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What Color Is Your Parachute? 2013: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers
by
The world's most popular job-search book is updated for 2013 to tailor its long-trusted guidance with up-to-the-minute information and advice for today's job-hunters and career-changers.
Career expert Richard (“Dick”) N. Bolles has now written forty-one books all with the same title: What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. In or ...more
Career expert Richard (“Dick”) N. Bolles has now written forty-one books all with the same title: What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. In or ...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
August 14th 2012
by Ten Speed Press
(first published January 1st 1970)
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

I had imagined this would be a simple guide helping people to gain employment, little did I realise that this was all to the greater glory of God and would have nothing to do with parachutes.
"God loves a Trinity", the particularly irritating little kid who used to regularly beat me at chess when I was a student in Russia (view spoiler) used to like saying, an ...more
"God loves a Trinity", the particularly irritating little kid who used to regularly beat me at chess when I was a student in Russia (view spoiler) used to like saying, an ...more
![j e w e l s [Books Bejeweled]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1523658129p2/68216634.jpg)
This is THE handbook on what to do with the rest of your life! I read this many moons ago when I first graduated from high school and then a few years after that when I had a college degree in my hands. The book is a must-read guide to navigate the confusing job search we all encounter from time to time.
I was so curious as to whether the new edition would hold up in a cyber dependent world. The answer is YES! The book still offers invaluable advice as to resumes, interviews and prioritizing your ...more
I was so curious as to whether the new edition would hold up in a cyber dependent world. The answer is YES! The book still offers invaluable advice as to resumes, interviews and prioritizing your ...more

Aug 22, 2007
Rachel Smalter Hall
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
american,
wellness-and-self-development
I picked up this book at a time in my life when I was like, "ok, Rachel, it's time to figure some stuff out." Along came Richard Bolles, like my own sweet little Grandpa giving me life advice. He actually had me doing all the cheesy exercises -- lists, graphs, venn-diagrams, even a flower chart for Pete's sake. And in the end, gosh darnit, I knew I was going to move back to the Midwest and become a librarian!
FYI, this book does have some serious Christian overtones, but Grandpa Bolles is pretty ...more
FYI, this book does have some serious Christian overtones, but Grandpa Bolles is pretty ...more

One of the important skills one should have in our modern society is the ability to look and be successful in getting a job. Unfortunately, many of us are not well-equipped nor skilled enough to navigate our way around the job market. Moreover some of us are intentionally or unintentionally misinformed by others on how we should go about the transition in between jobs. We are getting multitude of answers and finally get a job only to find out that we are not satisfied; then the cycle starts agai
...more

Aug 17, 2015
Susan Barton
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
employment,
career,
job-search,
book-series,
business,
guides,
happiness,
how-to,
money,
non-fiction
I'm embarrassed to say this is the first version of What Color is Your Parachute that I've read. Of course I've heard of it, but just never got around to reading it. In an effort to remain current with career search trends, Richard N. Bolles has been updating this book since 1975. Now that I've finally had the opportunity to read the 2016 version, I'm absolutely astounded by the amount of information the author provides. Loaded with practical job-hunting advice, the author has compiled the book
...more

If you are looking for a book which tries to teach you what you already know, this book is good for you. Other than a few useful websites and tips on finding jobs/your skills, this book was a waste of my time. At the end, the author surprises you by revealing his strong Christian faith; I just don't understand why on earth you would include a huge faith section on a job hunting book. He could have talked about faith in general. Well, this is my personal opinion, but I didn't like this book at al
...more

I've read this book and completed the exercises twice during my adult life, and it has helped me tremendously in answering the age-old question, "What is my mission in life."
For those of us who live to work, and not work to live, this is the book for you. I highly recommend completing the exercises, or "homework" as I call it, and you will uncover your talents and dreams that have been buried over the years.
It will take a little bit of your time, maybe an hour a night for a week or two, or over ...more
For those of us who live to work, and not work to live, this is the book for you. I highly recommend completing the exercises, or "homework" as I call it, and you will uncover your talents and dreams that have been buried over the years.
It will take a little bit of your time, maybe an hour a night for a week or two, or over ...more

