Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Ten Speed Press (2015), Edition: 2016 ed., 368 pages
Description
In today's challenging job-market, the time-tested advice of What Color Is Your Parachute? is needed more than ever. Recent grads facing a tough economic landscape, workers laid off mid-career, and people searching for an inspiring work-life change all look to career guru Richard N. Bolles for support, encouragement, and advice on which job-hunt strategies work--and which don't. This revised edition combines classic elements like the famed Flower Exercise with updated tips on social media and search tactics. Bolles demystifies the entire job-search process, from writing resumes to interviewing to networking, expertly guiding job-hunters toward their dream job.--
User reviews
LibraryThing member fist
The good thing is that this book offers a methodology and some tools to help people define what kind of job they could next go for. There also are some useful pieces of advice in there (such as: the only goal of a resume is to get you invited).
It is a very American book which assumes that
The two things that bothered me most, is that the book tries to be the final career re-orientation book for everyone, frequently giving examples such as "so it turns out that the career that would make you happiest is welding". Lots of respect for welders, but mid-career executives often have a much more diffuse skill set than manual labourers, and their career analysis tools might arguably need a bit more sophistication and allow for more parameters.
The other one is found in the 70 pages Appendices, where suddenly it is stated that our First Mission in Life is "to know God, and to see His hand in everything". I find that kind of surreptitious religious indoctrination by advice-givers morally dubious, not to say objectionable.
It is a very American book which assumes that
Show More
job-seekers and potential employers work from an American mindset in a highly-developed and transparant capitalistic society. 'Personal re-invention' isn't a strong value in Europe, and employers might not find certain re-inventions credible, nor be willing to employ people at a much lower level than their previous salary. Research on salary levels is probably also going to be much more difficult outside of the US. The two things that bothered me most, is that the book tries to be the final career re-orientation book for everyone, frequently giving examples such as "so it turns out that the career that would make you happiest is welding". Lots of respect for welders, but mid-career executives often have a much more diffuse skill set than manual labourers, and their career analysis tools might arguably need a bit more sophistication and allow for more parameters.
The other one is found in the 70 pages Appendices, where suddenly it is stated that our First Mission in Life is "to know God, and to see His hand in everything". I find that kind of surreptitious religious indoctrination by advice-givers morally dubious, not to say objectionable.
Show Less
LibraryThing member nwhyte
I found this the best careers advice book I ever read, at the moment I last took a serious career shift, in late 1998. The summary of the advice is as follows:
1. Know your best and most fulfilling transferable skills.
2. Know what kind of work you want to do and what field you would most enjoy
3. Talk to people who are doing the work you want to do. Find out how they like the work, how they found their job.
4. Do some research, then, in your chosen geographical area on those organizations which interest you, to find what they do and what kinds of problems/challenges they or their industry are wrestling with.
5. Then identify and seek out the person who actually has the power to hire you for the job you want; use your personal contacts – everyone you know – to get in to see him or her.
6. Show this person with the power to hire you how you can help the company solve its problems/needs/challenges and how you would stand out as one employee in a hundred.
7. Don't take rejection personally. Remember, there are two kinds of employers out there: those who will be bothered by your handicaps – age, background, inexperience, etc. – and those who won't be and will hire you, so long as you can do the job. If you get rejected by the first kind of employer, keep persevering until you find the second.
8. In all of this, cut no corners and take no shortcuts.
Words to live by.
1. Know your best and most fulfilling transferable skills.
2. Know what kind of work you want to do and what field you would most enjoy
Show More
working in. 3. Talk to people who are doing the work you want to do. Find out how they like the work, how they found their job.
4. Do some research, then, in your chosen geographical area on those organizations which interest you, to find what they do and what kinds of problems/challenges they or their industry are wrestling with.
5. Then identify and seek out the person who actually has the power to hire you for the job you want; use your personal contacts – everyone you know – to get in to see him or her.
6. Show this person with the power to hire you how you can help the company solve its problems/needs/challenges and how you would stand out as one employee in a hundred.
7. Don't take rejection personally. Remember, there are two kinds of employers out there: those who will be bothered by your handicaps – age, background, inexperience, etc. – and those who won't be and will hire you, so long as you can do the job. If you get rejected by the first kind of employer, keep persevering until you find the second.
8. In all of this, cut no corners and take no shortcuts.
Words to live by.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kukkurovaca
What a strange, strange book. This would make more sense if it weren't (a) written by an Episcopalian Bishop and (b) so inordinately full of clip art.
LibraryThing member rayski
A very positive approach to finding that next job and more importantly a new career.
LibraryThing member EvilJohn
An intersting look at how to find the right career.
LibraryThing member mykl-s
What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles (1979)
LibraryThing member bacis88
Packed with extremely relevant information for job seekers. A must have for anyone who has to work for a living, so basically everyone who's not royalty or married rich.
LibraryThing member Masuly
great book that helps you to clarify what are you all about when it comes to looking for a new job, with its help you will be clear about your strength and weaknesses, takes you from which direction you want to go that suits your personality to spesific strategies to get the job you need
LibraryThing member caitlinspencer
This book literally changed my life.
LibraryThing member AlexTheHunn
The Parachute book has been a standard work for many years now. I was managing a bookstore years ago when the first edition of the book hit the shelves. Over the years it has grown from a quirky curiosity to a standard in the industry. This particular edition now is twelve + years behind and I
Show More
suspect that a newer version would offer some better insights and advice. Show Less
LibraryThing member DanStratton
This book is the defacto job hunting book. While I haven't got a job yet, I can see what it teaches is sound. I am going to be following the steps over the next few weeks. Hopefully, it will work. :-) Stay tuned.
