Mike Pritula, Roman Zhikharev “Résumé for a Million”

I have an interesting story connected with the book Résumé for a Million. I know both authors personally, as we worked together at Wargaming. I had already read some of Mike’s articles on résumés and hiring before, and as a manager who has conducted many interviews myself, I strongly disagreed with many of his conclusions and advice. We even had a few debates on the topic.

So, when it came to this book, I wasn’t just cautious—I was rather pessimistic. However, it’s not fair to criticize without reading. That’s why I decided to buy the book, read it, and then form my opinion.

From the title, you might expect the book to teach you how to write a résumé that will sell you for the highest price. This was, in fact, the general tone of Mike’s earlier articles on the subject. However, the book turned out to be much more than just about résumés—the authors themselves divided it into three parts.

The first part is titled “Proper Packaging” — this is the section that deals with résumés and job searching. What I still strongly disagree with is the idea that “salary is the measure of success.” High salary doesn’t always mean that it’s what you need or that it’s your dream job. I know people who earn a lot of money but are deeply unhappy and dislike their jobs. But hey, the salary is good. Yes, later in the book, the authors mention that happiness doesn’t come from salary alone, but they start with this idea. Even the book’s title, Résumé for a Million, ties it to money.

However, this section does contain sensible and solid advice on how to, first, find a higher-paying company with your current skill set, and second, sell yourself at a higher price. Even if making money isn’t your ultimate goal, finding a way to apply your talents for better pay—there’s nothing wrong with that.

In addition to résumé tips, making it more appealing to recruiters and potential employers, the authors also provide advice on how to search for a job and properly prepare for an interview. And here, I agree with most of their tips.

But even in the résumé section, they occasionally suggest that you might twist the truth or even outright lie for supposedly noble reasons. I don’t deny that for the specific points mentioned in the book, this might work in the short term. But often, lies and deceit are quickly uncovered. Very quickly. And in my experience, this would immediately raise a huge red flag. If someone lied (or worse, deceived) at the very start, how can you trust them with important work or rely on their honesty? It’s like saying, “I wouldn’t take this person into battle.” That’s why I never recommend lying to an employer, even if it’s something small.

The second part, “How to Increase Your Value”, gives advice on career growth. In other words, how to develop yourself, where, and for what purpose. It might sound like a strange question—”why develop yourself?”—but people often don’t ask themselves this seriously. It’s impossible to learn everything in the world, and you need to understand what your real goal is. Here’s where you need to answer the question: why exactly are you pursuing all this self-development? What do you want to achieve in the end? And again, the word “value” imposes a link to money, but I suggest interpreting it more broadly—as “worth” or “strength.”

The third and final part is called “Stepping into the Big Leagues”. In a way, it’s a direct continuation of the second part, only with higher stakes on the career ladder. And for some reason, this is also where the authors discuss how to prevent burnout. After that, they dive into personal branding, which I think is useful for everyone, not just people in the “big leagues.”

What I strongly disliked about the book, though, and found grating, was the constant self-promotion. The authors repeatedly mention themselves in the third person, along with rather insistent reminders of their successes. People are already reading your book—they chose it for a reason. So why the self-admiration and overbearing product placement? That’s what an About the Author section is for. It doesn’t add anything to the main topic of the book. What’s ironic is that at one point the authors advise others to “stop selling and self-praising. Let others rate you, and let word of mouth provide the praise.” And yet they don’t follow their own advice.

But overall, it’s a very solid book, if you overlook the flaws I mentioned. Despite my initial bias, by the end I realized I would recommend it. It’s a good guide to what you should and shouldn’t do—if approached with some thought.

My rating: 4/5