Rating: 
Summary: Trite, Shallow, Banal and Essentially Worthless
Review: As with many business books, the worst books to read are those that sound dry and redundant. This book however is tersely written, easy to comprehend and adds some interesting job seeking tools that will assist you in searching for a job efficiently. Although the title says not to send a resume, Fox does feel that a resume can be used as a tool for a job search when either modified and tailored to the specific employer, or used as a follow up piece of literature to accentuate the candidate's skills after first conact with the employer.
In addition to this Fox gives tips on finding leads, writing interview-getting letters, interviewing, and post interview follow ups. Some of the information in this book is commonly found in other books--be confident, sell yourself, stand out from a crowd, be polite to everybody, etc.--yet another 50% of the book has some material that you probably wouldn't see before or find somewhere else--write a resu-letter, write boomerang letters, and other interesting methods.
The flow of the writing is to-the-point written in simple, absorbant, and quickly comprehensible with information that can be used immediately. The book has the pattern of explaining something to you, giving you a story to get the concept to sink in, or giving you the explicit details by listing or giving you examples. In other words, it starts in general terms and becomes more tangible and specific.
Reading this book is a good starting point. Use the book's tips to help you find your job and pass it around to others to help them find a job or even resell it here on Amazon.com.
Rating: 
Summary: Only for the innovative!
Review: For companies and candidates that are open to new ideas and shared responsibilities this book is great! Note the ideas behind this book are those associated with Open-Book Management (see the book by the same name by John Case). If you are a job seeker who likes to be told what to do and who sees work as a four-letter word, this book may get you a job, but you will not be able to live up the expectations these methods would set for you so please don't bother. On the other hand, for those who enjoy the opportunity to innovate at work, this book tells you how you can *SHOW* that to prospective employers and thus sell them on you.
Rating: 
Summary: Fox's techniques work if you are willling to devote the time
Review: Hello all. Back again with an update. I am a PR executive by trade as well as a volunteer PR director and trainer of a career group in NJ... After first posting here that recipients of Mr. Fox's direct mail letters had difficulty understanding intent, I have come to see this book as one of the single most effective books that you can use to re-enter the job market. I have since sent several letters and you might surprised to hear that some very well known CEOs have had their folks pick up the phone and give me a call after receiving a letter. I am now gainfully employed. Particularly outstanding is Fox's formula for an "Impact Letter," where you as the candidate present to the reader ideas on how to improve their business based on your area of expertise. The effectiveness of this approach is, in part, determined by the amount of research you do on your target company and the ideas that you bring to the table. How do get the information? There are many ways - networking, the local dive bar near the company, their vendors -- but start at the largest library in your area. Based on my execution of techniques in the book, I have some points on how to improve your letters: 1.) Think of ways in which you can help a company make or save money. Your letter is a business proposition. Demonstrate that YOU understand the business process. 2.) Write concisely. As you can imagine with such intense competition for positions, get to the point immediately and try to hook the reader from the very first line. 3.) Always add a postscript (P.S.). Studies show that 80% of readers read the postscript when one is present.
4.) Always send your letter to the CEO unless you were referred to another executive with the power to hire you. Writing these letters demonstrates your desire to work for your target company as well as your passion for your chosen or intended field. That alone is a strong value, and should earn you an appointment to speak with the proper hiring influence at the company. And once you are hired, read Fox's other outstanding books, including: "How to Become CEO."
Rating: 
Summary: One Good Piece of Advice
Review: I got one good piece of advice out of this book and it was worth what I paid for the e-book. Don't buy the hardcover! I'll share: Keep points for what you do in your job search and try to get to 5 points per day. Great motivation tool and it works! So, assign points like 1 point for company research and 2 points for sending resume and 3 points for an interview. Keep a log of what you do each day and add up the points - goal is to get to 5 each day. Has kept me on track and moving forward. The rest of the advice isn't backed with many concrete examples or success stories. He has a unique approach, but much of the advice I don't agree with and didn't make sense. I gave it 3 points because it's not all bad and there are nuggets of good info like I shared above. You can probably do much better. The e-book is the best way to go on this one if you really want it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: If you want a Marketing / Sales mentality for getting a job, this is the book for you. This book is not just a quick resume fix book, or a book that contains resume templates that fit your job. If you're looking to just imitate someone or just get some job pointers, don't get this book.
