I remember how stressful and emotional I was when I was graduating and unsure of what my next step was. I had a version of this book and it really gave me some hope and guidance. This version does the same! A great life guide.

I deeply appreciated the opportunity to read and review this book. I'll be using it's contents in my teaching and will make sure to keep an eye out for more works from this author and publisher.

great book for anyone -and any age!- to find advice and ideas for a career. be it a change or a new start it just trying to understand where to go or simply wanting to learn about yourself this is a great book to pick up!

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking especially for a career change. It is really a manual or a guide with vast information.

Great advice. I didn’t read the previous version. Learned a lot about myself while reading this book.

This book is relevant for todays job market. I liked the different strategies thst were presented. It uses statistics from the United States so I'm not sure it would be a good fit for those outside the U.S.A. Overall, it was a good look at how to navigate the job market of tbe 21st century.

The book is OK but stats and info on job market for example is based on USA and being in the UK I am not sure it is relevant. This is a book I've always wanted to read but was dissappointed as a lot of the information relates to the USA job market and its employers. There are better books out there.

Another career-related book which is updated annually and is always fun to explore is WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE from Richard Bolles. Once again, this title (now in 2018 version) is filled with valuable advice in an easy to use format. There are so many helpful lists such as the ways job-hunting has changed, factors important from the employer’s perspective, and a starter kit for writing your resume. Bolles lays out key principles, discusses interviewing tips and provides two chapters dealing with an extensive self-inventory exercise. And he includes a separate section on "how to start your own business." Although WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE 2018 can certainly be used to help narrow choices for a college major or in looking for a part-time or summer position, we will also have a version written specifically for teens available at the library.

The online review links to a review of an earlier version: http://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2014/08/business-books-to-explore.html

What Color is Your Parachute 2018 edition is an outstanding update to a classic job hunt resource. I have read several previous editions over the years, but this one addresses job search issues that are pertinent to today's market, technologies, and attitudes, and it is intriguing how this has evolved over the years. Give this book as a gift to the new graduate, or friends that are looking for work. This will help them to give themselves a reality check and put their best foot forward in a highly competitive job market. This is a MUST READ! This also addresses alternative work styles - i.e. disabilities, part time, retirees, free lance. Libraries, update your reference section now, and purchase a couple copies because this is hot reading!

Great update for 2017 and beyond.
Lots of insight and advice for those in a job hunt or considering changing careers.

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 good career advice. In fact, it’s SO LARGE, that one is easily overwhelmed. Fortunately, the editors provide lots of “Bullet Point” lists that make reading easier. If you just concentrate on the sections that are relevant to you, it’s not such a formidable read. You can likely skip many sections that aren’t relevant to your own career.

I would recommend looking through the Table of Contents and picking areas or lists in which you feel you need help. Perhaps start with the preliminary, “A Two-Minute Crash Course on How Much Has Changed in the World of Work.” This is quick reading, and provides a good overview of the job search process. Being prepared and informed is just as important as being the best qualified: “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 hired.”

One of my favorite lists is near the end: “The Ten Greatest Mistakes Made In Job-Interviews.” This list is wryly subtitled, “Whereby Your Chances of Finding a Job Are Greatly Decreased.” Here are some of my favorite mistakes: #3, “Doing no homework on an organization before going there.” Or #8, “Failing to give examples of the skills you claim you have.”

The author explains the different perspective of job-seeker versus job-filler: “Many if not most employers hunt for job-hunters in the exact opposite way from how most job-hunters hunt for them.”

His point is that the HR department wants to ELIMINATE candidates. Naturally, you do NOT want to be eliminated: “You want the job-market to be a hiring game. But the employer regards it as an elimination game— until the very last phase.”

PARACHUTE is an uplifting, encouraging book written by a master in the field. We can always do something to advance our cause: “No matter how overwhelmed you may feel, no matter how much you may feel you’re at the mercy of huge forces that are beyond your control, some part of it is within your control: maybe 2%, 5%, who knows? There is always something you can work on…”

WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE 2018 is right at the top in career resources. For me personally, it is THE #1 career resource. The author writes well, and is ever-encouraging. If you are serious about your job hunt, get the book, and review the relevant sections. I have used this book in my own career hunt.

Finally, the sad news: The editors, in an afterword, note that the author, Richard Bolles, “passed away earlier this year at age ninety after a lifetime of service to job-hunters across the world.”

I had the chance to correspond with the author not so long ago, but regret that I never met him in person. By all accounts, Richard Bolles was a kind, decent man, who genuinely wanted to help people in their careers. In my last email, he asked me to pray for him, which of course, I did. I feel like I lost a friend.

Advance Review Copy courtesy of Ten Speed Press.