HBR Guide to Getting a Job

Need a new job? Whether you’ve been laid off or are considering a job change on your own, you need to search efficiently and effectively. Don’t lurch from one job to the next. Use this guide to ensure that your next move is a carefully considered one. The old advice of devoting 8 hours a day to sending out resumes and responding to job postings doesn’t work. Instead, learn how to: build a network to expand your contacts and identify career opportunities; prepare cover letters and resumes that will attract hiring managers’ attention; develop your personal pitch–one compelling sentence about who you are and what you can do; and shine in an interview.

This collection includes: “Need to Find a Job? Stop Looking So Hard,” “How to Make Your Network Work for You,” “6 Networking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them,” “The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received,” “How to Write a Resume That Doesn’t Annoy People,” “How to Perfect an Elevator Pitch About Yourself,” “7 Ways to Shine in an Interview,” “How to Ace an Interview,” “Five Questions About Interviewing Your Prospective Supervisor: With Rich Wellins,” “How to Ask for a Reference Letter,” and “Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change.”

Harvard Business Review Guides are for busy professionals looking for quick answers to common challenges. They’re packed with useful tips and practical advice in a brief, easy-to-read format. Whether you’re looking to expand your skills or refresh your existing ones, these guides offer reliable answers to your most pressing problems.