What do you think?
Rate this book
Knock 'em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide
Completely updated with new material, this bestselling job search guide can help you keep up with changes in the job market—from updating the language of your resume to using social media networking to make professional connections that are essential in finding new employment opportunities.
For more than thirty years, Martin Yate’s Knock ’em Dead series has helped millions of people succeed in their job search and has continued to be one of the most powerful in the field, constantly meeting the challenges of the modern marketplace.
In Knock ’em Dead, you’ll learn to create a resume that works, build strong profession-relevant networks, and develop street-smart strategies for getting more interviews and learning how to turn those job interviews into job offers. More than a job-search guide, you’ll have a blueprint for becoming more successful, while gaining the ability to control your professional destiny and your economic security.
This unique book gives you a practical, thoughtful, and carefully integrated new approach to successful career management in an age of uncertainty. Rather than a series of canned answers, this book is your gold standard for job change, professional growth, and a successful and fulfilling life.
For more than thirty years, Martin Yate’s Knock ’em Dead series has helped millions of people succeed in their job search and has continued to be one of the most powerful in the field, constantly meeting the challenges of the modern marketplace.
In Knock ’em Dead, you’ll learn to create a resume that works, build strong profession-relevant networks, and develop street-smart strategies for getting more interviews and learning how to turn those job interviews into job offers. More than a job-search guide, you’ll have a blueprint for becoming more successful, while gaining the ability to control your professional destiny and your economic security.
This unique book gives you a practical, thoughtful, and carefully integrated new approach to successful career management in an age of uncertainty. Rather than a series of canned answers, this book is your gold standard for job change, professional growth, and a successful and fulfilling life.
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 1958
162 people are currently reading
750 people want to read
About the author
Martin Yate
67 books19 followersMartin Yate, CPC, also publishes as Martin John Yate.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 19, 2016
This was the singlemost useful book I consulted on my "carpet bomb" search for gainful permanent employment in a field I adore. Obviously, there are newer editions--and I'd recommend going with the most recent. The advice covers everything from preparation and research before the interview, to how to deal with the range of competent and hideously incompetent interviewers out there (sadly, they *dont'* know who they are), to practical advice for meals (with the possible exception of the directive to cut your entire salad into bite-sized pieces!), the importance of handwritten thank you notes, and other follow-up advice (e.g., how to solicit feedback on unsuccessful interviews). This is an amazing resource, and would make a great textbook in any university capstone course where you're getting your folks ready to head out into the real world.
July 19, 2011
THIS IS THE BOOK THAT GOT ME MY JOB, AND ESSETIALLY CHANGED MY LIFE. I recommned it to any and everyone looking to start a new job search endeavour.
Read it, let it resonate, follow it, conquer!
I read the book, followed the tips, the following week I had 12 interviews and mulitple offers.
The book breaks down any industry into the simplest terms as to how you fit in.
You're golden if you follow it....
Read it, let it resonate, follow it, conquer!
I read the book, followed the tips, the following week I had 12 interviews and mulitple offers.
The book breaks down any industry into the simplest terms as to how you fit in.
You're golden if you follow it....
September 13, 2016
I'm on a self-improvement binge right now, so I'm re-reading this and working (and tweaking) each piece of crafting my new "improved" resume. This is a good process in figuring out what employers are looking for and using pertinent information in finding your new job. It can applied to the contract/freelance set also.
August 14, 2015
This book has an useful chapter on negotiating a job offer; including salary, stocks, noncompete agreements and benefits. Everything else, was common sense. I suggest picking it up at the library to read that single chapter.
October 14, 2019
I credit this book for teaching me that a job hunt is a sales campaign. Recommend to everyone who has to job hunt.
February 4, 2024
This book is a mix of great advice, decent advice, and outdated advice. I both learned things that I think have empowered my job search and also defenestrated some of this author's advice that didn't feel useful to me. So read smartly; I don't recommend believing everything this book has to say but there's some solid advice in there, especially about the realities of modern work culture and how to identify all your career successes and condense them into one resume document. I found the author was most outdated in the chapters about interviewing and professional appearance.