What most potential employees don't realize is that when you apply for a job, you are essentially selling a product or a service. The product is you, the service is your services. Most people look alike, sound alike and don't seem much different than the next resume when you apply. This book shows you tips, and helps you step into the mentality to change that around.
Great book. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a job on the upside. Check out Purple Cow by Seth Godin too.
Rating:
Summary: Simple, concise, highly effective ideas for job search
Review: In sports and in life, winners start with the fundamentals. This book applies the fundamentals of marketing and sales to the fundamentals of job search. As an executive career coach, I strongly recommend this book, with the exception of chapters 11-15 (they deal with chasing published jobs and begging through the mail). Even seasoned marketing and sales types can benefit from getting back to fundamentals in their job search. This is the second book I recommend to clients. The first is The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, which can be applied very successfully to many job search situations.
Some people pan this book because it seems too basic and obvious. Ask them to clearly describe their alternatives to the principles in this book and you will learn within one minute whether to trust their appraisal. Good luck on your journey!
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: It is very refreshing to read such unconventional advice on job hunting. The author's ideas are very good and I totally agree with him. Overall a great book of the kind that we need more today. 4 stars instead of 5 because: 1. Its reader is typically looking for a job in a business-related field, and the hirer's goal is invariably to make more money, so is the job seeker's emphasis in selling himself. While the 'spirit' of the book is great and theoretically applies to all fields or professions, people who are seeking jobs in, say, university teaching, will find many things not applicable to them. (In one place it's said that cv's seeking for university teaching job often devote page after page about papers published but only 2 lines on teaching. Unfortunately this is indeed what the academics stress when hiring: publication is valued more than teaching.) 2. About how to make yourself stand out: again this should be a mental guideline--I wish it can all work that way, but in the real world, first of all, how busy will the CEO'S be if every reader of this book bypass the conventional resume sending process and instead starts job application by sending an impact letter DIRECTLY to the CEO or president?? How many secretaries will actually pass the letters to the CEO? It takes a smart secretary! Second, even if the CEO gets the letter, the result will largely depend on the shrewdness of the CEO. Regrettably, too many CEO's out there are themselves too conventional to recognize a creative job candidate. To end the review, it's a great book!
Rating:
Summary: RIGHT ON THE MARK!
Review: Jeffrey J. Fox is accurate, full of wisdom and absolutely correct when he advises not to send resumes and other unauthorized material in searching for employment. Some people send them unsolicited and "willy-nilly" everywhere and anywhere, and then wonder why they do not receive a response. Save money on the fancy paper, printing and binding costs and spend your time reading this book. Some companies literally receive hundreds of resumes each week, and a good majority eventually work their way into file #13, better known as the trash can. From years of management experience and having written extensive training material on the topic, I can tell you that no employer is going to be impressed by a resume that tells the reader why YOU need a job, and to be very blunt and honest, most employers do not care why. An employer wants to know what you can do for the company, not what the company can do for you. What exceptional knowledge, experience, training, marketing skills, sales ability, customer service skills, client base, ideas, productivity, etc. can you bring to the company that is more impressive than the other thousand and one applications sitting on the desk? The employer wants to know how the company is going to benefit if they hire you over everyone else, and what specific strategic plan you have in mind that will help the company grow to its full potential and increase productivity, motivation and profits. Are you a team player and can you also work well independently? Can you take direction and constructive criticism? As for a job interview, it is an opportunity to listen, learn and sell - to convince the employer why you are the best person for the job. You also want to pay close attention to your manners and social skills. It is a known fact that when it comes to hiring management personnel, many decisions are made in a social setting, i.e., over dinner, on a golf course, etc. If etiquette is not one of your foremost subjects, it is time to hone up on social graces and conversational skills. Employers already know you need the job or you would not be applying; they know you need to put food on the table, a place to live and that you have debts to pay - we all do! An employer well trained in business management will hire those they feel can best do the job, and that does not necessarily mean those most in need. Employers are not in business to be social assistance providers, they are in business to make a profit or their company will not survive. For those who constantly find themselves sending resumes with little or not response, I strongly suggest you read this book. It is true, factual, accurate and right on the mark! Believe me, this author is a top-notch pro! After reading, "Don't Send a Resume", you may change your entire approach on how you search and apply for employment and conduct yourself during interviews. This book is a great opportunity to learn from past mistakes, and it could open new doors to your future.
