( 9 reviews )
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Posted: Jan 6 2009
This is a good one-stop source for career guidance. The author came up with a long list of unique careers, some are more far-fetched than others but nevertheless a good solid list. Even goes into apprenticeship trades which are often overlooked. You'll need to pair this with your own research from ONET or the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (they have a website and books). A reviewer complained about how the educational requirements/job prospects of each career are not accurate in the book. Well, any career-changer shouldn't take the word of a single source. You need to contact each industry's national association and the colleges that offer that major for more info. Keep in mind colleges are a business, so the admissions office probably won't tell you if a major has a dead-end career at the end of it. I usually email professors that teach in that specific major for info on the career prospects. Also do some job shadowing with someone in that career. The author's website (martynemko.com) has some good articles/tips on careers & college.
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Posted: Dec 29 2008
I was reading a book called 'Stuck' by Anneli Rufus and this book was referenced in it. I wasn't familiar with the 'For Dummies' line so I thought this book was for people with subpar grades or intellect. While I did feel a little loser-ish reading this book in Barnes and Noble tonight, it was an unexpectedly useful read which could help job seekers of all intelligence levels. The book has a 'yellow pages' at the beginning, with an extensive list of different careers organized by your job personality, ex. Helper, Scientific, etc. Obviously it is impractical to have detailed information on each job, so there are just short blurbs followed by internet links. I do wish there had been a line for each career on the specific degree required, rather than the graduation cap symbol. I don't have enough knowledge to comment on the accuracy of the descriptions, but they were enough to generate some interest and I did google a few jobs. I also liked the self-evaluation section; some of the questions were really good, ex. "What are you angry about? Do you want a career that addresses this anger?"..lol I think this book is good for providing a little 'push' to the hesitant and confused job seeker; but it should not be used as a singular source. The reader must supplement the book with a lot of Google searches because the book is static and job requirements are always changing. And of course, it's dumb to blindly follow a book. The only thing that was sort of unnecessary was the author's inclusion of his personal views. Many of his anecdotes were against affirmative action and the liberal slant of college campuses. I don't have the book with me, but at least twice, the author wrote something along the lines of, 'this does not apply if you're Black, Latino or Native American.' This information is not really needed in a career book, and if it must be included, then the author should also note the careers where whites and Asians do enjoy an advantage, to make the book fair overall. The best thing would have been to NOT introduce polarizing topics like AA in a book about careers. It detracts from the main theme of the book. Also I disagree with the author's assertion that in a decade, 'bricks and mortar' college lectures will no longer exist. But this didn't affect my review. 3.5-4 stars.
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Posted: Apr 7 2008
LIES that appear in this book: -If Clinton/Obama wins the White House, we will have socialized medicine. -There is widespread, profound disagreement in the scientific community about the causes of global warming. -The US government is Anti-Christian and Pro-Islam. -The US government spends a significant portion of its budget on social services for undocumented immigrants. -Employment in the bloated government-sponsored social services sector will most likely *increase* in the near future. You can take the time to research these incendiary claims at your own leisure. I assure you, they are false. If I'm watching Fox News, I expect this brand of misguided, reactionary, talk-radio-inspired "conservative" agenda...no surprise there. But you'd think that career guides would be free of this sort of claptrap. I am a professional career counselor and, having read this book, I can recognize the obvious talent and expertise of Mr. Nemko in that field. That having been said, readers beware of his laughable Rush Limbaugh political agenda. That, and the writing style is pretty darn shoddy.