July 11, 2017
A pretty dense and concise book that will definitely help you in these areas:
1. The preparation process before your interview.
2. How to refine your resume and cover letter.
3. How to approach your dream company if you are ignored.
4. What do employers want to see in you?
5. Potential questions and approaches to answer them.
6. What to ask at the end of the interview.
--- Definitely worth reading a month before important interviews.
1. The preparation process before your interview.
2. How to refine your resume and cover letter.
3. How to approach your dream company if you are ignored.
4. What do employers want to see in you?
5. Potential questions and approaches to answer them.
6. What to ask at the end of the interview.
--- Definitely worth reading a month before important interviews.
November 7, 2017
Excellent.
January 5, 2018
Very useful book for job hunting
June 29, 2018
Disclaimer: I did not read the whole book. The section about dressing professionally and body language was excellent.
October 9, 2019
Solid advice
December 13, 2023
The book is good and definitely worth reading.All unemployed people should read it.You may still have to spend a lot of effort in finding a job but this book is still a blessing.
Read
March 15, 2024I read 'Online Job Search' By Marnie Stone, but they didn't have it on here so I'm using this as a place holder. Ill also go back and read this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2024
Decent advice, though perhaps a bit dated. Good for the behavioral interviews part I think. Provides a lot of relevant questions to think about and to prepare for.
May 14, 2025
Obviously not the most exciting of books and somewhat textbook like with its content but it served it’s purpose and helped me mold my search better so can’t dog it 🤷🏻♀️ had a lot of great tips but a little dated
November 8, 2025
Martin Yate’s “Knock ’em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide” has been a trusted resource for over 30 years, offering actionable strategies to navigate the ever-changing job market. Updated annually to address modern career trends and social media’s role in job searching, the guide features expert advice on crafting standout resumes, writing attention-grabbing cover letters, and acing interviews with confidence. With clear examples and vetted insights, Yate equips readers to break through resume databases and captivate hiring managers. Ideal for job seekers at any stage, this indispensable book provides tools to land your dream job and thrive in your career.
April 30, 2009
Martin Yate--America's leading advocate for working professionals--guides you through the whole process of job seeking, from assembling your resume to acing the interview to negotiating a salary. In addition, he gives you insider information on the answers you need to impress interviewers and convince them beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are the best candidate for the position.
Know an employer's real agenda behind questions such as:
~ Why do you want to work here?
~ What can you do for us that someone else can't?
~ What decisions are most difficult for you?
This book not only provides good verbiage for difficult questions during an interview; it also provides a checklist of body language and the rationale for using same. It helps decode certain nonverbal behaviors as well, e.g. putting one's hands behind their head causes one to appear smug and arrogant.
I've been using this book for 3 years now and it hasn't failed me yet. If you are in the market for a job or simply checking your marketability, I highly recommend this book.
Its 339 pages contain nuggets of information and invaluable advice that set the job seeker on the path to success. Yate organizes the information into five sections:
The Well-Stocked Briefcase covers timing, resumes, networking and tactics.
Part 2, Getting the Word Out, covers strategies for landing phone interviews, then face-to-face meetings, dressing right, body language and good first impressions.
We've all been stumped by tricky, even underhanded interview questions and Yate shares powerful honest answers to them in Part 3. Stressful interviews to strange venues, Yate has techniques for mastering it all including that indelible last impression as you exit your interview.
Part 4, Finishing Touches, advises how to handle follow up, turn rejection into opportunity, and negotiate when the offer arrives. Yate even counsels how to ace psychological tests and handle multiple job offers.
Part 5, How-tos of the delicate process of searching for a job while still employed, and dealing with finances during tough times.
The author ends with a handy answer index to hundreds of interview questions. His writing style is concise, graceful and at times, humorous. He has it all: excellent organization, impressive credentials and superb command of the subject.
