TheEmployable book review
Learning to Leap. A guide to being more employable – David Shindler
Let me start with saying, I am not a massive fan of business terminology or acronyms and this book does use a few! However, my ‘anti acronym’ stance aside, this is a very practical and worthwhile guide to improving your employability for both the recent Graduate and the recently unemployed or redundant jobseeker.
It seems to me that although acronyms have practical benefit to the reader, I often feel its a little like the chicken or the egg; which came first, the word and then the reasoning behind it, or the other way around? Maybe I have just sat through too many training sessions where you wondering ‘WOT’ you are doing….
W aste
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But if you need a step per step practical guide and common sense approach to improving your employability, I would highly recommend this book!
The strength in this book, is a little like one of the core messages that it teaches; that being employable and improving your employability, is a teachable skill. Therefore the ‘text book’ feel and design works very well. It feels a little like you are studying the text, learning the core topics….and then you will be examined. But is that not the point? That in your employment life you are judged and examined; whether it be your CV, at the interview or in your performance at work.
To me, coming from recruitment, some of the content and reasoning does seem a little obvious, however as this book is aimed at the 1st time job seeker, or the Graduate, or someone who has been made redundant and needs a confidence boost, it could act as the employment coach you never had, and the kick start that you need.
I also see the potential this book could possibly offer to new and small businesses setups, who don’t have the experience or knowledge of personnel offer, or someone with an experienced business head. Although this is from the perspective of the prospective employee, perhaps if a few companies were to read this, it may help them evaluate how they can also get the best out of their existing staff, as well as the ones they are still to hire!!
Being employable or having employability does not mean you are not currently working and hence, read this book if you are even trying to improve how you interact and come across to other people in your personal and employment life!
A good practical guide, that is well written and hence, well taught. 8.5/10
Hi Alistair – thank you very much indeed! I like your take on new and small business setups – maybe that’s a book for you to write?. Most people looking for a job have never had a coach and when you need to pay the bills, feed mouths etc, playing the game to get employed is what it can take. Hence, you’ve got to know what the acronyms are and what they mean. Accepted, it doesn’t make them any more digestible! My aim is to help young people in particular avoid getting stuck in dead end, miserable jobs by investing in their self-awareness early in their working lives, so they can point their natural abilities at what they really want and enjoy. You may take a few detours along the way but that can be rich experience and build resilience. Que sera sera!
Cheers
David
Posted by David Shindler | October 4, 2011, 10:57 amCheers David, I think at the moment there are a lot of skills and talents going unused and anything (within reason) that is pushing employability is a good think.
Keep in touch
Regards
TheEmployable
Posted by theemployable | October 4, 2011, 12:11 pm