What Color Is Your Parachute?

I first began struggling with the question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
way back in 1984, pre-World-Wide-Web. That struggle was ‘resolved’ when my
employer gave me a Platinum Parachute and said in effect, “go away. We don’t love you anymore!”    

I decided to go back to school and enrolled in the MSOD program at Pepperdine University.    

A year after graduating, I first became interested in
helping professionals find more suitable careers. That’s when I first
discovered the bible of career books, Richard Nelson Bolles’ “What Color is Your Parachute?”     

WOW! A veritable treasure chest of career advice, it was
love at first read for me. I began adapting the advice on job search to my own
search for contracts and contacts. When my son turned 18 and was ‘encouraged’
to leave home (by his parents) I gave him that volume of “Parachute” as a
companion for his job search.    

Since then I’ve purchased a new copy of “What Color Is Your Parachute?” about every four years. I hang on
to my “old” copies because each and every year Bolles substantially revises the annual! What blows my mind is that Bolles
hand sets the type. I still have my copies of the 1996, 2000, and 2002 editions
– to say nothing of Bolles’ other career advice books (The Three Boxes of Life, How to Find Your Mission in Life, Job Hunting
on the Internet, How to Create a Picture of Your Ideal Job or Next Career, and
both editions of the What Color is Your
Parachute Workbook).    

So, when I wondered into my favourite independent bookstore,
Owl’s Nest, a couple of weeks ago, I was pleased to discover the “What Color is Your Parachute? 2007 edition”     

So, what’s new in the
2007 edition of “Parachute”?    

I decided the best way for me, Mr. Detail-Impaired, to see
What’s New was to compare the 2007 edition to the 2002 edition.    

Here’s what stands out for me:    

  1. The annual has now been divided into 3 logical parts:  Part I: The Thing School  Never Taught us About the Job-Hunt”, “Part II: When the Unexpected Happens How to Deal With Change”, and “Part III: Resuming the Search to Find Your Dream.” Looks like a great division to me!!  
  1. Part I covers some critical Job-Hunt skills, including:   
    1. “The Five Best Ways to  unt for a Job” – is Bolles’ new take on his favourite theme: the BEST way to find a job and NO, it’s not looking in the classifieds. Once again he focuses on THE BEST way to job hunt. Believe me IT WORKS!
    2. “How Much Help is the Internet” – Bolles looks at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Best piece of advice, “Use the Internet as part of your job search NOT all of it!”
    3. “How to Deal with Handicaps” – including great advice for Shy people (wish I’d had that one!)
    4. Plus the regular good stuff – the nature of the job-market, resumes, interviews, and salary negotiations. 
  1. Part II covers some critical Change Management skills, including:
    1. “On This Restless, Unpredictable, Ever-Changing Earth” – or, what to do when Hurricane Katrina washes away your dog, cat, house, and job!
    2. “In This Restless, Unpredictable, Ever-Changing Job-Market” – or, how to choose a new career.
    3. “In the Restless, Unpredictable, Ever-ChangingWork life of yours” – or, how to start your own business or create your own private practice.   
  1. Part III covers critical Job Search skills, including:
    1. “What Did You Come Into This World to Do?” “What the World Most needs From You”, and “Why People Fail To Find Their Dream Job” – or, a careful  look at why you need to Find Your Mission in Life.
    2. “The Flower Exercise” – Bolles perennial (pun intended) favourite. I use this tool regularly with my clients to help them capture on 1-page the essence of their career
            dreams.
    3. “How to Find Your Mission in Life” – practical steps you can take to find your vision and purpose.   

Want to know more. READ THE BOOK. 

Click here to order a copy (and send a few pennies my way
😉

December 4, 2006 | ,