Book Details:
Title Knock 'em Dead 2005: The Ultimate Job Seekers Guide
Author Martin John Yate
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Know an employer's real agenda behind questions such as:
~ Why do you want to work here?
~ What can you do for us that someone else can't?
~ What decisions are most difficult for you?
This book not only provides good verbiage for difficult questions during an interview; it also provides a checklist of body language and the rationale for using same. It helps decode certain nonverbal behaviors as well, e.g. putting one's hands behind their head causes one to appear smug and arrogant.
I've been using this book for 3 years now and it hasn't failed me yet. If you are in the market for a job or simply checking your marketability, I highly recommend this book.
Its 339 pages contain nuggets of information and invaluable advice that set the job seeker on the path to success. Yate organizes the information into five sections:
The Well-Stocked Briefcase covers timing, resumes, networking and tactics.
Part 2, Getting the Word Out, covers strategies for landing phone interviews, then face-to-face meetings, dressing right, body language and good first impressions.
We've all been stumped by tricky, even underhanded interview questions and Yate shares powerful honest answers to them in Part 3. Stressful interviews to strange venues, Yate has techniques for mastering it all including that indelible last impression as you exit your interview.
Part 4, Finishing Touches, advises how to handle follow up, turn rejection into opportunity, and negotiate when the offer arrives. Yate even counsels how to ace psychological tests and handle multiple job offers.
Part 5, How-tos of the delicate process of searching for a job while still employed, and dealing with finances during tough times.
The author ends with a handy answer index to hundreds of interview questions. His writing style is concise, graceful and at times, humorous. He has it all: excellent organization, impressive credentials and superb command of the subject.
Book Details:
Title Knock 'em Dead 2005: The Ultimate Job Seekers Guide
Author Martin John Yate
Reviewed By Purplycookie
June 23, 2015
I've never had much trouble putting together a great resume or doing well in an interview. Some things I learned in classes many years ago, and others just by going on interviews. But I've been out of school for a number of years and it's been a while since I last changed jobs.
And it's a very different economy and job hunting situation now. Not only are jobs more scarce but there's a lot more competition in this down economy. And while I've only been looking passively for a while now, I find it's not as easy to even get interviews as it once was.
Job hunting can be more difficult in this highly computerized world. Resumes go into databases and may not even be reviewed by a person unless the computer selects them. Martin Yate discusses ways to get your resume selected by using important keywords and how to figure out what they are - and his method will take some real effort. He talks about how to deal with the interview and difficult questions, and how to negotiate when an offer is coming. He also leans heavily upon the old practice of networking - something I've never been very good at but which has worked since the days of Benjamin Franklin! He even follows up with information on what employment areas are in demand right now.
While this is a very good update of an old standard, it's not perfect. The writing can feel a little dense at times and occasionally it seems like a topic is over-covered or gets repetitive. The approach might look similar to the "Idiot's Guides" or "... for Dummies" books, but this one is a lot more serious. It also took me a while before I realized I probably didn't need to read every single part of this book and it can be treated as a reference. I also wish there had been a little more detail on the format of resumes or how to do a cover letter instead of having to consult the author's other publications.
But this is probably the very best place to start your job search, especially if it's been a while or if you're a recent graduate. I'm really not a fan of the "self-help" type of books, but I'll make an exception for this one - this one just might be essential. (I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers blogger program.)
And it's a very different economy and job hunting situation now. Not only are jobs more scarce but there's a lot more competition in this down economy. And while I've only been looking passively for a while now, I find it's not as easy to even get interviews as it once was.
Job hunting can be more difficult in this highly computerized world. Resumes go into databases and may not even be reviewed by a person unless the computer selects them. Martin Yate discusses ways to get your resume selected by using important keywords and how to figure out what they are - and his method will take some real effort. He talks about how to deal with the interview and difficult questions, and how to negotiate when an offer is coming. He also leans heavily upon the old practice of networking - something I've never been very good at but which has worked since the days of Benjamin Franklin! He even follows up with information on what employment areas are in demand right now.
