The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search: The Proven Program Used by the World’s Leading Career Services Company: The Proven Program Used by the World’s Leading Career Services Company

by Orville Pierson

The Proven Program Used by 600,000 Job Hunters! You put hours and hours of hard work into your job search and the companies you've contacted never call. It's a story all too common in the fast-paced, highly competitive world of job hunting. Nothing is more discouraging than sending one resumé after another into the job-hunting void. Eventually, you expect silence from the other end. The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search was written so this never happens to you again. These techniques, developed by author Orville Pierson, have been used successfully for ten years by Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH), the world's premier career services company. Here, Pierson provides you with the job-search techniques that up to now have been limited to the LHH consultants he trains. Orville Pierson has helped thousands of job hunters during his career, taking note of the characteristics that have led to success as well as failure. In The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search , he supplies key information on how professional job search consultants structure the job search project so you can apply the same winning strategies to your own search. You'll also be privy to inside information on how decision makers operate, enabling you to get the inside track on job openings before they are announced. This insider's guide covers every phase of the job search, leading you step by step through the process of creating a clear-cut plan-essential to every job search. Using the Pierson Method, you'll learn how to

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published December 16, 2005

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by one of the instructors in one of many LHH Webinars I've attended in my job search. I promised the instructor I would read it and give an honest review.

This book is pretty straightforward, has useful advice, and makes good sense. Basically, the Pierson Method involves relying more on your networking, rather than job boards. Focus more on high-yielding tasks, rather than low-percentage ones for a greater chance of success.

One caveat is that the book is over a decade old, and was written before the boom of social networking. It could use a second edition to incorporate social networking sites, such as LinkedIn or Glassdoor.

Overall, this book is worth the read for anyone out there looking for a new job.

[Josh Parkhill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good core ideas, but like a lot of self-help from this era, it gets in its own way. Too many steps. Too much dressing. Ornamental abstraction where clean, principle-based framing would’ve worked better.

Ch. 2 – Job Search as a Project

Job search = a work project. Not just a task, a whole operation.
12 steps, but honestly could be 3:
- Get Ready
- Get Moving
- Track the damn thing
This chapter mostly tells you what the book will tell you later. Classic self-help move.
Useful stat: you’ll talk to ~25 decision makers before landing something. That takes about 30 acquaintances. Cool framing.

Ch. 3 – Progress Measurements

An entire chapter telling you to measure progress...
But never tells you what to measure or how.
A, B, C, D, E—but no content. Just vibes.

Ch. 4 – How Hiring Really Works

Three ways people get hired:
1. Applicant Pool (25%) → Resume = everything
2. Created Position (<5%) → Pitch a new job
3. Known Candidate (75%) → You know the person, they hire you
Big insight: get in front of decision makers before the job exists.
Also: HR ≠ Decision Maker.

Ch. 5 – Job Search as a Marketing Plan

Author says to think of your resume and to treat your job hunt like a marketing campaign. Interesting premise.
Main concepts:
- Professional Objective → What you want to do (NOT your personal goals)
- Target Market → Where the work lives
- Core Message → What you’re repeating

Professional Objective

- You're naming a profession or field, which signals your direction.
- It gives clarity to decision makers and recruiters.
Think: a logical cluster of related jobs—not a single title.
Would’ve helped if the book gave some examples. It doesn’t.

Target Market

Where that kind of work gets done.
Defined by:
1. Geographic location
2. Industry (which may or may not be obvious from your objective)
3. Org size (which often ties to salary)

Ch. 6 – Writing a Professional Objective

Chapter attempts to teach how you can be your own career counselor
Two types of career consulting worth noting
- counseling: introspective interaction w/ the client, that helps theclient answer decision relating to career choices
- coaching: perfomance/project management
Author rebukes passion for career, but makes the practical suggestion that there should be an interest in your profession.
Professional Objective should = interests + skills + values
Key Notes
- Don't make objective too broad, ex. "something in management"
- Also don't make it too narrow
- Differentiates between experience types
- Direct Experience = obvious stuff
- Transferable Experience = similar skills from other work

Ch. 7 – Your Target List

Author insists you build a list of 20-40 ideal employers before pursuing work.
I'm going to leave notes on this chapter out, as I have genuine sources of disagreement.

Ch. 8 – Core Message

Core Message = Core Talking Point
Author calls this a CORE MESSAGE
- you're overall plan for WHAT you will SAY about yourself in your search.
Where is it used
Your resume is just the written version of core message.
- This is the verbal paralell to your writen presentation of your career self
Verbally
- Core message can be summarized in 2 minutes, or 30 seconds, or in 1 line

Accomplishment List
Use this to mentally backup your skills/objective/core message, whatever., Create a bank of short, specific moments you can pull from:
- Resolved X
- Handled Y
- Troubleshot Z
Author says, come up with 10 examples for every 20k you want to earn.
This is a genuinely helpful exercise. Link these moments to specific skills bulleted on your resume.
Key insight: resume = proof of wins. Not a list of responsibilities at jobs.

