Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream [Barbara Ehrenreich] on *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The New York Times. Bait and Switch has ratings and reviews. Trevor said: Part of ” Barbara Ehrenreich is our premier reporter of the underside of capitalism.” — Dorothy. 5 quotes from Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream: ‘This advice comes as a surprise: job searching is not joblessness; it is a jo.

She would talk about training and education, the commitment needed to get up every day and write a book. She had two interviews – one with AFLAC and one with Mary Kay’ hardly what she had set her sights on at the outset when she was marketing herself to potential employers a PR executive. Also, beware having a high paid job; it might mean you will loose that job, as a cost-cutting corporate measure.

Barbafa Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For her previous book, Nickel and Dimed, she took on back-breaking, calf-pummelling work – labour without status on the minimum wage. Over the last couple of decades I have been either employed in a corporation, a government corporation, a local government authority or a trade union reacting bqit the corporate nonsense that is so beautifully discussed in this book.

In Bait and Switch, Ehrenreich continues to dispel the barbarq myth that in America, we can accomplish anything with hard work. That world is so illogical and frustrating, I thought it would make a great story.

She needs these undercover exposes to show how the little people live. No economic system is perfect, and the current employment trends are some of the downfalls of capitalism, a system that America embraces but simultaneously condemns. I thought I would have a really great review when I was through with this book.

But ehenreich white-collar people cannot be accused of fecklessness of any kind; they are the ones who “did everything right. She then tried to find a lower position but I never felt like she focused on anything realistic.

She employed a resume expert, job coach, had a personal makeover and attended several workshops and networking group meetings to help her land a job. Feb 04, Noel rated it did not like it Shelves: Of course, I’m thinking now, the convergence of my own political outlook with Ehrenreich’s helped my enjoyment of the book, also.

Dialogue Tips on technique 5: It was also interesting to see all the “coaches” out This was exasperating and sad. The New York Times bestselling investigation into znd unemployment from “our premier reporter of the underside of znd New York Times Book Review Americans’ working lives are growing more precarious every day.

Lists with This Book. According to Jackall, corporate managers stress the need to exercise iron self-control and to mask all emotion and intention behind bland, smiling, and agreeable public faces.

And on job-search workshops and seminars: I thought she was doing so to show the traps that are out there for job-seekers, and that she would eventually land on something that would provide solid leads.

By starting at the beginning, so to speak, she would be able to see how the job-hunting, interviewing, and ultimately, accepting a job offer processes play out. Jan 25, Trevor rated it really liked it Shelves: I definitely empathized with Ehrenreich’s struggle, but perhaps it was too above my own status to be able to relate to. There are few social supports for these newly disposable workers, Ehrenreich discovers, and little security even for those who have jobs.

Or perhaps it was just too unrealistic. She creates a somewhat fictitious resume vait she has a wnd in “event planning” and was a PR consultant until taking thirteen years off as a homemaker.

I was a huge fan of Ehrenreich’s “Nickel and Dimed” and was excited to see what her take on the white collar, corporate culture would be like. Alright, admittedly, this is a really long barbaara and diatribe.

In particular she takes a couple swipes at their use of personality tests under the pretense of helping to find the right job. Ehrenreich, who sat through sullen networking events trying valiantly to raise a ripple of small talk, doesn’t get her hopes up, but pins her remaining faith to old-fashioned collective action.

Ehrenrrich her premise is correct, it is neither groundbreaking nor well-presented. Paperbackpages.

Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream by Barbara Ehrenreich

Companies used that first dot-bomb crisis, and the more recent economic recession, as a way to leverage themselves out of any kind bxrbara commitment or loyalty to employees.

Did she just not encounter any or did she not report any?

Better unemployment benefits swjtch healthcare not attached to the job would be beneficial for everyone. But she approaches every “adventure” in job searching with snobbish disdain. Jul 09, Leo Walsh rated it really liked it.

Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream

Apr 24, Jean Kelly rated it liked it. This book was written in prior to the latest world-wide economic downturn. She enlisted career advisors, and went to job fairs and spent tons of money with no results.

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