What Color Is Your Parachute? 2007: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers (What Color Is Your Parachute)

I'm at a complete loss to explain the appeal of this book. I found exactly one useful insight, and it's contained in one clumsy sentence on page 37: "Most employeers hunt for employees in the exact opposite way from how job-hunters hunt for them." What he means is that in terms of landing for a job, sending out resumes on the Internet is the least effective method, applying directly to targeted companies is better, and networking and temping are better still. Bolles even has the supposed success rates for each method. Nice to know.

The rest of the book, however, is a huge waste of paper. The vast majority of the content is devoted to discussing the obvious in embarrassingly deep detail, i.e. posing questions like "what skills do you most enjoy using?" or "where do you want to live?" and asking the reader to do childish exercises like writing down one's interests, values, and salary on a "flower pedal" diagram. True insights are scarce, and good GOD does this guy take his sweet time to make a point. Chapter 6 starts with a page-long anecdote about an Earthquake in Asia, then goes on for another page chronicling the history of advances in transportation technology, all just to make a point that the invention of the Internet enables the instant transfer of information to anywhere in the world. NO S***, SHERLOCK!

Also, the "updates" made to this book over the years mostly seem to consist of bulleted lists of random websites, which to me only weaken an already dull narrative flow. That, plus some updated cultural references (i.e. Hurricane Katrina).

8 billion copies sold? Seriously?

This is a great handbook for those wishing to change jobs or careers. The author explores what school failed to teach us about finding jobs and offers practical suggestions for the entire job search process all the way up to salary negotiation. Some of the advice the author gives is very different that what we have typically been taught and he backs his statements up with specific figures. This book offers suggestions to deal with change in the job market including choosing a new career or starting your own business. The bulk of the book explores the details of finding your dream job. It offers exercises to determine your competencies, priorities, past experiences and helps put it all together. This is a great tool that requires extensive self-evaluation to determine the best job for you.

A traditional and standard text for those considering job and career changes. A little dated,even though it is "updated" regularly. Lots of good reference information, though.

If you want to land your dream job you MUST read this book. It will help you answer questions like: What kind of work will be the most rewarding? How should I begin the job search? What is the proper interview etiquette? And much more.

This should be read by graduating college students looking for their first job and individuals looking for a career change.

I think Richard Bolle's book is great on several levels. First, it asks the reader to think about him/herself in ways people often don't. The book has helped me think about myself more than I ever did before when it comes to my interests and the importance of connecting them to my work life. He also discusses the nature of the working world today and how many people still hold an unrealistic, outdated view of it which holds them back. Bolle's says it like it is. He also includes many insights into the world of work.

The one thing that I did want to address is that I find many people complaining in their reviews,when it comes to the "What Color Is Your Parachute?" books,is that they are full of fluff and there is too few nuggets in and far between. I disagree. I believe that people generally say this because they are on the job search at the moment they buy Bolle's book. They're needing a quick fix, panicking, having needed a job yesterday. If you're looking for a quick fix-it book that will get you a job tomorrow then this book is not for you because you're looking for something that Bolle's isn't offering, a quick way to get a job. This book, if read for the potential it holds and the time it requires, is for the person willing to make the effort to internalize him/herself. The potential reader should be warned that this book does not promise to get you a job instantly, but does include a lot of informative and helpful advice. I think the ideal should be, when it comes to Richard Bolles' book, is to read it when you have the time while you're still working at your current job that you want to change from. This way, you have the time to do the homework and the necessary thinking about yourself while at the same time not feeling pressured to read fast, skim or worse, skip for the sake of trying to find a job in a week or two.

Remember, this is your career we're talking about. It will be well worth the time put into it. Believe me.