Independent Learning Centre

The author, who coined the term “transferable skills”, uses the parachute metaphor in the book title to refer to changing jobs or careers. The book appeals to job seekers as well as career changers. The 11 chapters and 6 appendices guide you to not only write impressive resumes and cover letters, but also build personal networks and perform in interviews.

Highlights include “Google is your new resume” (Ch. 2), “Sixteen tips about interviewing for a job” (Ch. 4), and “You need to understand more fully who you are” (Ch.7).

Catering for university graduates with little work experience, the book helps you craft persuasive CVs with examples. Beginning with an introduction of the general features in a CV in Part 1, the book guides you how to refine a CV in Part 2, followed by tips in content selection in Part 3 and suggested job search resources in Part 4. “Brilliant tips” in boxes from human resource experts are abundant throughout the chapters.

Highlights include “Making the perfect fit” (pp. 81-106), “Presenting your CV” (pp. 107-120), “Job application letters” (pp. 157-162), and “Addressing selection criteria” (pp. 165-176).

Informed by interviews with industry professionals and leaders, this tripartite book provides first-time job seekers with an overview of the different career phases and advice on how to land a job. You will learn how to reflect on yourself and apply appropriate strategies for personal development so as to start your career in the right place.

Highlights include “The six phases of your career” (pp. 17-28), “Overcoming the Permission Paradox: You can’t get the job without experience, but you can’t get experience without the job” (pp. 76-82), and “The art of the interview” (pp. 95-111).

The book gives a lucid account of a common type of job interviews – the case interview. Incorporating 40 strategy cases, you will learn specific case interview skills as well as general ones. A few chapters are dedicated to prominent frameworks for analysing cases including the Ivy Case System, the BCG Matrix, and Michael Porter’s Five Forces, which make the book particularly valuable. In addition, you can try to put theory into practice through analysing practice cases.

Highlights include “The interview” (Ch. 2), “Case questions” (Ch. 3), and “The Ivy Case System” (Ch. 4).

The primary aim of the book is to help you tackle various interview questions. The book hooks the readers with an introduction about the author’s pre-interview preparation experience, vividly illustrating how to predict questions by context and theme through brainstorming. You will gain insights into interpreting and answering difficult interview questions. In addition to worksheets and exercises for preparing interviews, you will learn how to customise your resume for different job positions.

Highlights include “Behind the scenes: Into the interviewer’s mind” (pp. 51-72), “The telephone interview” (pp. 125-130), “Great answers to special challenge questions” (pp. 171-176), and “Great questions to ask hiring managers” (pp. 187-198).

The book guides you how to better equip yourself for jobs through developing realistic awareness of your capabilities. The initial chapters explain three main employability assets which are knowledge, skills, and the mindset, followed by a section about how to develop the assets and a section about their application in the workplace. Case studies and various activities can help you identify your learning needs and actions for personal development with reflection tips.

Highlights include “Understanding employability and your development needs” (pp. 3-12), “Reflection and transferable skills” (pp. 31-53), and “Preparing the evidence” (pp. 153-168).

本書共分五部分，作者以生活化的語言，深入淺出地講解求職面試各個階段的注意事項。其中第一部分（頁16 - 46）主要介紹履歷與求職信的寫法，並以輕鬆而不失深刻的方式帶出「8大CV禁忌」及「求職信7宗罪」等問題，甚具參考價值。至於餘下四部分，則集中講解面試前的準備與面試的應對技巧，當中第三部分（頁76 - 92）提及「畢業生面試『潛規則』」等話題，有助同學做好個人定位。

全書總計有八章，作者以幫助讀者謀職為目標，說明求職面試所須掌握的各種技巧。比如第二章（頁35 - 89）論述了中式、港式、英式和美式四種不同的履歷寫作方式，並講解人事部門篩選履歷的原則，讀者閱後自能避免犯上同樣錯誤。至於第三章（頁92 - 114），則談及求職信的寫作步驟，以至中英文求職信的異同等問題，均是相當實用的說明。書中另附多則專業人士分析，以便讀者能作合適的求職選擇。

本書分為八章，作者藉其工作心得與見聞，講論人力資源管理的各項要訣。其中第一章（頁14 - 33）主要說明大學畢業生投身職場前應注意的事項，如怎樣決定求職方向、如何改善面試臨場表現，以及怎樣面對難纏考官等，皆為切實可行的提示。而第四章（頁88 - 111）則從招聘人員的角度，介紹主持面試的準備、面試提問的誤區，以至有效的提問方式等，讀者如多加了解，當能收知彼知己之效。

本書分為十三單元，除了第一至三單元簡介面試基礎知識外，其餘單元皆為面試常見問題的分類詳析。比如第五單元（頁51 - 86）結集的七十七條問題主要考核求職者的解難能力，由如何說明自己處理問題的方式，到考官表示「如果我說你今天表現很差，你會怎麼辦」等突擊提問，都提出了應對策略。讀者可視乎需要，或通閱全書以了解各式題目，或針對某類問題多加研讀，面試時自能得心應手。