You’ve probably heard about What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard N. Bolles. With over 10 million copies sold since its first publication in 1970, it’s often hailed as the best-selling job-hunting book of all time.
But what makes this book so popular and why should you read it? Is it just rehashed common sense career advice? Or does Bolles really have insightful tips and frameworks for figuring out your calling and landing a fulfilling job?
I recently read the latest 2023 edition to find out for myself. And I’ll admit, I started out pretty skeptical. But by the end, I was thoroughly impressed and could easily see why this book sets the gold standard.
This isn’t your average dry career guide. Bolles delivers hands-on wisdom with a healthy dose of metaphor and self-reflection exercises.
The book lives up to its parachute motif. Bolles takes you through the full leap of faith from figuring out your ideal career, to strategically hunting for jobs, to finally landing safely in a role well-suited for you.
And the key is customizing your own process with self-inventory and research. Just like how parachutes come in many colors, the tools and tips in the book need to align with your unique skills, values, and interests.
You can find What Color Is Your Parachute? by author Richard Nelson Bolles on your favorite bookstore, including Amazon.com and Amazon UK.
When it comes to career advice, few names carry as much weight as Richard Nelson Bolles. Since 1970, Bolles has empowered countless job seekers to find fulfilling work through his best-selling book, What Color Is Your Parachute?. With over 10 million copies sold so far, it has become one of the most popular and long-lasting career guides ever written. So what makes Bolles’ approach so effective – and timeless?
First and foremost, Bolles understands the emotional toll unemployment takes. He writes with compassion, encouraging readers to develop a positive, empowered mindset when job hunting. This serves as the foundation for proactive approaches he outlines, from research and self-assessment to networking and interview prep. His friendly, straightforward writing style makes these strategies highly accessible.
At the same time, Bolles keeps the book updated year after year – a rare achievement for a career guide. He adds the latest resources and addresses new realities in the modern workplace, from economic changes to tech disruption. This helps the book maintain authority decades after initial publication. For example, the rise of personal branding and freelancing led Bolles to include advice for the “gig economy” worker.
Yet some things stay consistent – Bolles’ core belief that readers can find jobs aligned with their true talents, passions and values. What Color Is Your Parachute? goes far beyond the basics of resumes and applications. Bolles offers ideas for self-exploration, from identifying key skills to envisioning an ideal vocation. His premise: Take control of your career path instead of leaving it to chance.
After 50 years empowering job seekers, it’s no wonder Richard Nelson Bolles is considered the last word in career guidance. What Color Is Your Parachute? has become more than a book – it’s a vital toolkit containing time-tested wisdom as well as cutting-edge advice. For anyone from new grads to retirees seeking meaningful work, Bolles continues leading the way.
Before we float further into the details, let’s check if you’re in the target audience. What Color Is Your Parachute? mainly helps:
Let’s see what are the main sections of the book.
Bolles argues you need the right mindset first when seeking your ideal work. This section preps you with motivation and helpful frames of mind like appreciating career detours and getting comfortable with uncertainty.
Next, you trace back your skills and interests to decode the best career paths for you. The exercises here almost resemble a career counseling session.
Bolles switches gears by guiding you through smart job hunting strategies like niche job boards, professional associations, and connections networks. You’ll get insider tips like how to research growth fields and approach hiring managers.
Finally, Bolles covers writing stand-out resumes and interviews that get attention for the right reasons. He builds your confidence while also providing ethical frameworks as you secure and accept job offers.
Glad you asked! Now in its 50th anniversary edition, What Color Is Your Parachute? keeps up with the times. Bolles annually revises the book, ensuring the advice works for modern job hunting.
For example, the latest version tackles remote interviews, online networking, resume bots, freelancing sites, and figuring out job transfers within an organization.
Bolles sticks to the basics while layering on updated suggestions and examples. So yes – this book is still very relevant in 2023!
I’ll start with the strengths since there are many. Bolles’ book works because:
Overall, this book works because it keeps you focused on self-reflection, relationship building, and consistent strategic efforts. Things truly in your control!
No book is perfect though. Here are a couple critiques:
But none of these limit the book enough to discourage reading it. The breadth of guidance actually makes it super comprehensive for anyone changing careers.
I believe that’s ultimately Bolles’ purpose. This isn’t a one-time read and done type book.
Treat What Color Is Your Parachute? as the handbook that evolves along with your career and life stages. Reread portions that apply to your circumstances anytime you feel stuck. The self-inventories may reveal new insights as you gain experiences.
Think of how colors fade and change over time with clothing. Your ideal career parachute picks up new hues too. This book helps you regularly check if your job still fits.
And even if you land your dream role right now, the advice will grow your leadership and hiring skills for managing others down the road.
If you’re feeling anxious or hopeless in your job search, What Color Is Your Parachute? is comforting. Bolles treats you with compassion while providing a clear plan.
By focusing you on self-examination first, he redirects unproductive panicking into constructive reflection. I felt in control of my career again, even amidst a tough economy.
And the advice works for almost any field – from creatives, to lawyers, to tech professionals. While examples feature traditional careers, Bolles mainly provides frameworks for selling your transferable skills.
