You Don't Get What You Pay For

Michael Luo had a very interesting and timely article in Monday's issue of The New York Times on the 'value' of career coaches.

I feel for the folks who get swindled by charlatans like those described in the article. Nobody can get you a job. Yes, of course there are better and worse ways to go about it, and many folks could use some advice. But paying thousands of dollars to have someone blindly fax your resume to a million companies is one sure pathway to failure. I can guarantee that most HR folks on the receiving end of those faxes put the fax machine over the trash can so they don't have to get up out of their seat.

My advice to job seekers who are on the market is to read Hellman's Law. Follow the instructions carefully.