Building the Core Message
All the above gets wrapped into your pitch.
the chapter says these are 7 or 8 things. But they can actually be summarized into 3 buckets.
1. Experience & Skills
2. Education/ Credentials - certificates/degrees. Formalized certs, etc,.
3. Personal Characteristics/ Motivation / Interest
- the book actually presents these as seperate elements to consider. But these are of such lightweight value, they should be weioghted together.
Author provides zero actual examples of what this message sounds like. Had to sketch my own framework.

Ch. 9 – Fish in the Pond

A) Figure out how many ROLES exist in your target market exist.
B) Figure out how many OPENINGS exist in your target market.
- If fewer than 10 (per month): Expand Target Market
- If 10-50 openings (per month): Good
- If over 50 per month: Narrow target market
Book provides some simple pointers are approximating existing roles in market.
Other worthwhile notes in the chapter
- Consider how many of role type, does an organization typically employ.
- Author recommends against looking for TWO TYPES of roles at once (ie two types of reusmes with vastly diffferent objectives)
- Author says target multiple markets, but prioritze
- If your unsure of your qualifications, get feedack from real people in said field.

Ch. 10 – Search Techniques

Book starts running on fumes here. Would recommend reading the remainder.
Main point: stop applying online all day. Start talking to humans.

Ch. 11 – Tracking Progress

Main Point: track/monitor your progress, which is a good idea. But the ways the book suggests to do so are too complex & messy.
NOTES
- Author says: focus on hours spent talking to people, not researching.
- if unemployed shoot for 25–35 hrs/week
- if employed shoot for 5–10 hrs/week

Ch. 12 – Wrap Up

A nothing chapter that recounts the whole book.
Main Point:> Plan → Execute → Track

Final Word
My Notes on Highly Effective Job Search Book

All in all, the book has some good core principles. But it falls victim to issues common in self-help books, especially those of its era.
1. It gives too many steps for things, or introduces too much complexity.
2. It creates needlessly ornamental abstraction, when simple, principle-driven abstraction would do.
3. Both of the above add unnecessary window-dressing around ideas that are otherwise valuable.

For example, one of the books ideas The Core Message is actually a good approach at its core. But it doesn’t need so much fanfare. And calling it “The Core Message” gives it too much "woo woo." It’s essentially a core talking point to use in interviews and refer to when making your resume. But the chapter never explicitly says that, despite the huge amount of dressing dedicated to it.

Ultimately, I selected this book because it was one of the more tactically oriented options I had available. And even though it’s dated, it still has some valid principles.

[Scott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work is trying to sell a program. There is good advice, but maybe not anything that is so different from any other job search program. Might recommend checking out the website. Worth a read, but I don’t know if it is necessarily any better than any other job search program.

[UndeadArtist · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fluffy but accurate

[Kavish · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant!
The most realistic book about job search.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just begun my SERIOUS job search, the approach outlined in this book makes great sense. You don't find a new job, or at least I don't, by sitting at your computer responding to ads on Monster. The way you DO get a job is by getting clear on what you want to do, preparing a resume that supports your goal, and arranging to meet decision makers prior to actual job openings. By following up on a systematic basis, you become a possible candidate, a known quantity, the moment an opening occurs. You are told to expect to meet/cultivate around 25 decision makers before getting an offer.
I may have to revise my review if I don't have anything working in the next two months.

[Stephen Rynkiewicz]

Unwritten? This advice has been codified in self-help books and blogs for years: Build your resume around what makes you effective, think about where you'd rather work, then do serious networking. Good advice, hard to carry out. Here it emerges as the Pierson Method, a workbook for job support groups, and it's worth reading just to keep your plans on track. The most unusual feature; Charts to track how many contacts you're making. Think of them as a Fitbit for your job search. Keeping count has a way of making you work a just a bit harder.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just another career counseling/job search book. The author brings practical tips on landing your next great job. Keep in mind the topics covered require a lot of personal work but if followed is a great tool to finding your next career. One of the most important chapters discusses creating a plan, something that is often forgotten in the job search process.

[Carine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting job search techniques

This book is interesting in the sense that it gives you a clear and detailed project plan to find a job.
I found the technique quite similar to the one in What Color is Your Parachute, although presented differently.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started reading this book. It breaks down a simple system of preforming a job search. This book also offers encouragement and helps to keep you on trac with your plan.

[Ursula Shelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good advise, however my job search was a little more basic. Lots of planning, etc. required to do it as the book suggests. If you are seeking employment - Good Luck!

[Cristina]

Some great points!

[Ravi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on job search that I have read so far. Very efficient and concise.

[Chris L.]

Advice is sound but there's a lot of padding.