Down and Out in the New Economy: How People Find (or Don't Find) Work Today

Gershon (anthropology, Indiana Univ.; The Breakup 2.0: Disconnecting over the New Media) makes it clear in her aptly titled preface, "A Book About Advice, Not an Advice Book," that her book is not a job-search, self-help volume. Instead, the author examines the practices of job seekers, career counselors, HR professionals, recruiters, and hiring managers from the lens of a social scientist. Gershon and her colleagues interviewed legions of job seekers and career professionals, and observed numerous job search presentations and workshops. Attention is paid to such concepts as "genre repertoires," "language ideologies," "personal branding," "serendipitous vs. strategic networking," and, most notably, "self-as-business." Primary among Gershon's conclusions is that much of what is being touted by career counselors and motivational speakers is largely inconsistent with or irrelevant to the actual practices of those making hiring decisions.