Seriously, this book is one of the best selling career self-help guides? I find that hard to believe. My issues with this book:
1) Awkward, and at times incomprehensible, sentence syntax. Dick Bolles comes across as a doofus with too much time on his hands who just decided to sit down and write a book, and not as a job-market-savvy consultant.
2) Seriously stupid advice. "Try a search engine, like Google, or Yahoo, or your favorite one if you have one." Yeah, thanks for the advice, Dick. I never t ...more
1) Awkward, and at times incomprehensible, sentence syntax. Dick Bolles comes across as a doofus with too much time on his hands who just decided to sit down and write a book, and not as a job-market-savvy consultant.
2) Seriously stupid advice. "Try a search engine, like Google, or Yahoo, or your favorite one if you have one." Yeah, thanks for the advice, Dick. I never t ...more

Take advice from someone in the workforce development field: this book and some degree of common sense will take you pretty far. No, this man did not teach me how to write a resume or interview. No, he didn't show me a shining new path in life. What he does do though is illuminate those all-too-easy to overlook things known as "the employer's thoughts and needs."
Job seekers rarely have the opportunity or background knowledge to appreciate the employer as not only a representative of their compan ...more
Job seekers rarely have the opportunity or background knowledge to appreciate the employer as not only a representative of their compan ...more

This book is widely recognized as the top guide to finding a job. Various editions of this book have sold MILLIONS. It is easy to see why. The author has extensive experience in the field, and backs up his ideas with impressive evidence.
► THINGS I LIKED THE MOST ◄
♦ Insight into the actual interviewing process--especially the suggested time min/max for your responses. Bolles provides "Conversation Tips" to prepare for. This section alone is worth the price of the book. They are also "Ten Commandm ...more
► THINGS I LIKED THE MOST ◄
♦ Insight into the actual interviewing process--especially the suggested time min/max for your responses. Bolles provides "Conversation Tips" to prepare for. This section alone is worth the price of the book. They are also "Ten Commandm ...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

This was an interesting book, but A) I shouldn't have read it at the same time as another career book and B) I liked the format of the other career book better. This is more about sitting down and writing while the other (I don't know what I want to do, but I know it's not this) had more quizzes. They both had their positives and negatives, but I felt this one gave a lot of examples, which could have been pared down a bit (I get it - 3 illustrative stories aren't necessary) and went into more de
...more

Valuable Insight -- Whether You are Searching for A Job or Not
No job lasts forever--whether we admit it to ourselves or not. This classic book (updated each year) is loaded with encouragement and insight for every reader. The step-by-step insights are valuable to any reader at any place in the job market.
I loved what Bolles said in the first chapter, "In today's world, he or she who gets hired is not necessarily the one who can do that job best; but, the one who knows the most about how to get h ...more
No job lasts forever--whether we admit it to ourselves or not. This classic book (updated each year) is loaded with encouragement and insight for every reader. The step-by-step insights are valuable to any reader at any place in the job market.
I loved what Bolles said in the first chapter, "In today's world, he or she who gets hired is not necessarily the one who can do that job best; but, the one who knows the most about how to get h ...more

This book has been immensly popular for a long time. Its popularity is not due to the the author's writing style. For something that has gone through so many revisions, one might expect a polished, well-written tome. This is not the case. The book is written like a very lengthy ad; full of hyperbole, simplistic statements, and grammer that may be acceptable in the world of advertisng, but not that of non-fiction prose.
It's hard to see why this book is so popular. Perhaps unemployment lowers peo ...more
It's hard to see why this book is so popular. Perhaps unemployment lowers peo ...more

Cuốn sách này cung cấp cho mình hướng đi để vượt xa người khác trong việc xác định nghề nghiệp. Càng đầu tư thời gian suy nghĩ cho sự nghiệp, mình càng có thể chuẩn bị kỹ lưỡng hơn. Sách thích hợp cho cả học sinh THPT lẫn học sinh đại học. May mắn vì trước ngưỡng cửa đại học mình đã đọc được cuốn này😊😊😊
Lời khuyên quý giá nhất từ cuốn sách này là bạn đừng nên thu hẹp sự lựa chọn nghề nghiệp của mình. Hãy học cách tìm kiếm để mở rộng lựa chọn. Giờ là thời đại của multipotential rồi. 👌👌👌
Lời khuyên quý giá nhất từ cuốn sách này là bạn đừng nên thu hẹp sự lựa chọn nghề nghiệp của mình. Hãy học cách tìm kiếm để mở rộng lựa chọn. Giờ là thời đại của multipotential rồi. 👌👌👌

