Three for the IT Careers Bookshelf

Three for the IT Careers Bookshelf

By Alan R. Earls
06/21/99

The Directory of Executive Recruiters 1999
Kennedy Information, Fitzwilliam, N.H; 1999; 1,361 pages; softbound; includes Career Resource Kit, on CD; $44.95

In this ephemeral age of Internet time and fast-paced change, it's nice to know that some good things don't fade away. One of them is the comprehensive and authoritative Directory of Executive Recruiters, in its 28th edition. A product of Kennedy Information, a respected research firm based in the hamlet of Fitzwilliam, N.H., this weighty volume has listings for more than 11,000 recruiters -- with breakdowns by geographical areas, specialties, job functions and target industries.

The directory also offers up a pithy section that summarizes what you need to know to deal effectively with a recruiter.

But its great merit is simply its voluminousness. Size does matter. Individuals seeking a permanent position -- and serious about making a worthwhile move -- will feel they have left no stone unturned if they use all the information in this book. For any given firm, the reader is likely to get telephone numbers, Web addresses, e-mail addresses and names of individuals with discussions of their focus by industry or job type -- as well as salary ranges. The directory is often referred to as the Red Book by those in the recruiting field.

Answers for Computer Contractors
By Janet Ruhl, Technion Books, Leverett, Mass; 1999; 206 pages; softbound; $29.95

If you've perused the literature on information technology consulting careers, you've probably run across Janet Ruhl's name. Her Computer Consultant's Workbook and Computer Consultant's Guide have each earned positive reviews and steady sales.

Answers for Computer Contractors fills in some more blanks for both new and experienced contractors with a hard-hitting, well-organized collection of facts and figures about compensation as well as collected wisdom about how to negotiate higher compensation rates.

Organized in question-and-answer format, Answers is extremely accessible and easy to use. Indeed, its ease-of-use is almost as valuable as the information it contains. The book encompasses just about every topic you need to know to contract successfully.

Those topics include legal niceties, Internal Revenue Service rules, and methods of finding opportunities through consulting firms, agencies and on your own. There's also good advice on ways to earn higher compensation by delivering more value to the customer. If you contract or plan to, this "Ruhl book" belongs in your library.

Polish Your People Skills
By Bobbi Linkemeyer, Amacom New Media, New York; 1999; 240 pages; softbound; includes CD; $39.95

People are the "stuff" of business, and good people skills are the new mandate for IT professionals. None of us can accomplish much without learning how to work effectively with others. That's the simple premise behind this book/CD combination. And though the premise is right on target -- and the advice is good -- the delivery remains weak.

Chapters in the hard-copy book are preachy. Sure, the information is there, but the writing tends to be tedious, long-winded and much less compelling than it needs to be to help us get past what are, after all, intensely personal issues. That said, the book is well-organized and can clearly be a great starting point for mastering one's behaviors.

The companion CD, adapted from an earlier Amacom book, Working With Difficult People, has the same strengths and weaknesses as the print book. A large number of imaginary scenarios are outlined, each involving possible conflict. And though the scenarios are interesting and, doubtless, worth understanding, the limited degree of interactivity and depth makes the CD a questionable "plus."

Earls is a freelance writer in Franklin, Mass.