Richard Nelson Bolles coined the phrase "Parachuting" as a way to describe bailing out of your current job in order to find the career you really want. He was so keen on sharing his insights that he self-published `What Color Is Your Parachute' for the first time in 1970.

The now bestseller is updated with current practical job search information each year and is a constant source of relevant career change advice. Amongst other useful tips, Bolles points us towards the most effective ways to search for jobs, how to approach prospective employers, and even how to find our own true calling.

So many of us know how it feels to be stuck in a dead end job with that dreaded feeling of entrapment. This book is the key to the escape hatch! And its many satisfied buyers are a longstanding testament to the fact.

This is one of the first places anyone should look to seek guidance on leaving an unsatisfying job in search of greener pastures.

Danny Iny
Author of the free eBook "Forget Everything You Know About Looking For a Job... And Actually Find One!"
HuntingToHired, [...]

This was my first exposure to the Parachute series (never needed it before now). The "Hard Times edition" is right! This book shed light on other ways to keep and advance my career that I had never thought of! A member of the Internet Generation, I have been relying only on networking sites like LinkedIn and RiseSmart resume editing services and job searches. These have gotten great leads, especially because they're personalized, but Parachute will be a worthwhile supplement. All young professionals, whether targeting six-figure incomes like me or not, would do well to buy this book and study it!

He is unhappy in his job and I felt this book would be useful. I have not read it.

I wasn't overly impressed with this book. It did give many of the basic information you would need to job hunt, but I was looking for something a little more than that. The best part of the book is the web sites that are provided.

They call it the number one career book of all time, mainly because it released annually. Parachute is really a primer in career exploration. Other books add a ton of value after you get this foundation. Because of that, Bolle's is timeless for job seekers of all kinds. I feel that his book updated each year to meet the current trends in society is critical. He needs to address those issues, like the web, downturn in the economy and the like.

The most critical part of the book is the self evaluation section which has been updated this year and which I am in the middle of, since I am looking into new avenues to use my skills. This is still a very structured process that can be used intutitively as well.

Bolles asks you to write a few stories about yourself, then ask yourself, what did you like and dislike about those stories? What did you do well, where did you fail or feel challenged beyond your abilities? These are the critical areas of the book that take time to get through, yet you can evaluate yourself and understand what you like, it is what you do best, usually. However, additional education may even help you get over those hurdles. He has a section for those over 50, we change as we age. This is really a great tool for retooling your career sites and your direction.

We excel what we are good at, according to Bolles, this method will help us discover what we are best at.

I still recommended this book to my friends and others who are seeking to find out what makes them tick. Whether someone is in college, or someone is going through a long term transition after being in a job for a long time or moms returning to the work place, this book will be very instructive for you.

One of his processes is very simple asking you to compare who you would most like to talk with or groups of people you would rather relate with. This is a standard set of tests for some very expensive career consulting, he gives it to you for the price of his book and the time to self evaluate. Then, he breaks down the possible job areas and skill sets related to these groups.

Again, a worthwhile journey for anyone not wanting to wonder and wander any longer in the world of work.

JOE SLEVIN
Job Coach

I have used the Parachute book for years as a text book for the courses I teach in career planning and career development. Nearly every book on job hunting that has been published since 1970 has been an off shoot of Bolles' work. I don't believe there is any one anywhere that has given as much thought to the field of job hunting as Bolles has. He considers his work to be his mission in life and the books show it (he is a Christian and makes no apologies for it but acknowledges in the book he understands not everyone is and assumes his readers can translate his message into their own framework). I use the newest edition each year (and yes, I have nearly every edition since 1970 sitting right here on my book shelf) - some years are major changes, other years are not so major but always updated. Certainly, not every book fits every person so I'm not suggesting that every one will connect with the Parachute books. But, for my money, there are none better and advise all of my college seniors to buy it whether or not they are taking my classes if only for the job hunting advice in the first few chapters. But, it is the skill identification section that is really priceless.....most job hunters have lots of skills but don't necessarily have very good vocabularies to articulate those skills which are crucial in writing good resumes, getting through job interviews and being able to evaluate appropriate job opportunities. Of course, you actually have to do the work suggested in the book to flesh out the skills which I'll admit can be challenging if you're working on your own but you can hardly beat the price...if all you do is look through the skill list, you'll learn something and sometimes just having a more organized way to consider your job search can be helpful. Two thumbs up!!!

It's a good book and helpful, but there is too much religious reference in the beginning and the end about god and your mission in life and all that. Not everyone is religious and not everyone believes in god (or Bolle's version of one) . It really has no place in this book unless the book is subtitled "A practical manual for Christian job hunters." I hope the 2009 version is toned down or at least gives some warning to those of us who may find it a bit bias.
However it does has some helpful hints about thank you notes and interviews that I found useful.

This is something like the 10th edition of the landmark job hunting handbook, What Color is Your Parachute? This book is great because, like all the others, it gets you thinking about what job is right for YOU. Aka, in what kind of job will you succeed because you'll be able to flourish by applying your strengths. This new, 2009 edition is also geared toward the tough job market we're facing today in our troubled economy.