While this is a very good update of an old standard, it's not perfect. The writing can feel a little dense at times and occasionally it seems like a topic is over-covered or gets repetitive. The approach might look similar to the "Idiot's Guides" or "... for Dummies" books, but this one is a lot more serious. It also took me a while before I realized I probably didn't need to read every single part of this book and it can be treated as a reference. I also wish there had been a little more detail on the format of resumes or how to do a cover letter instead of having to consult the author's other publications.
But this is probably the very best place to start your job search, especially if it's been a while or if you're a recent graduate. I'm really not a fan of the "self-help" type of books, but I'll make an exception for this one - this one just might be essential. (I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers blogger program.)
June 11, 2011
Globalization. Redundancy. Recession.
Change is constant and the workplace is dynamic. You are never so sure now a days if your job or your Company will still exist for years to come. In some point in our lives, we experience the job hunting process in order to find a new job, get a better salary/compensation or benefits.
But the job hunting process can be a nightmare or an opportunity to find a better pay scale. This guide book teaches you practical tips on job searching and how you can stand out from the rest.
As a veteran job hunter such as myself, I thought I already know everything about landing a good job. As much as I don’t want to undergo the job process again considering I’m no longer a young urban professional nevertheless, most of us have no control over mergers, bankruptcy or management chaos or our clients outsourcing.
So this book really comes in handy as the word “stability” can be considered now as part of the bygone era and it helps to be prepared.
Regardless, if you are just a recent graduate, changing careers or a seasoned professional who just lost a job, this book really fills-in-the gaps how to be successful in our job hunting such as
How to tailor fit your resume to be noticed right away
How to negotiate your salary
How to put your networking contacts to good used
How to ace that psychological test
Where the jobs are…current trends as to what occupation is in demand for years to come. (with a brief description of each profession and the projected salary range).
You don’t have to be an American citizen to fully appreciate this book as most topics are of general interest. After all the job hunting process is pretty much the same elsewhere so anybody can find this guidebook a worthy investment to how to get ahead from the competition.
Change is constant and the workplace is dynamic. You are never so sure now a days if your job or your Company will still exist for years to come. In some point in our lives, we experience the job hunting process in order to find a new job, get a better salary/compensation or benefits.
But the job hunting process can be a nightmare or an opportunity to find a better pay scale. This guide book teaches you practical tips on job searching and how you can stand out from the rest.
As a veteran job hunter such as myself, I thought I already know everything about landing a good job. As much as I don’t want to undergo the job process again considering I’m no longer a young urban professional nevertheless, most of us have no control over mergers, bankruptcy or management chaos or our clients outsourcing.
So this book really comes in handy as the word “stability” can be considered now as part of the bygone era and it helps to be prepared.
Regardless, if you are just a recent graduate, changing careers or a seasoned professional who just lost a job, this book really fills-in-the gaps how to be successful in our job hunting such as
How to tailor fit your resume to be noticed right away
How to negotiate your salary
How to put your networking contacts to good used
How to ace that psychological test
Where the jobs are…current trends as to what occupation is in demand for years to come. (with a brief description of each profession and the projected salary range).
You don’t have to be an American citizen to fully appreciate this book as most topics are of general interest. After all the job hunting process is pretty much the same elsewhere so anybody can find this guidebook a worthy investment to how to get ahead from the competition.
June 4, 2011
In Knock ‘Em Dead, Martin Yate teaches people how to get a job in today’s tough economy. You must have a professional brand in order to succeed and stand out from others. A good professional brand consists of your transferable skills, learned behaviors, and core values in the workplace. The book will show you how to write a resume that will look professional and will help you land the job. Yate gave wonderful tips on how to dress to impress your bosses for job interviews. He also included several difficult questions that job interviews may ask you. He provided the way to professional answer them.
Some of the questions include:
“Why do you want to work here?”
“What are you qualifications?”
“Why should I hire you?”
“Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten.”
“How do you get along with different kinds of people?”