Is this book just for those looking for a job? Absolutely not! I wish I would have read
Is this book just for those looking for a job? Absolutely not! I wish I would have read
Show More
this book a couple years ago. Mr. Bolles has great advice for those who have jobs and know that someday they may have to look for a job. I can't imagine anyone today, other than the self-employed, who won't be in this situation eventually. Business doesn't offer lifetime employment anymore. Therefore, you better arm yourself and be prepared. If you wait until you need this book, you are too late. There are steps everyone should take as they work to make sure they can get the next job quickly. Who knows, you may even find a better job along the way. Save yourself the pain of being out of work. Show Less
LibraryThing member hjvanderklis
What Color Is Your Parachute? is the world’s most popular job-hunting guide with more than ten million copies sold. Dick Bolles updates it annually to serve his audience best. The intended audience: job hunters, self-starters and others interested in labor economics, matching demand and supply.
You'll learn what the parachute flower (through the The Flower Exercise), networking, confident interviewing and salary negotiation can do to boost your profile, get your dream job and not frustrating the financial result.
For the returning war veterans, there is a new twenty-page appendix this year, specifically addressing their unique needs. As one of the other appendices Bolles shares his powerful testimony on personal mission as a Christian. While examples are written and provided from a U.S. perspective, the Flower Exercise can be used globally. Many other tips & tricks will help people from other geographies as well. The book's a companion to a series of exercises instead of a text book. Get into action!
Show More
Technology changes, websites come and go. Since What Color Is Your Parachute? not only contains a very detailed step-by-step plan to set up a complete profile of yourself and prepare yourself for job hunting, it also has numerous examples, references and tips to be far more effective than fellow people looking for a job by merely scanning job postings or sending out colorless resumes.You'll learn what the parachute flower (through the The Flower Exercise), networking, confident interviewing and salary negotiation can do to boost your profile, get your dream job and not frustrating the financial result.
For the returning war veterans, there is a new twenty-page appendix this year, specifically addressing their unique needs. As one of the other appendices Bolles shares his powerful testimony on personal mission as a Christian. While examples are written and provided from a U.S. perspective, the Flower Exercise can be used globally. Many other tips & tricks will help people from other geographies as well. The book's a companion to a series of exercises instead of a text book. Get into action!
Show Less
LibraryThing member DCarlin
An enjoyable read even if it was was for work, not pleasure. This book would have been very handy many years ago and will be useful this year.
LibraryThing member jmtho1501
Very effective tool for self assessment that assures an effective and efficient job hunt!
LibraryThing member dazedbybooks
This book is republished every year in order to be consistent with the current economy, job market trends, and technology. I purchased the 2016 version last year and only read half of it, and also purchased the 2017 version this year in order to ensure that I had the most up-to-date version. Don't
As for the book itself, I found that it was a very helpful overall book for job hunters overall in the job market looking to brand themselves and branch into a new field or find a new way to look at the job market and launch themselves into a career. I didn't find that it was much helpful for me in the career industry that I am in - marketing/advertising, ironically. Most of it was pretty redundant for me.
Show More
waste your money! There isn't much change from last year's version. As for the book itself, I found that it was a very helpful overall book for job hunters overall in the job market looking to brand themselves and branch into a new field or find a new way to look at the job market and launch themselves into a career. I didn't find that it was much helpful for me in the career industry that I am in - marketing/advertising, ironically. Most of it was pretty redundant for me.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CenterPointMN
One of the finest contributions to the literature on life/work planning, this book is written in a light tone, which serves to hold the reader's interest while showing that job hunting, self-assessment, and career planning need not be dull, arduous, awesome tasks. Other literatue suggests that
Show More
successful life-style planning requires a large investment of time and effort, but Bolles shows the reader a way to do it that is enticing. Show Less
LibraryThing member margaretfield
great advice for how to approach picking a career. it makes sense to think about this stuff instead of falling into a career without thought. there's a lot of good reasons to read this at any age.
LibraryThing member keylawk
Excellent "pink sheets" on hiring a Career Counselor. Recommends not paying them in advance, and not signing their proferred documents.[390] Pay them for each hour you use for their help, $40 to $100 per hour.
Nota Bene - no Index or category for "Ministry", "Preacher", "Priest". But the Epilogue
Nota Bene - no Index or category for "Ministry", "Preacher", "Priest". But the Epilogue
Show More
is "How to find your Mission in Life", drawn from what Religion teaches that can apply to Job Hunting. Bril. Show Less
LibraryThing member booktsunami
Well, what was happening in 1991 that sent me to exploring this book. I think my organisation was being "Mckinseyed" and a fair few staff were leaving and I was considering my options. As I've finally come to review this book (some 30 years later, I've just discovered that i have the 1998 version
Show More
sitting on my bookshelves so I might review it in more depth before I dispose of this version. to be fair, I found the book to be profoundly helpful. It gave me a whole new suite of ways of examining myself and where I wanted to go.. Now I'm staring gown the funnel of the end of life and a parachute is not so necessary if one has a national health scheme and superannuation. But I've used this book and subsequent versions of it. And I've used it effectively with some of my staff who we were undergoing yet another re-organisation...(read forced-redundancies). And the thing that struck me was that it really gave people a sense that they had options. This was not the end of the road. In summary, a really useful and helpful book. five stars from me. (Even if it is dated) Show Less
Subjects
Awards
ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (Social Sciences — 2009)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1979
Physical description
368 p.; 5.97 inches
ISBN
160774662X / 9781607746621