Since the so-called recession of 2008, things have changed. What used to work in job hunting doesn't work anymore. The length of the average job hunt has increased, the length of time the average job lasts has decreased, the way jobs are done is changing, and not surprising that job hunting has move more and more online.
The contents of this book include:
* It's a whole new world for job-hunters
* Google is your new résumé
* There are over ten million vacancies each month
* Sixteen tips about intervi ...more
The contents of this book include:
* It's a whole new world for job-hunters
* Google is your new résumé
* There are over ten million vacancies each month
* Sixteen tips about intervi ...more

(I read the 2013 version.) I mostly read this to make my mother happy. The cheesiness aside, it committed one of the mistakes of the self-help genre that most aggravates me: it convincingly and with great detail outlined the problem with the traditional approach to its subject, namely job hunting; its stated problem is that just emailing your resume out to job postings online won't work for a variety of reasons. It made a pretty convincing argument for this approach being pretty pointless. But t
...more

I find this book vastly over-rated.
I got it my Sr. year of college, at the recommendation of an academic advisor (the need for which I also found to be highly over-rated), and it did nothing for me. Yes, I ended up in an industry I LOVED, in a job that fit me well, but with no thanks to this book. It taught me nothing about myself I didn't already know and gave me little useful knowledge to go about my job hunt.
I suppose it could prove quite useful for someone who 1) lacks an intuitive introspe ...more
I got it my Sr. year of college, at the recommendation of an academic advisor (the need for which I also found to be highly over-rated), and it did nothing for me. Yes, I ended up in an industry I LOVED, in a job that fit me well, but with no thanks to this book. It taught me nothing about myself I didn't already know and gave me little useful knowledge to go about my job hunt.
I suppose it could prove quite useful for someone who 1) lacks an intuitive introspe ...more

Certain sections of this book are interesting, such as the section about the changing landscape of employers and job-seekers; however, the author could've spent more time writing about how to more effectively network, especially given that this seems to be the crux of his strategy for job-seekers, and less time about how to find the right career.

Jan 13, 2018
Clare O'Beara
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
america-fact,
college
This book talks the reader through starting to look for work or a career change, especially when laid off with no immediate prospects. To begin, we are shown why just sending out hundreds of CVs doesn't work. Other methods of job hunting are described, and we are recommended to use more than one.
My lack of total enthusiasm comes from the facts that: it is all about America so a lot of the information given doesn't apply to me; it's dated from 2010, but a new edition is produced yearly; it's prov ...more
My lack of total enthusiasm comes from the facts that: it is all about America so a lot of the information given doesn't apply to me; it's dated from 2010, but a new edition is produced yearly; it's prov ...more

A friend of mine bought this for me on kindle, saying it was a great way to find out what job best suits you. This book has been around for years and years, but as with textbooks, the author is quick to assure you that you really need the latest edition, as it's constantly being revamped. While there certainly are new addresses and new urls in this book, the basic principal, I'm sure, hasn't changed much.
Most of the book consists of a guided self-assessment of what your likes and dislikes, skill ...more
Most of the book consists of a guided self-assessment of what your likes and dislikes, skill ...more

What Used To Work, Doesn’t Work Anymore
Do you really need to get the latest edition of PARACHUTE?
No, it is not necessary to get the very latest version. Of course, if you are buying PARACHUTE for the very first time, get the latest one; however, if you already have a recent edition, I think that’s good enough. For slightly older editions, the main annoyance will just be some links that are outdated, or some references that are wrong.
WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE 2018 is jam-packed with tons of g ...more
Do you really need to get the latest edition of PARACHUTE?
No, it is not necessary to get the very latest version. Of course, if you are buying PARACHUTE for the very first time, get the latest one; however, if you already have a recent edition, I think that’s good enough. For slightly older editions, the main annoyance will just be some links that are outdated, or some references that are wrong.
WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE 2018 is jam-packed with tons of g ...more

