30 year veteran of executive search, Mark Jaffe, has released his first book, titled, “Let Me Give It to You Straight: An Outspoken Guide to Working with Headhunters, Advancing Your Career and Reaching Enlightenment... Without the Sugarcoating”, aimed at anyone wanting to gain an unfair advantage in the 'talent war', to further their career and realise their potential while navigating the minefield of executive search which sits between them and their future employer.
PRLog - Dec. 24, 2014 - SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Jaffe's work has been published through many media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and Inc. magazines; and his commentaries have been heard on American Public Media's Marketplace program. In fact, the genesis of the book was a series of articles originally written for CBS. From this, Jaffe felt that he had an opportunity to share some genuine insights into the mysterious world of executive search.
“Are there any career-related business books that don’t take themselves way too seriously? Any that make you laugh out loud? Cry? Totally change your life, transform your career and bring you to intoxicating new plateaus of mental and emotional health? And while we’re on the subject, how may business books bother to tell you the meaning of life?” explains Jaffe in his traditionally satirical tone.
Jaffe continues, “I wrote this book for the person who needs to laugh at himself and discharge unwanted ego-baggage…without joining a cult. Also, anyone who wants to know what really goes on in the mind of an executive recruiter. From the candidate's point of view, it must seem incredibly frustrating to not understand what goes on behind the curtain, to be totally in the dark as to how the recruiter makes life or death decisions. And besides, doesn’t everyone love sarcasm?”
The author believes that the world of recruitment could be much more open and accessible, saying, “I think that members of my profession have developed a tarnished image, particularly with regard to credibility. The perception is that because we’re paid by the corporations who retain us, search people seldom if ever shoot straight with candidates. It’s understandable; you always want to keep as many options open as possible when conducting an assignment. Even the clients may feel at times that they need to read between the lines. Are we just telling them what they want to hear?”
CGW Publishing has twenty years experience in supporting expert business authors and capturing their intellectual property so that they can grow their service businesses. CGW's owner and editor, Christopher Greenaway, says, “Mark's book really caught my eye, because it made me laugh while getting across some really serious and hard-hitting points. It's a tough market out there, and when people work with recruiters, there's a huge risk involved, for both parties. Understanding the real, unwritten rules of the game has to be a huge advantage for everyone.”
Jaffe talks about the writing experience, saying that it was “the primordial call of nature. Very similar to one’s first time making love. You think about it for years…and nothing. Then suddenly it’s: “I can’t believe this is really happening!” And the next minute: “Is that it? Over already? Then, just when you feel that you can’t take the suspense any longer – voilà! It’s a book!” Jaffe goes on to talk about the experience of working with CGW Publishing, “It was important to me that I not have to navigate some giant, faceless publishing corporation; that my book not be merely one of a thousand on a freshly-minted list of new releases. And frankly, I was looking for an old-fashioned editor who would sweat through the process with me – challenging, encouraging, cajoling, validating – and let’s face it, handholding at times.”
“My intention at some level was to show the business community that executive recruiters are not all just a bunch of smooth-talking Brooks Brothers mannequins. A few of us are actually willing to give it to you straight.”
What are the author's hopes for the future? “It would be nice if reading the book helps to demystify the search profession. Executive recruiters are often smug, humorless bulwarks of disinformation. But most importantly, I hope it will make people laugh. The business world is hilarious at times. And finally, I do hope that George Clooney will play me in the film version.”
Let Me Give It to You Straight is published in the UK by CGW Publishing and is available Internationally in hardcover priced, at $18, from all good book stores and also as an ebook via Amazon Kindle.
ISBN 9781908293312
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One of the World's 100 Most Influential Recruiters Lifts the Lid on the Executive Search Industry
December 24, 2014 at 06:57 AM EST
