With its no frills cover and lack of diagrams or pretty pictures, initial reaction to Get A Better Job/Get Great People is likely to be somewhat muted. Yet despite first impressions, this two-for-one book actually works far more effectively than many so-called comprehensive books dealing with the job market and recruiting the right people.

Like a good film with an even better sequel, the two components of this book are inseparable and should really be considered two sides of the same coin. It would certainly be hard to imagine one working well without the other. Get A Better Job, as the title suggests, is aimed at the everyday employee looking to find their ideal job. It walks the reader through the process, from marketing yourself and your abilities, writing a resume and using a network to find out about jobs, to applying and following through with the all important interview.

Get Great People, meanwhile, flips the coin and takes on the challenges the employer faces when trying to recruit the best staff, the challenges of creative recruitment. This half of the book tackles issues such as the scarcity of talent (Marshall doesn’t believe there is one), choosing a recruiter, writing effective job ads, preparing for an interview and dealing with HR. Again, author Marshall keeps it light, informative, and above all, entertaining. At one point, the author compares the interrogations of panel interviews to the Star Chambers, the name given to Stalin’s show trials. Clearly, he’s not a fan (of Stalin or panel interviews).

Marshall peppers his advice with real life case studies that he has encountered during his career as a recruiter, employee, and employer (he’s been all three at various times). These case studies are usually amusing and often extremely effective in making clear the sometimes ridiculous nature of the job hunt. Examples include an ‘unhappy applicant letter’ aimed at slack recruitment firms, and the real meanings behind interview questions. It is obvious that Marshall’s experiences on both sides of the fence – as employer and employee – stand him in good stead to give advice. As anyone who has ever recruited anyone knows, sometimes the best thing to do is to put yourself in the shoes of the person being interviewed. How are they feeling? How are they are reacting? Marshall is good at getting under the skin of both parties in the two halves of this book.

There is a bridge between the two halves. Two shared ‘common ground’ chapters are aimed at both employee and employer and, appropriately enough, they fall in the middle of the book. And interesting reading they are too. Marshall takes some well-aimed swipes at Australia’s recruitment industry, pronouncing it fundamentally flawed, inefficient and filled with commission-driven sharks. He does not paint a pretty picture, and he pulls no punches in dissecting the industry. Though less of a target, HR also comes in for some more gentle prodding throughout the book. It’s intelligent and revelatory.

All up, the book revels in its non conformity and this perhaps makes its no frills appearance all the more effective. It’s doubtful that a major publisher would double-up two books this way, and most publishers would shy away from some of the views expressed here. To use another film analogy, one of the benefits of an independently produced book, much like an independent film, is the freedom to experiment and push the boundaries. This book is honest, and it’s all the better for it.

By the end, you will have discovered a lot more about the trials and tribulations of both employers and employees during the recruitment game. Like me, you may also cringe at some of the things you’ve done wrong over the years. A list of ‘absolute no-no’s’ when sending a job application found me with four out of four strikes! For me, reading a book like this helps with clarity: it suddenly becomes clear why searching for the perfect job has always been so arduous and, indeed, why my search continues!

If you’re a job hunter, hopefully this book will make your search a little less painful. Likewise, if you’re an employer looking for better employees, this book will ease the way.