The Dog Ate My Resumé
Zack & Larry Arnstein
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Father and son duo Larry and Zack Arnstein attempt to help recent college graduates in The Dog Ate My Resumé. Zack is a 2002 college graduate and his father, Larry Arnstein, graduated in 1967. Larry has written for Saturday Night Live and Not Necessarily the News. He is also a co-contributor/editor of an online satirical weekly, Ironictimes.com.The Arnsteins, with a lot of humor and little seriousness, give new college graduates and their parents advice on how to resume life after college.
This book should come with the cautionary note: Read for entertainment purposes only. The tips in this guide may lead to a lifetime of unemployment. As a recent college grad, I reviewed this book with hopes of learning some helpful interviewing and job search techniques. Instead, I got, “Have a few drinks before the interview, it will help you relax. Remember, you’re funnier and better looking after a couple of Irish Car Bombs.” Page after page, the Arnsteins entertain readers with this type of humor. They even take jabs at celebrities and politicians, such as George W. Bush, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, and Monica Lewinsky. They include the following chapters on job fairs, résumés, careers in psychology, and internships:
- Chapter 6: Job Fairs: Bring Your Own Booze, But in a Plain Brown Bag
- Chapter 9: Resumé Do’s and Don’ts : A Few Years in Prison for a Felony is Not Necessarily a Bad Thing
- Chapter 29: Career in Psychology & Counseling: Hanging Around with People Even More Screwed Up Than You
- Chapter 39: Internships: Why Settle for Underpaid When You Can Be Not Paid At All?
Although this book appropriately fits the genre noted on the back - “Humor”, which I failed to notice - some parts seem too silly for reading. For instance, chapter 42 is titled “Winning the Lottery: Somebody Has To Win, Why Not You?”. However, the comical duo spend the entire chapter (two pages) talking about what to do when you’re unable to meet the word count for a paper, or in their case, a chapter of a book. Additionally, there are numerous distractions, such as the authors purposely misspelling words (i.e., resumé instead of résumé), omitting and skipping chapters and page numbers, and excessively using smiley/sad faces. However, if you don’t mind typographical nuisances and are looking for a few laughs to alleviate post-graduation stress or the job search, then you’ll enjoy The Dog Ate My Resumé.
Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Tameka Delaney Edwards, 2007
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