I enjoyed learning the many job techniques in Knock ‘Em Dead 25th Anniversary Edition. The book is a great guide for your professional careers to always use and refer back to. I would recommend Knock ‘Em Dead to anyone who is looking for a job or need to improve in their professional career. Yate taught me how to make my own professional brand and how to land the job in my interviews. He immensely helped me to create my resume and make it look professional and appealing to bosses. The book also contained thirty fast growing occupations in today’s economy. Some of them included Pharmacist, Athletic Trainer, Medical Assistant, Computer Software Engineer, and much more. I am currently in College so I might need to be changing my major soon! If want to succeed in the workplace then this book can and will help you!
“I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.”
Some of the questions include:
“Why do you want to work here?”
“What are you qualifications?”
“Why should I hire you?”
“Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten.”
“How do you get along with different kinds of people?”
I enjoyed learning the many job techniques in Knock ‘Em Dead 25th Anniversary Edition. The book is a great guide for your professional careers to always use and refer back to. I would recommend Knock ‘Em Dead to anyone who is looking for a job or need to improve in their professional career. Yate taught me how to make my own professional brand and how to land the job in my interviews. He immensely helped me to create my resume and make it look professional and appealing to bosses. The book also contained thirty fast growing occupations in today’s economy. Some of them included Pharmacist, Athletic Trainer, Medical Assistant, Computer Software Engineer, and much more. I am currently in College so I might need to be changing my major soon! If want to succeed in the workplace then this book can and will help you!
“I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.”
May 12, 2011
Knock ‘em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide 2011
The Knock ‘em Dead series by Martin Yate has always been very popular in my library. This book is the newly updated version that gives the latest information on searching for jobs. It is a treasure trove of great ideas for a person looking for a job. Part 1 covers resume creation and job searching, Part 2 covers interviewing, Part 3 covers interviewing also, including how to answer the tough questions, and Part 4 covers how to follow-up, what to do if you don’t get the job, and how to negotiate a job offer, and finally Part 5 covers the 30 fastest growing occupations. The book includes lots of “Knock ‘em Dead tips” and is written in an easy to read format with lots of scenarios. I thought it was very interesting that they listed the number one job for growth as the personal and home care aide. It certainly does seem to be true with our aging population. The second growing occupation was veterinarian and vet assistant. And as always, computers are a “hot “ occupation to get into. For each of the top 30 jobs, the book describes the position, what training is needed, the average pay, etc. If I was looking for a job I would definitely read through the interview section to prep, there are a lot of good pointers on how to deal with the tricky questions. There is also some great advice for writing and polishing resumes.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from booksneeze.com but the opinions I expressed about the book are my own.
The Knock ‘em Dead series by Martin Yate has always been very popular in my library. This book is the newly updated version that gives the latest information on searching for jobs. It is a treasure trove of great ideas for a person looking for a job. Part 1 covers resume creation and job searching, Part 2 covers interviewing, Part 3 covers interviewing also, including how to answer the tough questions, and Part 4 covers how to follow-up, what to do if you don’t get the job, and how to negotiate a job offer, and finally Part 5 covers the 30 fastest growing occupations. The book includes lots of “Knock ‘em Dead tips” and is written in an easy to read format with lots of scenarios. I thought it was very interesting that they listed the number one job for growth as the personal and home care aide. It certainly does seem to be true with our aging population. The second growing occupation was veterinarian and vet assistant. And as always, computers are a “hot “ occupation to get into. For each of the top 30 jobs, the book describes the position, what training is needed, the average pay, etc. If I was looking for a job I would definitely read through the interview section to prep, there are a lot of good pointers on how to deal with the tricky questions. There is also some great advice for writing and polishing resumes.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from booksneeze.com but the opinions I expressed about the book are my own.
Read
August 9, 2011When I was a college student, I read What Color Is Your Parachute, a classic in job hunting advice.
Knock ‘em Dead is a worthy successor!
I received a free eBook copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.
Because of the many internet resources available, I recommend purchasing the eBook format of this book.
Mr. Yate is a consummate professional and writes with great authority. No matter your job search needs, this book is written with you in mind.
