New Book Uses Dating as a Metaphor to Demystify the Job Search
When you ask someone about their job search or career, they may fumble for the right thing to say. When you ask the same person about the dating scene, they will be jittery with enthusiasm. The fact is many people lack critical job search skills, but they do love to date. To reach these people, Shawn Graham has created a whole new approach to the job search, using dating as a metaphore to demystify the process of finding a great job.
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) October 2, 2007
Twenty-something job seekers can get help on the career front from a new book by Shawn Graham, a career counselor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Graham draws parallels between searching for a job and the more familiar rituals of dating to demystify each stage of the process of beginning a career search in his new book, "Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job" (JIST Works, September 2007).
Courting Your Career uses real-life anecdotes and graphic examples straight from the trenches of 21st century job hunting (and dating), Graham says. He addresses the kinds of questions he fields daily from job-seekers, and helps readers avoid the mistakes made by his clients. He also incorporates insights and encouragement from people at different stages of their careers--from a first-time job hunter to a veteran human resources consultant.
"Being 34 and recently single, I can tell you first-hand that I've had more success with my career than I've had in the romance department. But when relating it to the job search, dating is a subject everyone can identify with," says Graham.
For example, the close of an interview is a lot like the end of a date, he says. "You're nervous, wondering whether the person you're with wants to give you a goodnight kiss, the 'let's be friends' hug or the ever disappointing 'don't call me, I won't call you' handshake.
"Although you'll never, and I repeat never, actually go for a goodnight kiss at the end of an interview, there are some things you can do to seal the deal," says Graham.
The equivalent of "call me" is to reaffirm your interest in the job. Ask about next steps in the interview process, which is the equivalent of "will I see you again?" Knowing when the company plans to notify candidates of whether they made it to the next interview round can be incredibly valuable information."
An associate director in the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, Graham has extensive career counseling experience. He has worked with more than 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students at the UNC-Chapel Hill, where he previously served as assistant director of University Career Services.
Graham writes a popular blog for Fast Company magazine, and has written about career issues in articles for The Wall Street Journal's CollegeJournal. com and The Charlotte Observer. He also is the author of The Graduate Student's Guide to Internships and Summer Programs.
Courting Your Career is available at all major bookstores and from the publisher (www. jist. com or 1.800.648.JIST). To speak with the author, contact Natalie Ostrom. To learn more about Shawn Graham and his book, visit www. courtingyourcareer. com.
JIST, America's Career Publisher, is a division of EMC/Paradigm Publishing and is the leading publisher of job search, career, occupational information, life skills and character education books, workbooks, assessments, videos and software.
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