Retreads

Retreads, Zane Smith, RealTime Publishing, 2009

This novel takes an unflinching look at present-day career services firms, companies who say that they can find jobs for people in their 40s and 50s, who have recently been laid off. The reality is very different.

Harry Kiernan is a twenty-something with plenty of drive to succeed. He talks his way into a sales job with Executive Careers International, Atlanta's most prestigious careers company. They specialize in executive-level jobs, but they also charge a hefty fee of several thousand dollars. From the beginning, Harry realizes that he has walked into a pit of vipers.

ECI exists mainly to collect that several thousand dollar fee. There are two small provisions in the contract (which clients are pressured to sign) which state that ECI does not guarantee the client a job. In meetings with the client, which are recorded without the client's knowledge, the salesman walks right up to the line, but never actually promises the client a job. ECI's "exclusive access" to people who do the hiring is nonsense; the client can do most of the work themselves on the Internet. Almost all of the glowing letters from satisfied customers shown to new clients, are fake.

ECI is a place of fear; there is no camaraderie or team spirit. George is the public head of the company, but Alex is the power behind the throne. He is a thoroughly dislikable person who cares only that an employee makes their monthly sales quota of older people signing away their last several thousand dollars. If yes, the employee is safe until next month. If no, they are summarily fired. Alex lets Harry in on an offshore tax evasion scheme. The number of customer complaints is growing, along with penalties paid to small claims court and the state of Georgia. Alex tells Harry to reduce the number of complaints, while raising the number of clients, or else. When Harry is arrested by the IRS, he learns just how badly Alex and George have screwed him.

The author does not mean to imply that all such firms are corrupt, but this is a pretty strong cautionary tale for anyone thinking of signing on the dotted line. Don't be seduced by fancy ads; be doubly and triply sure that a firm can deliver on its promises. Do as much of the job searching research as you can on your own. Somewhere along the way, read this book. It's worth your time.