Over 40 & You're Hired!

November 16, 2009
Ryan (60 Seconds & You're Hired!
) offers authoritative advice for the over-40 job hunter, and in the process supplies tips that would be useful for anyone (or everyone, these days) looking for work. Addressing those entering the job market after a hiatus—those recently laid off from a long-term position or who have been staying home with children— she cautions, “Times have changed, and you must, too.” With suggestions gleaned from a survey of 600 hiring managers across the country, Ryan emphasizes the computer and Internet proficiencies universally demanded, shares tools for job searching online, advises job candidates to get a makeover to look more professional, and—in the book's most useful sections—shows how to fine-tune a résumé (she advises that each résumé and cover letter be tailored to the particular job and that the job title be explicitly listed in a “career objective” line). Her suggestions are candid, sensible, and refreshingly specific. With actual examples of résumés and cover letters, a résumé quiz and a companion Web site with salary tools and other online resources, this book is essential reading for job seekers.