How to Find A Job: When There Are No Jobs A Necessary Job Search and Career Planning Guide for Today's Job Market

by Paul Rega

Paul Rega is president of a retained executive search firm he founded in 1985. His provocative new book strikes a nerve with millions of displaced workers and goes well beyond the principles of job hunting. He introduces a revolutionary new concept in career management and personal development called Intuitive Personal Assessment (IPA). Paul takes his readers on a powerful journey as he tells a gripping story about his own career and the unique challenges he's faced as an executive recruiter.

The author shares his vast knowledge of career planning and the inner workings of the job search process, citing hundreds of proven and effective job search techniques. He explains how to market your background to a targeted audience, interviewing skills and techniques, network building strategies, how to utilize personal and business contacts, effective use of social media, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, insider tips on working with recruiters, salary and benefits negotiation, how to write a resume, cover and follow-up letters, how to start and succeed in your own business and much more.

Despite the many challenges faced by those suffering as a result of the weak job market, Paul believes that change in one's life can be positive. He explains that, "Change throughout your life is inevitable, and as your life changes so often does your career." His book is an effective guide that will provide you with the necessary tools, skills and inside knowledge from a professional recruiter to help you navigate through difficult economic times and find a new job or change careers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Reference, Ebooks, Amazon

135 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2011

About the author

Paul Rega is an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author. He began his writing career in 1980 while attending Western Illinois University as a staff reporter for the Western Courier. Upon graduating with a degree in biology and journalism, he spent the next thirty years in business having started an executive search firm in 1984. His passion for writing stayed with him throughout his business life, and he started writing his first book in 1993. He published, 'How To Find A Job: When There Are No Jobs' in December 2011. The book was an instant success, and hit #1 on Amazon's bestseller list for job hunting books in March 2012. He published '12 Steps to Freedom' in August 2013, 'Trail of 32,' a true coming of age story in September 2013, 'The Syndrome,' a novel in April 2014 and 'A Two Pedal World' series in May 2014. Paul currently lives in a small town along the Gulf Coast of Florida, where he is writing his next book.

"....even though I did NOT like any of the characters, Paul Rega was drawing me in with an emotional hook and engrossed me completely in this read. That is the sign of a good author, to present his tale, connect with the reader and evoke something from them." --Top 500 Amazon Reviewer

Web: paulrega.com
Twitter: twitter.com/paulregabooks
Facebook: facebook.com/paulregabooks
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulrega
Pinterest: pinterest.com/paulrega/boards/
Goodreads: goodreads.com/paulrega

Reviews

[Katheryn Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Find a Job When There Are No Jobs is an inspiring guide to the often demoralising process of job hunting. One of the best parts is the author’s unique 12 Step Intuitive Personal Assessment (IPA), which makes you thoroughly assess and identify your own unique career path. In addition, the book is full of great tips and advice on areas such as networking, interview procedures and starting your own business, with lots of clear examples to illustrate the points made. The book also contains an excellent list of websites where you can search for jobs. This list alone makes the book worth much more than its retail price!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, some great job search advice from a dependable source.

[S.E. Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combines the author's personal and professional experience with the lessons learned along the way. The author's approach is very unique because he combines mind, body and spirit. This is very different from other 'how to find a job' books that I have read. I found the approach of mixing the preparation of a career with other things like eating right and exercising very refreshing. A lot of thought and work went into preparing this book, and readers will find this book useful even if they are not currently looking for a job. Highly recommended.

[Carrie Lahain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book fell into our laps at a time when my husband had been blindsided by a chronic illness that ended his long-term career in commercial driving. It was scary enough contemplating such a change at 45 years old, then, before the ink had dried on his updated resume, he was diagnosed with cancer. The treatment has been long and hard, but it's nearing its end. While my husband can look forward to a full recovery, he now has to face his interrupted job search at a point when his stamina is iffy and his self-confidence bruised. Paul Rega's book offers a clear, user-friendly approach to looking for work in tough economic times and difficult personal circumstances. So much of who we are is wrapped up in what we do for a living. Perhaps the most difficult part of unemployment is how it can strip away our identity. This book doesn't just address the mechanics of a job search. Common sense tells a job hunter to target specific companies, clean up his resume, show up to the interview on time, etc. What is more difficult is generating the gumption to put yourself out there, to take a risk when all you want to do is hide in a corner. Through his professional advice and personal stories, Paul Rega looks at the reader as a whole person with needs, desires and fears that can't help but impact his or her job search. This book offers a way to orient oneself, a way to begin. And beginning is two-thirds of the battle.