Alternatively, if you have a fine job but still wonder if it’s your life’s purpose, this book provides fulfilling exercises. Figuring out your calling doesn’t mean radically quitting your work right now.
But the self-inventories build self-awareness to pivot your career gradually toward more meaningful impacts. Isn’t it helpful knowing if just 20% of your tasks align with your mission? Baby steps!
And if you’re just entering corporate life, don’t dismiss this book as only for job hunters. Bolles has great advice for picking an employer using your values beyond prestige and pay.
Why churn through starter jobs without checking if they develop skills leading toward careers you’ll eventually love?
And although I mentioned this book focuses on job seekers, hiring managers can learn a lot too. Getting insidecandidates’ minds will strengthen your talent recruitment and retention.
Understand what meaningful work looks like to employees in 2023. Bolles provides helpful frameworks for coaches guiding team members’ growth too.
I’ll wrap up by explaining why I believe What Color Is Your Parachute? remains so popular, even after its first publication back in 1970.
Yes, career sites, social recruiting, and remote work changed job hunting. Nonetheless, humans stay the same. We crave purpose and self-actualization.
While job searching today allows for more flexibility, it paradoxically breeds more uncertainty. More potential roles means more analysis paralysis!
That’s why Bolles’ book stays so relevant. Technology progresses, but deciding your ideal work still requires self-reflection. His advice centers you amidst the anxious clutter of job hunting.
Throughout any era’s ups and downs, we work best matching our nature with the right opportunities. This book simply guides you through that journey of self-understanding.
And Bolles delivers the pointers through digestible frameworks and relatable stories – not overly complex theories.
For example, he shares a classic tale called “The Myth of the Maze”. It metaphorically details how focusing too narrowly causes us to lose sight of alternative paths.
As I drifted through career detours myself, this myth reassured me with solidarity and wisdom. And Bolles shares many other impactful anecdotes through his decades advising job hunters.
So that’s why this book persists as a staple. It empowers you to author your own journey without rigidity.
If I had to boil down the essence it would be…
What Color Is Your Parachute? guides you to land safely in a career that fulfills your nature – despite the uncertainty of changing economic times.
Bolles’ book remains a timeless manual for finding your purpose and best professional self. I believe everyone changing career paths should add this book to their toolbox!
So pack your figurative parachute and prepare to gain clarity on your ideal work.
If you appreciated the tactical and empowering career advice from Bolles’ classic guide, extend your reading with these 6 books next:
The main message of the book is that job seekers should focus less on mechanically responding to job postings, and far more on truly understanding their unique combination of skills, attitude, and values, in order to find a deeply fulfilling work that utilizes their strengths. The book provides exercises and advice to help readers reflect on their passions and abilities so they can identify target jobs and companies that align with who they are.
“What Color Is Your Parachute?” instruct readers to forget traditional chronological CV/resumes designed around titles and job descriptions. Instead, it guides readers on writing skills- and accomplishments-based resumes that focus on showcasing their qualifications in areas relevant to their target job. This involves profiling top skills, highlighting quantifiable achievements, and summarizing experience in a way that communicates one’s personal brand.
The flower exercise aims to help job seekers discover their key interests and values. Readers are instructed to imagine their life as a flower, with each petal representing things like favorite fields of knowledge, preferred working environments, important goals, and ideal lifestyles. Completing this visualization illuminates one’s passions so they can determine which types of jobs will allow them to exercise these petals.
Informational interviewing with industry professionals is recommended so job seekers can expand their understanding of unfamiliar roles or career fields they are considering. By asking questions about required skills, day-to-day tasks, challenges and rewards, one can get insider knowledge to assess whether target jobs or companies are in fact a good personal fit before applying.
Bolles stresses the importance of nurturing a large network and tapping into “alumni” of one’s schools, volunteer activities, places of worship, clubs, and associations. He suggests leveraging social media and identifying 2nd-degree connections for informational interviews. Referrals and introductions from personal contacts often lead to private job openings not advertised publicly.
The author guides readers through various exercises for outlining their skills, from creating a master list of capabilities to selecting their top 5-10 talents and giving specific evidence of applying these skills successfully. The goal is to translate abilities developed in past roles or personal life into language relevant to one’s future goals.
“What Color Is Your Parachute?” is indeed an essential resource for career counselors and coaches because it pioneered many techniques that are still being used nowadays, such as skill inventories, informational interviewing, and values-based career planning. The book can expand counselors’ toolkits while keeping them up-to-date with modern job market practices.
Any unemployed, underemployed, unhappily employed or new graduate can greatly benefit from the strategic soul-searching this book facilitates. It provides customized career guidance tailored to diverse groups, from millennials and military veterans to older workers and career-changers. Both passive and active job seekers can benefit.
Now in its 53rd edition, “What Color Is Your Parachute?” maintains extreme relevancy by getting updated annually with the latest career development methods, job market research, economic analyses, workplace trends, and hiring practices. Author Richard Bolles stays sharply tuned in to the evolving needs of the modern workforce.
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