THIS BOOK IS the 'granddaddy' of all career guides. Now in its 33rd edition, What Color is Your Parachute? (A Practical Manual For Job-Hunters And Career-Changers) has provided inspiration and shaped the careers (my own included) of more than eight million readers in more than 10 languages.
Parachute begins by providing evidence for two fundamental truths. Firstly, author Richard Nelson Bolles maintains 'all jobs are mortal', meaning there is constant change in the job market - jobs are created and they disappear. Secondly, he convinces us with persuasive statistical evidence that: 'There are always jobs out there'.
Whether you can adjust to the changing job market and find those jobs depends on the methods you use. Parachute's goal is to help you develop job-hunting methods that will help you fulfil your goals.
For example, if you are looking for a job that is the same as your last one, if you simply want to find a job to put bread on the table and you are willing to postpone the fulfilment of your career dreams, then Bolles suggests you conduct a traditional job hunt in which you scan job ads, send a resume, attend the interview and, hopefully, get the job.
For those who choose this approach, Bolles outlines tips for success in the chapters 'Job Hunting at Warp Speed' and 'Twenty-Three Tips for a Successful Job Hunt', in which he provides advice on using the internet to identify and apply for existing vacancies and ways to keep on track when looking for jobs that are 'already out there'.
However Bolles gives compelling reasons for investing the time and effort in planning and executing what he calls a 'life-changing job hunt', claiming that 86 per cent of people who adopt this approach succeed in finding the job or career they seek.