Well, Neils H. Nielsen has written just such a timely book, "Princeton Management Consultants Guide to Your New Job".
The book is divided into nine chapters, with a useful Appendix containing over 50 sample resumes and 40 cover letters, which are certainly attention-getting by the employers. The chapters are: Introduction, Business Operations, Business Plan, Product Plan, Marketing Plan, Advertising Plan, Pricing, Sales Plan, and Customer Relations Management.
What is so unique about this book when there are quite a few books on career development?
First of all, this is not a rigid cookbook for job hunters. The author himself honestly admits that by saying, "There is no one right way".
This book brings a marketing and business orientation to today's job search. A job seeker is a small business entrepreneur in search of only one customer! Analyze that!!
Outplacement Counseling and Business Planning have similarities in semantics:
Job hunting plan v/s Business strategy
Resumes and cover letters v/s Advertising
Networking and referrals v/s Lead generation
Researching companies v/s Market research
Keeping a new job v/s Customer relations
Your "Unique Selling Proposition" is also emphasized here, meaning that the right job has a terrific fit between the potential employer's needs and what the job candidate has to offer.
Nielsen also emphasizes that thorough research and due dilligence must be done on all employers prior to an interview, because you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. Image is important and perception is reality! How true that is!
I do not agree with Nielsen on one small point in Top 11 Ways of Getting the Word Out that you are looking, that is, Mass Mailings of Unsolicited Resumes to Employers and Search Firms. My experience and those of others over the past decade is that it generally turns into a disaster with less than 1% return. I would save my time and money.
If you want to stand out from the herd, buy this book, study it and follow it. Develop your special marketing, branding, and advertising strategy, package yourself as a unique product, carry out you sales campaign, and land your dream job!
Mr. Nielsen has written a marvelous book on the nitty-gritty of how to devise a job search strategy, then, step-by-step, how to customize your search to maximize your opportunities. Though aimed principally at the seasoned professional who is seeking a new job, it is also valuable for the neophyte who can benefit from Mr. Nielsen's uncommonly practical advice.
Perhaps most helpful were over 40 sample cover letters and 50 resumes of diverse thrusts and flavors. Anyone would benefit from this Dutch uncle 'getting started' advice together with the detailed 'what to do' and 'how to customize it to your personal situation' that Mr. Nielsen shares from his decades of experience as a human resources manager and human resources consultant. Buy it, get your job offers, then turn to Chapter 7 to negotiate your best compensation package.