[D.G. Torrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded this book recently when I saw it being promoted on twitter and I am very glad I did! This is a very inspirational book one of personal losses and tragedy as well as an inspirational guide on how never to give up on your dreams and pursue your chosen career. I was immediately drawn to the authors own personal story. I had so much admiration for this man who had achieved so much through his own determination to succeed. However he had to work exceptionally hard at this and through developing his own career path through his own 12 step system he not only achieved what most people dream of but he has helped thousands of people in the process. We can all gain so much by reading this book and learning from the advice that the author shares with his readers. I highly recommend this very inspirational book. Well done to the author.

[Diana-Michaela Shaffner · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content in this book mainly stresses the importance of truly finding out what it is one wants to do as opposed to just finding any paying job. Paul Rega gives various exercises through which you are guided in your soul searching process to find out your true passion. The book then goes on to give just common sense tips as to how to identify companies who may offer jobs like the one you would truly want to have, how to interview and network. The book definitely offers important and relevant information. However it is certainly not advise a person can use who just lost their job and is in desperate need to find any employment to avoid financial disaster. In this sense the title of the book is misleading. Therefore, the only two stars in my rating. At the same time it is imperative to find out what one's passion is and to move life towards its direction.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book. Good insight coming from a guy who recruits for a living. In general I found this book without filler; just going after the main details, making the good suggestions and getting out. The way books should be written. It really got me thinking. Tempted to give it a five, but it is too focused on the US and not on the world as a whole which I might have appreciated more.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a lot more out of this book. The title is really quite misleading because it doesn’t have much to do with successful job searching. I also found it to be essentially the same book as the author’s other title ‘12 Steps to Freedom’. It’s a good, common-sense approach to deciding what field of career you’d like to focus on, but it had little to do with what the title of the book suggested would be the main topic. Additionally, some of the advice feels extremely dated at this point. It’s designed for people who will be interviewing with or reporting to Boomer or Gen X management, but those generations are no longer the ones filling most of those roles, and Gen Z and Millennials have very different styles and priorities from the generations before them. If you have your own good common sense and can pay attention to what makes you happy and fulfilled, you probably don’t need this book.

[Uvi Poznansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an comprehensive career guide written for our unpredictable times. How to find a job when there are none sounds like an exercise in illusion, creating something out of nothing. Yet we all know that in today's "Hyper-competitive" job market, this kind of magic is a necessary skill, a skill that can be taught. Which is where the author of this book, Paul Rega, the president of a well-recognized executive search firm, comes in.

Right from the start, he establishes a tone of solidarity with you, by describing his personal career journey starting at the moment he was called into his boss's office, to face the shock of being laid off. Been there, done that, now look: here's how! Paul Rega presents a rational, methodical approach, offering a series of worksheets. First, a step-by-step intuitive personal assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, skills and talents, interests and values, career aspirations and goals. Next he highlights the role of education as the key to success, offers guidance as to building a network of personal and professional contacts, and shows you ways to target your job search.

I find this notion quite empowering: "As you begin your job search you must begin to realize and accept the fact that you will become a salesperson selling your most precious asset, yourself." with this notion in mind, you can begin sharpening your tools, readying yourself for a job market that is unpredictable. You can improve upon building a resume, writing cover and followup letters. You can practice your interview skills, negotiate salary and benefits. Above all, as the author says, never give up on yourself.

Five stars.