Richard N Bolles is like a god in the career counseling world, but I have to admit that I have never been much of a What Color is Your Parachute? person. Knowing that makes me a pariah in career counseling circles even if my colleagues don't know they should treat me like one. However, I know that many job seekers every year turn to Bolles, and given The Great Recession, this minister's words of comfort have been greatly needed. Actually, when I found myself going through my own career crisis wh
...more

This is the best job-hunting book I read so far! What makes it better is the author Richard Nelson Bolles is also a Christian. By reading this book, I understand more about the new job search techniques. I guess the hard part is really practicing it cause networking IS hard. I really appreciate the chapter about job interviewing, letting me know how it is like a "date," so I won't be as nervous. I think either way, you will still be nervous since our natural tendency is for the other person to l
...more

What Colour is Your Parachute? looked like a promising read for "job hunters and career changers". But after reading the whole thing and doing most of the exercises, it's really not.
Also, what is this?
"Economists say that a decent middle-class job these days should be a stable, dependable job that pays between $40,000 and $80,000, annually." (5-6)
>> $80,000 yeah, but how the hell is $40,000 middle class?? That's basically living in poverty, ESPECIALLY if you're living in a big city. What ...more
Also, what is this?
"Economists say that a decent middle-class job these days should be a stable, dependable job that pays between $40,000 and $80,000, annually." (5-6)
>> $80,000 yeah, but how the hell is $40,000 middle class?? That's basically living in poverty, ESPECIALLY if you're living in a big city. What ...more

This wasn't one I read cover-to-cover, however I did get through most of it. Bolles relates some good information on interviewing and the job market, yet the real selling point of the book is the 'flower exercise' Bolles designed as a method of helping readers figure out what kind of career they want to pursue, based on their experiences and personal interests.
I didn't discover anything revelatory about myself or my passions/interests in completing said exercise, however it was somewhat helpful ...more
I didn't discover anything revelatory about myself or my passions/interests in completing said exercise, however it was somewhat helpful ...more

Anyone with a Job (or not) can learn Something In These Pages
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, the world of work and career is filled with uncertainty. If you have a job, maybe you are thinking about a change. If you don’t have a job, and are looking for one, WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE? 2017 has been a keystone of for 45 years. Each year the information in this book is revised and updated.
Although I’m not currently looking for a new position, I read the new edition cover to cover and ...more
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, the world of work and career is filled with uncertainty. If you have a job, maybe you are thinking about a change. If you don’t have a job, and are looking for one, WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE? 2017 has been a keystone of for 45 years. Each year the information in this book is revised and updated.
Although I’m not currently looking for a new position, I read the new edition cover to cover and ...more

I think this is a great book for someone who isn't happy with their current job and wants to figure out exactly what they want to do that will be fulfilling, not just pay the bills.
I graduated from college a few years ago and back then I was just sending out resumes and I accepted the first offer I got. I didn't worry to much if I was going to like the job, just that I needed to find one. Now I have a few years of experience under my belt and I think I can afford to be a little choosier.
I liked ...more
I graduated from college a few years ago and back then I was just sending out resumes and I accepted the first offer I got. I didn't worry to much if I was going to like the job, just that I needed to find one. Now I have a few years of experience under my belt and I think I can afford to be a little choosier.
I liked ...more

Well done. I was introduced to this book back in 90’s and found it very helpful. I now teach and lecture on this subject of speeding up and landing employment that is self-directed and is meaningful. Last week I was wandering through Barnes & Noble, as I frequently do, and this book caught my attention. I was looking for some current literature that might confirm or expand my thinking on this subject and this book did just that. It has been thoroughly updated and is right on the mark it seem
...more
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Dick Bolles, more formally known as Richard Nelson Bolles, was a former Episcopal clergyman, a member of high-IQ society Mensa, and the author of the best-selling job-hunting book, What Color is Your Parachute? The book remained on The New York Times best-seller list for more than a decade and has sold over 10 million copies.
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“So many times you will see people wringing their hands and saying 'I want to know what my mission in life is,' all the while they are cutting people off on the highway, refusing to give time to people, punishing their mate for having hurt their feelings or lying about what they did.”
—
4 likes
“Always define WHAT you want to do with your life and WHAT you have to offer to the world, in terms of your favorite talents/gifts/skills-not in terms of a job-title.”
—
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