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Review of The Play of Your Life by Colleen A Sabatino 

If you are looking for a fresh approach to that drama we call the job search, this book is it. The metaphor that provides the theme of this book is that of performing on a stage. When you think about it, this metaphor is more than just a little appropriate. When you look for a job, don't you feel you are putting on a performance, in the hopes of pleasing the hiring audience? Don't you dress for the part, and even rehearse your lines? If you are like most job seekers, you even bring a program (resume) to the interview.

Many job seekers study their lines, but deliver stiffly or play to the wrong audience. Or, they audition for a role they just aren't cut out for. If they do get the part, they find themselves miscast. This book helps you avoid those mistakes and others.

While the thespian theme makes this book interesting and engaging, you begin to real value right away. In the first few chapters, the book presents extensive self-assessment tools. In using these, I was impressed with their accuracy. I also found them fun to use. According to a wide selection of literature on the subject, few job seekers properly address this area. One reason for that is it's a tough area to address. Most of us find it too much effort, and so we skip it and hope for the best. Which we seldom get. However, Sabatino makes that self-assessment work seem effortless. The book would be well worth its price, even if it stopped as early as its third chapter.

But, that's only Act One. In Act Two, Sabatino offers hard-hitting, practical advice on everything from landing the interview to negotiating the salary. Her advice on networking is something the career-minded would do well to re-read quarterly. 

Throughout, the book contains case histories and examples. So, in addition to providing information in an interesting way it also provides you with a glimpse into what others have done. You can draw lessons from these examples as you walk through the experiences of others.

If you follow this book from start to finish, you will have a well-choreographed job search. You will have addressed all the vital points, leaving nothing to chance. And in today's job market, such an approach can make all the difference.

I give this book a standing ovation.