[Kay Rogal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Rega's book is a must for anyone in this economy! Not only do we have to prepare for retirement, but with today's companies downsizing or moving out of the states to save money, it is important to read it for ourselves or give it as a gift to a young adult starting out in this world. As a job developer and job coach for many years, I learned something new which will help my consumers. Paul not only utilizes what's in this book, he has lived it from the setbacks to the triumphs - professionally and personally.

Why not take advice or try the 12 steps from a man who has walked the walk...

As one of Paul's mentor (basically) once told him...in order for that dream to become real, one must realize that dream, accept that dream and have faith in it...and as my girlfriends call it...owning it :-)

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a job and need inspiration. This book will motivate, focus and guide you in advancing your career.

This author has been there and shares with you all the knowledge in a way that a lot of other 'How to' books don't. Almost like he is speaking directly to you, telling you how it is.

[Sadistic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its got useful websites & helpful ideas plus hints on how to successfully get an interview, what to do after an interview, & keep your search organized. It wasn't anything that I didn't already know, but the websites he listed I'm checking out for sure!

[J.J. Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book by someone who knows exactly what he is talking about. Great guide for anyone thinking about finding a job.

[Patrick Elsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

No matter how good it is the author is super racist in the second chapter so don’t read this crap.

[Nerd 91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice read! I found the advice helpful, although, I feel like it needs a refresh. And I would love to see a 'career guide' for the 2025 job market.

Because with the rise of generative AI, challenges such as job scams emerged. It would be interesting to learn how to navigate that.

For example, a study from Heimdal: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/job-... shows that in 2024, finance and IT roles were highly targeted, and scammers wouldn't shy away from luring even managers into really sophisticated scams.

[Chim · Rating 1 out of 5]

废话太多，不知所云，没有实用的建议，千万不要浪费时间读

[Donald Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, I really enjoyed this book. Best of luck to the writer.

[Taif_a_240505 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The perks of being a wallflower is one of the greatest books that I had read in my life. It is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. The main character was Charlie who had a hard experience in his life, which is how he wanted to caught between trying to live his own life with his friends and trying to run from putting him in strange course. One of the important things that I like in this book is the style of the writer because he used an exciting style to let the reader keep reading until the end of the story and he used a clever way that let the events of the story moving smoothly. It’s an amazing story, so I advise my friends to read this book.

[Lydia Chiang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not fulfilling

Rega's book gives some good advice if you're soul searching. His 12 step program guides the reader to think of who they are and what they want. This would be helpful if you didn't know what you're looking for but the title of the book relates to.finding a job not finding yourself. The antidotes are interesting but I felt left me hanging, wanting to hear more of the story. I feel the book did the same. I don't feel I got any grasp of finding a job from this book. I would have liked to have learned more of the author's struggles and gains through his process.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book at the end of a search so I didn't use the author's IPA system but I could see how the system would work as it had many of the same elements of other methods I referenced, one of which I used. I recorded some good quotes for later reference reminding myself that I always have options and the power to change my career...I will encounter challenges...and great things will happen...the most I can do is do my best...Good stuff that needs to be remembered and internalized.

[Maria Miaoulis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main point that the author wants to drive home to readers is that the job market is always in a constant state of flux whether because of the economy, changes in the industry or personal occurrences. Therefore, it's necessary to be able to adapt and take advantage of whatever opportunity comes your way. He gives readers a brief overview of his own career and how he arrived where he is today, as well as offers advice on networking, interviews, etc. All in all, a good read.

[RJ Kayser · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting a book that was about career advice and less indulging in the travesties of his life. I feel that the title is somewhat misleading because of this since only the second half of the book has any real advice.

[Joshua Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like it; seemed a compilation of internet columns advice, and didn't offer much of anything new. Not for me.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

it read like this guys diary. a personal story of his life. I couldn't get past the 3rd chapter. not for me. too much common sense stuff from what I skimmed past chapter 3.

[Walberto Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

How To Find A Job

This book is very helpful and informative when it comes to finding a job. Also, you can always start a business as a entrepreneur.

[Velvetink]

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[Vicky Connelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great points to consider when you want to find a job!