Most Job-Hunting Books Are Useless

Everything these books say is true and is somewhat useful but they are bollocks.

(The way they suggest to look for companies by going to the Public Library is useless.)

They are at good at the beginning of one's career or if one has been on a job for longer that he/she can remember.

What these treatises don't tell you is that the main factors in being successful at finding the job are:
1. state of the economy, especially the IT side: [think post-bubble, the years 2001-2003];
2. location: I am in IT so Vancouver, BC is not really a haven teeming with hight tech companies;
3. your skill set (this will only set your foot in the door): having done lots of stuff makes one highly desirable in most situations; if one stayed in one company and doing the same stuff for a decade that is not a good indicator of flexibility and competency [may be wrong here but I've seen this kind of people];
4. if at the interview the people like you; this is extremely important and you will know immediately as you will feel whether you like them [be honest with yourself!].

One can lie on the Resume, can lie to the Recruiter, (should not) lie at the interview but one cannot make people like him/her. Some people have this natural talent but I (like most IT people) don't.

-ulianov