Q & A with Dana Manciagli, Author of Cut the Crap, Get a Job!

“Cut the Crap! Get a Job!” by Dana Manciagli was featured in the Hayzlett Book Club. For news, reviews, and upcoming authors, please sign up for the Hayzlett Book Club newsletter!

The title is very bold and in-your-face. Why did you name your book “Cut the Crap, Get a Job!”?

“Crap” comes in two forms, mistakes and excuses.  The unknowing job seeker steps in both types of crap, sabotaging their job search efforts. If I can help prevent the crap while delivering a powerful, new job search process, then global job seekers will find their next career move more quickly and easily. Today’s new era has new challenges, requiring new job search techniques.

Can you speak more to the innovative new technique called a “Candidate Packet?”

The traditional way of applying for a job with a resume is no longer enough in today’s highly competitive era of job search. And too few candidates are writing an effective cover letter. So I created a new, 3-part job application called a Cut the Crap (CTC) Candidate Packet which contains:

• Top page: Cover Letter, tailored to the specific job description
• Second page: A new Cut the Crap (CTC) Job Description Profile, also called “JD Profile”
• Last page(s): Resume

Who should read Cut the Crap, Get a Job! and what should a reader expect to get from your book?

My book is for any job seeker – from college graduates to senior executives – who is highly committed to their job search efforts. Those who are concerned, perhaps struggling, and are looking for more of the “how,” for clear do’s and don’ts, and a process to increase their speed and effectiveness. Cut the Crap, Get a Job! is for those who know they need to take their job search seriously and know that it’s a highly competitive market, but who want to get current and win the job they want, either soon, or years from now.

Packed with examples of mistakes and excuses that most job seekers inadvertently make—Cut the Crap gives them the inspiration, solutions, and downloadable tools to make their own job search a successful journey.

What can senior executives in the c-suite with years of experience learn from Cut the Crap, Get a Job!?

Accept that what used to work in past job searches is no longer effective or competitive. Learn new job search techniques now and begin applying them to your quest for your next career role. Hit the re-boot button on virtually every step you take and learn how to change your game, stand out in the crowded market, and win.

Step up your game. Go back to Phase One: articulating a clear career job goal and communicating that clearly to your network. Phase Two: preparing more effectively by researching jobs, target companies, hiring managers, and industry trends. Finally, enter Phase Three, applying and interviewing, with new skills, proprietary techniques and precision.

From what you’ve learned throughout your 30+ years of hiring, interviewing and coaching job seekers, what one piece of advice would you give today’s job seeker?

Have a clear, documented job search plan and include multiple activities in that plan. Don’t rely on social media alone, don’t just apply through job boards, don’t just attend networking events… juggle multiple efforts at the same time. Track everything you do with precision so you take the right steps at the right time (preparation, follow-up, thank-yous and more).

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Dana Manciagli is a global career expert and 30+ year veteran Fortune 500 sales and marketing executive, recently retired after a decade’s tenure at Microsoft. She is the author of Cut the Crap, Get a Job! A New Job Search Process for a New Era. A recognized career, networking and business thought leader, Dana is a sought-after speaker and a regular contributor to print and online publications. She was named among Seattle’s Women of Influence, sits on the worldwide board of Junior Achievement and has her MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

You can contact Dana by visiting her website, connecting with her on LinkedIn, or by following her on Twitter or Facebook.