About this title: Richard Bolles's classic WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE is a popular, highly respected guide for job seekers. Its sound yet innovative approach is based on finding out who you are and what you want to do--after which your job search will be more focused and have a greater chance of success. It is, nonetheless, a supremely practical guide, by a man who knows the terrain. This 2005 edition acknowledges the realities of the fast-changing world of work and the high rate of job loss. Reconceived for the new economy, this 2005 edition of WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE offers imaginative ways of looking ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
"This book is a great way to really dig deep into what you want to do with your life and what you can contribute. Frees you from the want-ad-induced depression and changes your perspective from "who would want me?" to "what can I offer, and to whom can I offer it?" Sometime in the next while I'll really work through these questions."
"Helpful in giving you an idea of what you are good in, but it seems like all the things I'm good in require me to be an extrovert and I am an introvert! Wish it took that into consideration!"
"Why I Read this Book: I wanted to get a firm understanding of the career direction in which I wanted to head and how to go about it after finishing my university work. This book provided a wonderful road map.
Review:
This book, or I should say a version of this book has been on the best seller list for many years now. Bolles spends the majority of each year putting together the updated version for the year to come. This is not the type of book you buy once for one search and that is it. Every time you are looking to change jobs and especially when you are looking to change careers, it is important to read through the most current version of this book. Given the leaps and bounds our world has gone in terms of change, it is no wonder why this book needs to be updated yearly.
This book is a must for career changers whether you are just getting out of college or you have been working for 30 years and you need a change. Dick Bolles is a brilliant man who I have had the pleasure of having dinner with on a number of occasions. He first started writing a version of Parachute in the 1970's and has since changed countless lives. The success stories he discuss in the book are inspirational.
Bolles explains every job search method we have heard of out there today (and even some we have not). He gives very eye-opening statistics about which methods are most effective and which are not. Do you know what the single most ineffective strategy for job searching is according to Bolles' research? It is posting your resume on a job board like Monster or Career Builder. That is only effective 4%-10% of the time. How many people use this as their only technique and expect good results? Too many. Just understanding that fact and what techniques produce the best results will make this read invaluable. Here's a suggestion. Get started on building your network and never stop. More on the networking buzz word once you read through the book.
Parachute is also a great job search reference book. Every professional serious about their career should have a copy on their desk. It contains relevant websites, career tests, salary negotiation & interview tips, articles, techniques and processes that you can refer to at any time in your search. This is one reason why it is so necessary to update every year. Website links and data change in the blink of an eye. He has the most up to date links and resources online at his website mentioned at the bottom of this page.
The reason this book, and more importantly his system for finding your career calling, has been so greatly successful is that Bolles' main focus is not on the job but instead on the job hunter. In order to truly find your career calling you must truly know yourself. Many of our inherent characteristics are things that we do not necessarily take as common knowledge. This is the key to his system, which he calls the Flower Petal Exercise. Be warned that this exercise will take some work, but it will pay huge dividends in your future. Going through this series of exercises is what is going to get you clear on what you should be doing professionally (and perhaps personally) with your life. I cannot stress enough the importance of completing the Flower Petal Exercise. The accompanying Parachute Workbook which I detail elsewhere in this site will step you through the exercises from start to finish. It is so easy to read a book and do nothing about it. The key is to take initiative and get proactive with this book and all books for that matter so that they will make a difference in your life and lead you to success. Enjoy the journey.
"I really like this book and highly recommend it. It is a fast read from a reading perspective, which is good b/c you want to be able to spend your time on your career hunt, not on reading a book about career hunting. However, it is extremely thorough and addresses many of the questions that other job hunting/self-help books don't. This book makes no assumptions at all and literally walks you step by step through an entire career change process, leaving no stone unturned. There were so many valuable bits of advice that I truly have never read anywhere else before, and sadly hadn't thought of myself. This book offers many truly unique perspectives to someone who really wants to change their career and ultimately their life. This is not a typical job-hunting book and contains nothing at all about how to write a resume; it doesn't even talk at all about them except to say that while you do need one, do not be under any illusions that it's the key to getting you your next job.
I have to say that I haven't yet done any of the exercises that he recommends yet b/c I like to read things through first and then go back to do the exercises and re-read where necessary. However, I fully intend to do every single one of them, in order, and I will report back when I have. This book is a key to finding out who you are, what makes you tick, and how to find a job that fits with those things. I can't believe I haven't read it earlier."
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