The only area in which I differ with the author is his high regard for another book, Alan Lakein’s classic How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. If you benefit from to-do lists, then use Mr. Yate’s and Mr. Lakein’s time management principles. Otherwise, I recommend using Stephen Covey’s timeless 7 Habits of Highly Successful People instead.
Don’t take my word for it, though. If you’re interested, check out http://www.knockemdead.com/main/ before you buy this book. You’ll find that the book, in conjunction with the free resources online, are worth every penny!
This book receives my highest recommendation, and good luck in your job search!
Knock ‘em Dead is a worthy successor!
I received a free eBook copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.
Because of the many internet resources available, I recommend purchasing the eBook format of this book.
Mr. Yate is a consummate professional and writes with great authority. No matter your job search needs, this book is written with you in mind.
The only area in which I differ with the author is his high regard for another book, Alan Lakein’s classic How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. If you benefit from to-do lists, then use Mr. Yate’s and Mr. Lakein’s time management principles. Otherwise, I recommend using Stephen Covey’s timeless 7 Habits of Highly Successful People instead.
Don’t take my word for it, though. If you’re interested, check out http://www.knockemdead.com/main/ before you buy this book. You’ll find that the book, in conjunction with the free resources online, are worth every penny!
This book receives my highest recommendation, and good luck in your job search!
April 3, 2013
This is a good reference for re-entering the job market or brushing up on your skills. I was expecting it to be a better all-encompassing job hunting book, but it is lacking in the chapter on resumes. It spent too much time on developing and analyzing your skills, and too little on actual example resumes (probably so you'll buy the author's specialized book on resumes). Also, the book is geared more toward the sales industry. However, the book does provide substantial guidance on networking and interviewing, the latter of which I have found to be the most useful. The potential questions and "what are they really asking" example answers help you to imagine what you would say in similar scenarios in your own field.
May 4, 2011
Knock em Dead the Ultimate Job Search Guide 2011 the 25th Anniversary Edition by Martin Yate is a good book. I did learn a few things but for the most part I already knew a lot of what this book was about. I did like the way Martin Yate wrote about the Me Inc. It made me look at me in a different way. This book was a good reminder and refresher for me. There are several websites to go to for help he references, I thought that was good to include. I feel like this is an excellent book for a teacher teaching a class in high school on life skills. I also thought it was good for the college age group who are looking for a job after graduation. I give the book four stars.
September 13, 2016
Excellent guide to anyone in the job hunt or thinking about looking for work. This is the newest edition where the author has excellent online sources and info that is very useful. The writing style is very good with respect to real examples of concepts that every job seeker should try to improve. I do think this is one of the better choices of so many books out there on this topic that everyone will face at some point in their lives. I've made it a point to read it a second time as there is so much useful information.
December 5, 2012
This book really stunk! I thought a lot of the advice given in the book was complete crap and I got the feeling that the jobs he was preparing you for were super high corporate jobs, which is not what I'm interested in at all. Also, it's never wise to lie about who you are or what you're calling about just to get to speak with somebody who can hire you... Not wise at all, Mr. Yate...
January 15, 2014
Excellent overview for job searching. It includes resources, explanations about how to use them, and great tips on specific areas of concern within a job search. The website, however, didn't have much of what the book claims it has, such as the "What can I do with a degree database". Rather, the website was simply a marketing tool to get you to buy further help from the author.
November 16, 2015
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very educational and helpful. I have donated this book to the media center at the High School that I work at. The information we had on our shelves was outdated and this was a great new resource for our students. Thanks again for the book, and a huge thank you from our high school students.
December 3, 2011
Very in-depth discussion on a lot of job-search subjects. I appreciated the attempt to link the book to the ever-expanding world of technology we live in but the lists of websites became distracting.
January 6, 2012
I thought this was a great book! I read it last year and used it to rewrite my resume, and I ended up getting a job a few weeks later after tapping into my network. I'd recommend this as a good resource for anyone looking to make a change or on the hunt for a job.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews