How to Get the Job You Really Want, by James Caan, A Book Review by Philip Halton

You may know multi millionaire entrepeneur and private equity owner, James Caan, from the popular BBC programme, Dragon's Den. Other business cogniscenti know James Caan as the successful businessman who has forged a glittering career with the private-equity firm he owns, Hamilton Bradshaw.

Owing to his success in business, James Caan has published a book which aims to advise jobseekers on 'how to get the job' they really want. In the opening of the book, James Caan tells his readers:

"It is possible to have the job of your dreams. Together we are going to set about getting you there."

James spent spent thirty years setting up and running recruitment companies, placing hundreds of thousands of candidates "in the jobs they really wanted".

'How to Get the Job You Really Want' is filled with precious nuggets of advice on how job applicants should market themselves in an increasingly competitive job market where a good standard of education added to a recession has transformed the job market into a 'candidate rich' but 'job poor' situation. Caan takes the reader through the job application process step by step. He tells his readers how: to stay positive in a difficult economic climate and find the right opportunities, how to package yourself to make sure you secure an interview, the vital importance of preparation, so that you are relaxed and give a great performance at interview. How to show your passion, and ask the perfect questions. And finally, how to use your power by closing the best deal on a job offer.

Amongst the most salient points that Caan makes to his readers is for them to ruminate on what they can bring to the table in the position they are applying for; what is it about them that sets them apart from their contemporaries who are vying for the same position? James challenges his readers to think about what their core skills/ competencies really are? For example, do you have strong customer service skills? Do you possess a warm and gregarious personality that is so important for building good relationships with clients and ensuring repeat customer sales? Are you a numerate, smart person with a solid job history(graduates can point to jobs and responsibilities they held during their college years)? Do you possess proficient IT skills i.e. can you touch type (I strongly recommend that you do learn this skill, it only takes a few hours a night, and it is suprising how many people out there who cannot touch-type, they use their index fingers only. You can buy software such as Meavis Beacon's teaches typing for pretty cheap too) can you operate powerpoint, Microsoft Word, Excell sheets, have you had experience in creating websites? If the answers to these questions is yes, then you stand a pretty good chance of landing yourself 'the job you really want'. If you don't possess these skills, don't fret, it's never too late to learn.

According to Caan, jobseekers often make the mistake of 'selling' their CV's and forget to 'sell' themselves. CV's should point to what kind of person you are: what hobbies do you have, what are you interested in, what skills have you developed, what have you learned, what are your motivations, your drives? Job applicants should expand on their Unique Selling Points (USP) and the features and the benefits they can offer to an employer. Practical experience and evidence to show that you are prepared to 'knuckle down' to the task provide great currency in convincing prospective employers that you are the right candidate for the job.

Caan advises job searchers to think outside the box and be pro-active: assign yourself the task of joining recruitment discussions via social network sites, give yourself an online presence in the professional orientated social networking site Linked-in and use it to 'sell' yourself to employers, look through the career sections in company websites, investigate what kind of qualities the company are looking for in their employees. Find out what the 'culture' of the company is? Is it a warm, convivial atmosphere, if you ask current employees of the company what it is like to work for Company X, you can gauge whether you would feel at home within their working enviroment. It is important to choose a job that you feel comfortable with, Warren Buffett said that if you 'find your stomach churning' going into work every morning, you're probably in the wrong line of work.

James Caan summarises the entire book with a 30 point approach he garnered from research done by recruitment agencies on the job market. According to Caan, the research found that job applicants who followed the thirty step approach had a very high probability of landing the job they wanted. Here is the 30 steps, read and take note:

1. Look at the value you are adding to your existing company? Are you an asset or a liability? Can you tangibly demonstrate the value you would bring to a new employer?

2. Define and quantify the skills, especially IT skills, that you use regularly in your practical role.

3. Change creates oppurtunities, but consider the long-term impact a new career can have on your life.

4. Follow the classic business rule of 'finding' a need and 'filling' it. Can your expertise fill a breach or a knowledge gap within a company?

5. Use every route available to you to get that job: recruitment agencies, direct applications, digital job boards, personal contacts, word of mouth, concentrate on reaching the decision maker of who gets the job or not (often the HR manager).

6. Consider every aspect of your C.V. How you word it, the structure, the way you deliver it, the covering letter, position yourself to the potential employer as the solution to their problem.

7. Check that, like a good grocer, your CV puts the best apples at the front of the stall-make it relevant.

8. Preparation-research the company, what's going on in their industry sector, are they downsizing, growing, what areas are they doing well in? Find out who is interviewing you?

9. Use all information you garner to provide the raw material for asking the all important questions and raising discussion points.

10. Be proactive and confident in asking questions, getting feedback, maybe offering to work a week on spec (pro bono).

11.Always be prepared to answer the question 'What do you know about our company?'

12. Don't take any risks with your personal presentation. Use the company website to research general style,and if necessary, modify your approach and even your attire to be more in line with the company's style.

13. Have a checklist in mind, ticking off all the minutatie which affects the way in which you come across to the interviewing panel.

14. As soon as you meet your interviewer, work hard to connect with them straight away on a personal level i.e. ask them how long they have been working for the company?

15. Make sure to get in with an early question, ideally one that asks the interviewer to tell you what the criterion is for the job you are applying for. Their answer will lay the foundations for you to present your case.

16. It's always useful to bring something in that you prepared in advance- a short presentation, a document, something that demonstrates the quality of the work you have produced thus far, but don't oversell it, let the interviewer discern for themselves how good you really are.

17. During the interview aim to ask the interviewer as many questions about the job and the company as they ask you.

18. Plan ahead for the standard Question you will always be asked-such as, "Why do you want to leave your current employer?"

19. Don't worry unduly about showing nerves: they prove that you really want the job.

20. Practise answering killer questions in advance, so you have an original, relevant answer.

21. If you are fazed, take some time out. Going to the bathroom or asking to take a sip of water can give you the breathing space to 're-programme' and 're-position' yourself so as to properly adjust your answer to the question.

22. Ask if you could come in and meet the department before you go for a second interview; the knowledge you'll gain will make you stronger at the next stage.

23.Try and get a feel for the company's culture while you are in the building, and ask questions to find out more about it.

24. Have courage to ask questions that might come back with a negative answer. Your bravery in asking such tough questions will not go unrecognised.

25. Don't forget to get the feedback at the end of the interview. When being escorted to the lift for example, ask "What's your gut feeling about me getting the job?".

26. Keep professional right up until you have left the building. Don't blow your chances with an unwise remark.

27. Always learn from your mistakes by going back to the company and finding out the reason why you didn't make the cut?

28. When you are offered a job, take a step back to make a fully informed and calm decision on what is on offer. Seek professional advice in negotiating an offer if necessary.

29. Take care when you are choosing your referees, and be courteous enough to let them know in advance that they may get a call from your potential employer: you don't want any damaging suprises at the final hurdle.

30. During the first few days, weeks, months after starting your new job, take care to remember that you are on probation; so hit the deck running; listen, learn and contribute. You'll make the person who appointed you look great, and you'll feel great too.

In parting with the advice laid down by James Caan, it is important to always remember his challenge for all jobseekers to undertake: "Do you want to be part of the crowd,or do you want to be the person who rises above the rest?"

I hope all of my readers on this hub, particularly business postgraduates like myself, will both learn and take heart from Jame's Caan's sage advice and use it to help them find the job they 'really want'.