Card catalogue data
What Color Is Your Parachute? 2015: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard N. Bolles (Berkley: Ten Speed Press, 1970, 2014)
Category: Vocational guidance
Format: Paperback from the library
Pages: 356
This is the second book I’ve read in August, and the 19th for 2016.
Bottom line
Richard Bolles originally wrote this book in 1970 and has been updated and rewriting it every year since. It’s the “world’s most popular job-hunting guide” with over 10 million copies sold. The bottom line to his method is that you cannot know what you want to do until you know who you are.
Nuts & bolts
The heart of the book is the “flower exercise” where you dig down deep into who you are and eventually what you want to do, so that your career and your job become your passion and not just a paycheck. I must admit that I did not fully follow this procedure; it would take several days of soul-searching. Other topics covered include resumes (and LinkedIn), interviewing, salary negotiation, and starting your own business.
Extras
Several appendices in the book are valuable—as much as the rest of the book. My favorite was “A Guide to Dealing with Your Feelings While Out of Work”; it had some great recommendations. There are also sections on finding a career coach and help for returning veterans. And throughout the book the author gives plenty of online resources and recommendations.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
This is the definitive book for job-hunters and possible career-changers.