Another key book for job hunting is The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book. A lot of employers look for emotionally intelligent candidates these days, and the book comes with a test to show you where you need to improve (the book shows you how to improve).

I have browsed through the book, and read selected portions, and so far, I have found this to be really useful. I am not looking for a job, but wanted a tool to evaluate and identify what I have to offer as a member of the employment pool. I think this will prove to be a great resource.

The new version is worth the money. I got the 2001 (from the library) and 2009 version (from amazon). The 09 version is not only updated with the most current internet information (a lot has changed since 01 to make that version out of date), it is sequenced and ordered completely differently and includes "the parachute workbook" integrated into the text... no flipping back and forth through the appendices. I think every high school career class should use this book. It is great for any time in life, and I will use his principles/strategies for reflection on an ongoing basis. It definitely would have been helpful in picking my college major...I am going to recommend this to my younger sister, and keep using it myself.

The book is interesting so far. Could give a better review following the completion of the book.

This book is an excellent choice for anybody contemplating a career change or trying to discover your true aptitude. I found the book very useful for everything from discovering a new career path to completing a successful interview. Even if you're not making a career change, this is a great way to start assessing your skills, talents, and interests, so you can best utilize your potential. If you loved the first one or any of the previous editions, you'll find the added resources particularly useful in this latest edition.

When you buy a job transition book, this is the first one you will need. I have used this book several times starting since 1979. Bolles updates the material every year, but holds constant in his message to job seekers. What do you want to BE when you grow up? It is a two-part question with emphasis on what you will BE, not what you will be doing. Discovering your passion and what you will be is the essence of the book. There are time-tested applications and insightful exercises to help your job search journey. The author provides the five questions that matter for all job seekers and the five questions that matter to the person-who-has-the-power-to-hire-you. And the author offers few pages on using the Internet compared to going out and meeting in person-who-has-the-power-to-hire-you or who knows that person. With the 2009 edition, you have access to new information that helps you to find a job in a tough market.

The other book I strongly recommend when career hunting, because it allows you to look very closely at yourself to understand your strengths and Achilles' Heel, is The Personality Code

Another time of uncertainty. Another copy of Parachute. It changes; it's eternal. Is it really the 39th edition? What's he going to do for #40? Have I been a part of this phenomenon THAT long?

My question was, "do I need a new edition?" When I looked at my 2000 copy and saw Bolles recommending metacrawler, I knew the answer was Yes. He recommends buying a new copy if yours is older than 2005.

More, do the work. It's not a book to read and shelve. I don't think my answers will change very much, in their heart, but the world has changed since the first time I filled in the petals on that flower and therefore the opportunities for using my skills / gifts / etc. have changed, too.

10M copies sold. I've had three or four myself, so maybe that only represents a market of 2.5M job hunters. Hard to say. Perhaps the tide shifts. Bolles' work and guidance complements the Strengthsfinder philososphy of finding what you want to do and are good at, rather than repairing imagined weaknesses and attempting to compete with people who are naturally good at tasks you hate. (Perhaps it's the other way around.)

I don't remember being (able to be) as clear about my values--where (in what arena) I want to apply my gifts. Maybe that's age; maybe the book changed. Kinda wish I'd kept all my copies along the way, now.

If only there were a way that an Amazon review could actually nudge a reader into not only buying the book, which is easy, but also DOING the book, which is harder, and then even more, ACTING on the knowledge that can be revealed. This IS the easier, softer way.

"What Color Is Your Parachute" is the first book you need if finding a job is your goal. If you've not bought this yet, you haven't started looking. It is that good.

Richard Bolles is the expert. His books sell because they are fresh each year with insight, purpose and ideas for determining what job you should do, and how to get it.

I used "Parachute" to get my first job. It continues to influence me today, as I keep my eyes open for a possible career change. As I have trandsitioned from nonprofits to corporate work, to freelance/consulting to looking again at nonprofits, I take what Bolles' teaches into each situation. He helps balance out reality. No smoke and mirrors, but encouraging and candid exhortation.

Thoroughly practical, Bolles asks you questions about your mission in life. His belief is that just getting a job (any job) -- even ones you are good at -- won't be a wise decision in the long haul. He helps you see your passions mixed with skills and experience, and guides you to getting there. Though it is hardly a self-help book, it is far more useful than the ones clogging up the Top 10 list.

He keeps you accountable. Finding a job is your job if that's what you say you want. And if you aren't working, he won't let you make excuses -- you've got the time. Either you are looking or you aren't. Dr. Phil could take a note from Bolles' direct yet congenial style.

Bolles has kept current, with a significant look at the internet, starting your own business, dealing with the tempestuous employment marketplace, working in an unpleasant situation, and more.

Don't bother with the hardcover. You need the paperback. This is not a sit-on-the-shelf book, but a get-down-to-business book, and you'll appreciate the flexibility while at work or on the train.

I fully recommend, "What Color Is Your Parachute" by Richard Nelson Bolles.

Anthony Trendl
http://anthonytrendl.com