What Color Is Your Parachute? 2005: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers [Paperback]

Richard N. Bolles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004 | Series: What Color Is Your Parachute?

In the last four years, the United States has lost 2.3 million jobs—the most in any four-year period since Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression. Currently, millions of workers are unemployed both in the United States and worldwide and the problem isn’t likely to abate anytime soon. In the 2005 edition of his legendary job-hunting book, WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE? Richard Bolles presents a detailed plan for facing this societal problem head-on, declaring that we must each begin by mastering this new world for ourselves and then, once empowered, share our knowledge with others to empower the world.

In PARACHUTE 2005, Bolles offers a completely new book for this uncertain job market, laying out a simple, step-by-step plan for finding meaningful work and mission despite our economy’s jobless recovery. Featuring fresh explanations of old concepts and the introduction of new ideas, Bolles defines the distinctions between "resume jobs" and "grapevine jobs," between "passive job-hunting" and "active job-hunting," between "weak ties" and "strong ties," and much more. These are not normal times. And this is not your normal PARACHUTE. It faces squarely the "workquake" that is shaking up the job market around the world, and gives not only simple steps but steady hope.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

*A completely revised and restructured PARACHUTE for 2005.

*Focuses on the rising problem of unemployment in the economy’s current jobless recovery.

*Offers new techniques to help job seekers find meaningful work and mission.

*200,000 copy first printing.

From the Back Cover

More Than 10 Million Copies Sold

New York Times and Business Week Best Seller

Chosen by the Library of Congress as one of 25 Books That Have Shaped Readers' Lives

One of the Seven Essential Popular Business Books (Today's Librarian)

Best Overall Career Guide (Career World)

"Parachute still soars with practical advice. This book is a steady seller, always making the USA Today annual list of top-selling books. No wonder: Parachute is practical and trustworthy."
--Jacqueline Blais, USA Today

"Parachute remains the most complete career guide around. . . . It covers all the ground less ambitious books do, as well as some the others don't, mostly in the realm of the psyche."
--Barbara Presley Noble, New York Times

"What Color Is Your Parachute? has been the job-hunting classic for decades. . . . Bolles always goes beyond the routine, including things like useful Internet sites and how to select a career counselor. It's virtually always the best-selling career book, and with good reason."
--David Murphy, San Francisco Chronicle

"Ideally, everyone should read What Color Is Your Parachute? in the tenth grade and again every year thereafter."
--Anne Fisher, Fortune --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press; Rev Upd edition (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580086152
• ISBN-13: 978-1580086158
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #915,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

RICHARD N. BOLLES has been a leader in the career development field for more than thirty-five years. He was trained in chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and holds a bachelor's degree cum laude in physics from Harvard University and a master's in sacred theology from General Theological (Episcopal) Seminary in New York City. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Marci.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It will give you hope and confidence, May 21, 2005

By 

Robert Wynkoop (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Color Is Your Parachute? 2005: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers (Paperback)

I distinctly remember listening to a review of Parachute on the radio while in my car driving and saying to myself, "I need to buy this book." But good intentions have a way of not being put into action. It was years later when faced with a midlife career change and not knowing what I was going to do that my brother reminded me of this book.

Simply put, this book will give you hope and confidence. It will help you see what your strengths are and how to market yourself in a difficult economy. Let me share with you two ways it helped me. First, the exercises put to rest any doubts I had to where to pursue my new career. Second, the section on how to find a job was worth three times the cost of the book. To my chagrin, I discovered that the way most people look for work (including myself) is just the opposite way most employers hire people.

Now, I am beginning a new career. I love my work and look forward to a challenging and rewarding career. If you think that you may be facing a career change sometime in the near future order this book now. It will give you hope and confidence.

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's White With A Large Gash In It And I'm Plummeting To Earth..., May 8, 2009

By 

Rosey "cil-my-landlord" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers (Paperback)

I'm talking about my parachute. I'm a mid-forties Wall Street refugee, wondering what I want to be when I grow up...(Hint no jobs on Wall Street right now). So I turned to this old standard for help.

First note that this book is updated every single year, so buy the latest copy. Yes an older one will be cheaper but...don't. I first picked up the 2001 version off the bookshelf. As I read the section on the internet, I guffawed. Not the author's fault, things change drastically on the internet, especially in 8 years. So I credit the author for updating the book constantly. He also substantially rewrites it, not just changing the cover or whatever.

Second, this is not a spectator sport, you must do the exercises to make the book work. I have not yet done them, officially, on paper, but have given a lot of thought to what he asks us to do. I remember reading this book years ago (1988?) and being very annoyed. Annoyed? Yes, because I thought the author had a lot of nerve to tell me I could do anything I want to do. I could go to Hollywood? Yes. I could be an astronaut? Yes. I could be an interpreter? Yes. Pimp? Yes. Investment Banker? Yes. Yes, yes, yes. You may have to go to school, or work hard, but yes you can follow your dreams.

What if you have no dreams, like me? Well, do the exercises, and the book will help you find something to do with yourself that won't make you want to shoot yourself in the head when the alarm clock goes off. I can't wait to find out what it is for me!

Ignore the naysayers, buy the latest copy of the book, read it, do the exercises. And Good Luck.

P.S. I also recommend the workbook.

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The single best book in the field, November 15, 2004

By 

T. Dayton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Color Is Your Parachute? 2005: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers (Paperback)

If there is a single book out there for anyone looking for a job or thinking about changing jobs, "What Color Is Your Parachute?" is it. This book provides thorough and comprehensive advice that is both practical and relevant. It also appeals to almost any career level, from recent graduates to senior executives. The exercises helped expand my thinking about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, and definitely proved to be an asset during interviews and discussions. The entire book, in fact, provided a broader context to the process which made me a stronger candidate. And the hands-on advice also reminded me of the smaller details that are so critical but easy to forget about. If you buy any book on the topic of job hunting or career change, this has to be it. I highly recommend it.