoid the pitfalls. Hayden and Wilder identify four personality traits that can doom first-time job seekers to failure. Then, through a trademark method they call Candidate Illumination, the authors prescribe cures for those "pathologies" and present savvy strategies for every step of the job-search process--from finding your focus, to composing a winning resume, to acing the interview. (Note to parents: This book may be the best gift you could give your graduating son or daughter.)

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1584797118
• ISBN13: 9781584797111
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

From BA to Pay Day

I bought this for my son who will be graduating in June from URI. Why not benefit from concepts like the ones in this great book before earning the BA. I would like my high school son, to read it next!! I have already enjoyed it.

Must own!

This is an excellent primer on how to begin your career on the RIGHT, SMART and FAST track. It's brimming with information --- both "how-to" and "how-not-to" --- written in a style that's accessible and user-friendly. I spent several years in the executive search industry, recruiting senior level managers, and only wish I had such a clear-eyed book to recommend. It's a great guide for long-term career growth!

What You Won't Learn in a Classroom

Here is the type of advice you will probably not learn from your professors or even from the office of career guidance. The authors have clearly "walked the walk" and their recommendations, especially regarding the interview process, are invaluable. Every college senior should receive a copy ASAP!

Must Read

This book is a "must read" for any recent college graduate starting your job search. It's full of practical advice about how to network, interview and home in on the best jobs for your particular skills and interests. The authors have worked with students with both BA's and advanced degrees. They share some of the first hand experiences these graduates encounter as they go through this process. I found the book extremely helpful to me as a parent and immediately sent it to my son. Great graduation present!

Excellent

This book is comprehensive, straightforward, and even funny. Despite my skepticism about books such as these--a skepticism that stems from their uncanny ability to make me even more anxious and confused about my future than I would have thought possible--this guide made me feel more confident about myself as a job-seeking candidate and helped me identify key areas in which I need improvement. Using their former clients to make "cases-in-point", the authors made clear their various points while also adding a bit of humor to the mix. The book also covers a lot of ground, including the ability of parents, online social networks (facebook, myspace), and our label as "the entitlement generation" to influence our success in finding (or not finding) a suitable, enjoyable, and rewarding career. Perhaps most importantly, the authors prove that, with some hard work and an open mind, we will all find the right place for ourselves in the working, post-college (aka "real") world.