Rating:
Summary: A real world test. Good book here are the pros and cons...
Review: Okay I'll start out with the pros first: I bought this book after I lost my job from a downsizing of the organization I was working for. Needless to say, I was in need of a quick way for me to get noticed in the job marketplace. I used many of the ideas outlined in this book and they did work. I researched organizations, sent impact letters, spoke to the hiring manager and got interviews. I beat out hundreds of people responding with resumes via email and postal mail. I got my current job pretty much the same way as my previous successes. However, I wasn't able to find out the hiring managers name, so I sent an impact letter and my resume to the Vice President of the department I would be working in. I assume my resume was forwarded to the top of the pile of the hiring manager's resume stack because within a few days I got a call from the personnel department. I had interviews with many people. I sent follow-up letters to everyone I said hello to and eventually I got the job. All of this took allot of time an effort. I spent every day for 8 months from 9-am to 5-pm researching, writing, calling, following-up, networking, and more. It's exhausting. It's a tough market and the rate of return is still very low. But these ideas give you an edge. I averaged about 1 interview out of every 30 impact letters I wrote. It's a full-time job looking for a job and the competition is tough. That's why it's important to have at least 6-8 months of living expenses saved in case you loose your job. In this day and age, If you can afford to have a year of living expenses saved, that would be ideal. Being unemployed usually catches you off-guard. If you do loose your job, you're probably going to have to work part-time while you are looking. This will take away from your job hunting time and extend the average when you might secure permanent employment again. Okay here are the Cons: If you hate your current job, It's very difficult if not impossible to do use the methods and approaches outlined in this book while you are already working. There is no way you can be on the phone and do research while you are working. So it's almost a book for someone who is already unemployed. I would like to see Mr. Fox come up with marketing tactics utilizing these techniques for someone who is employed full-time and seeking to change employment. How do you do research and talk to decision-makers with your boss breathing down your neck? How do you conduct interviews while still employed full-time? Also, I would like to see Mr. Fox devote a chapter to the importance of saving money for when you are unemployed. I like to call it my "just-in-case-I'm unemployed" account. Not enough emphasis is given in this area in any job hunting book and I think it very important. As I said before, It's a full-time job looking for a job. The other issue I had is Mr. Fox tells us not to use "big" words and industry jargon in our letters and resume. I agree. However, speckled throughout this book, Mr. Fox uses words that could have been simplified. For example on page 10 he uses the word "pedantically". Instead, he could have used a more common word or just left the word out and the sentence would have been fine. There are a few other inflated words used perhaps out of habit or to purposely validate and exhibit his education. If you're writing only to Harvard colleagues it's probably acceptable. However books written with uncommon vocabulary for a general audience often sounds aloof. In conclusion, this is a good book with plenty of good advise and I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Trite, Shallow, Banal and Essentially Worthless
Review: On the plus side, although it was a complete waste of time, this book can be read in under an hour. On the minus side, if you ever looked for a job at some point in your life, about the only practical use for this book is to prop up a wobbly piece of furniture. It contains such "helpful" hints as "dress nice for interviews" and "don't drink alcohol at lunch." Wow, truly Earth-shattering! I'm surprized there wasn't an entire chapter called "Change Your Underwear." I can't believe there were so many positive reviews of this book. You guys must all be new grads or something.
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