What will I learn about: why taking a blanket approach to submitting resumes fails, and learn how to proactively tailor your job search to an employer's specific needs?

Understand why taking a blanket approach to submitting resumes fails, and learn how to proactively tailor your job search to an employer's specific needs.

What will I learn about: how prospective employers actually vet candidates in today's digital age, including why they review your social media profiles before you even apply?

Discover how prospective employers actually vet candidates in today's digital age, including why they review your social media profiles before you even apply.

What will I learn about: define your ultimate career objectives using the 'Flower Exercise,' a unique self-inventory tool that maps out your ideal working conditions?

Learn how to define your ultimate career objectives using the 'Flower Exercise,' a unique self-inventory tool that maps out your ideal working conditions.

What will I learn about: the strategy of identifying your hidden transferable skills by analyzing detailed personal stories of your past accomplishments?

Master the strategy of identifying your hidden transferable skills by analyzing detailed personal stories of your past accomplishments.

What will I learn about: how to leverage the Holland Code to pinpoint the specific workplace social environments and collaborative cultures where you will truly thrive?

Find out how to leverage the Holland Code to pinpoint the specific workplace social environments and collaborative cultures where you will truly thrive.

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021

Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success

Richard N. Bolles with Katharine Brooks

★ 4.3 / 5(134 ratings)

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Categories:

Career & Success

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡What if you could bypass the endless cycle of online applications and tap into the "hidden" job market where the best roles are actually found?
💡Are you curious about the one simple exercise that can reveal your dream career by looking at your life like a blooming flower?
💡Did you know that the most successful job hunters don't just look for openings, but instead focus on identifying the specific problems they are uniquely qualified to solve?

Listen to What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021 — Free Audiobook

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Key Takeaways from What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021

✓Understand why taking a blanket approach to submitting resumes fails, and learn how to proactively tailor your job search to an employer's specific needs.
✓Discover how prospective employers actually vet candidates in today's digital age, including why they review your social media profiles before you even apply.
✓Learn how to define your ultimate career objectives using the 'Flower Exercise,' a unique self-inventory tool that maps out your ideal working conditions.
✓Master the strategy of identifying your hidden transferable skills by analyzing detailed personal stories of your past accomplishments.
✓Find out how to leverage the Holland Code to pinpoint the specific workplace social environments and collaborative cultures where you will truly thrive.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021

Mind Map

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021

Employer Mindset+

The Flower Exercise+

Mastering Resumes+

Interview Strategies+

Salary Negotiation+

Creating Your Dream Job+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9

According to the book, what is a primary reason job-hunters and employers are often out of sync during the hiring process?

A. Job-seekers prioritize finding personal connections, while employers prioritize reading resumes.
B. Job-seekers take a blanket application approach to save time, while employers prefer targeted candidates with personal connections.
C. Job-seekers focus on salary requirements early on, while employers want to discuss skills first.
D. Job-seekers prefer to approach companies directly, while employers rely strictly on classified ads.

Question 2 of 9

In the Flower Exercise, what framework is used for the first petal to help identify the social workplace contexts you thrive in?

A. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
B. The Enneagram of Personality
C. The Holland Code
D. The StrengthsFinder Assessment

Question 3 of 9

How does the book suggest you identify your transferable skills for the third petal of the Flower Exercise?

A. By taking an online skills assessment test provided by job boards.
B. By writing down stories of past accomplishments and picking out the specific skills used to achieve them.
C. By asking former colleagues and managers for feedback on your performance.
D. By reviewing the job descriptions of roles you are currently applying for.

Question 4 of 9

What does the author mean by stating that contemporary job-seekers possess 'two résumés'?

A. A chronological resume for traditional employers and a functional resume for startups.
B. A standard resume for HR screening and a highly detailed portfolio for the hiring manager.
C. A primary resume highlighting hard skills and a secondary resume focused entirely on soft skills.
D. A physical document submitted for a job and a digital footprint made up of public online profiles.

Question 5 of 9

When an interviewer asks the conventional question, 'Tell me about yourself,' what are they actually trying to find out?

A. Your personal background and childhood upbringing.
B. Your skills and core competencies relevant to the role.
C. Your long-term life philosophy and geographical preferences.
D. Your hobbies and how you spend your time outside of work.

Question 6 of 9

Which of the following is a key rule for salary negotiation recommended in the book?

A. Always state your desired salary figure first to anchor the negotiation.
B. Bring up salary expectations during the first interview to avoid wasting time.
C. Wait until there is a firm job offer on the table before discussing compensation.
D. Negotiate your base salary only after you have finalized your benefits package.

Question 7 of 9

What does it mean to 'hack your proposed salary range' during negotiations?

A. Countering the employer's lower-end offer with a range where your minimum is just under their maximum.
B. Asking for exactly 15 percent more than the industry average to leave room for compromise.
C. Refusing to provide any range and forcing the employer to guess your requirements.
D. Countering a low offer with a heavily inflated number so you can meet in the middle.

Question 8 of 9

If you decide to create your own dream job, what does the 'C' represent in the equation A - B = C?

A. The total capital required to start the business.
B. The total skills needed to succeed in the field.
C. The skills you already possess.
D. The remaining skills you need to develop before launching.

Question 9 of 9

What is the primary purpose of conducting an 'informational interview' according to the actionable advice?

A. To bypass the HR department and apply directly to a hiring manager.
B. To have an informal chat with a company employee to learn about their workplace culture and role.
C. To negotiate salary and benefits before officially applying for a position.
D. To practice answering difficult technical questions with a professional recruiter.

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021 — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2Want to get hired? Start thinking like an employer.
3Define your career goals with a self-inventory.
4Completing the Flower Exercise clarifies the kind of job you want.
5A strong paper résumé is only half the story.
6Review simple strategies for succeeding in interviews.
7Be strategic about your salary negotiations.
8If you can’t find your dream job, create one!
9Final summary

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021 Summary & Overview

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021 (2021) is a fresh edition of a book that’s widely regarded as the job-hunter’s bible. It’s packed with classic exercises and time-tested strategies that empower prospective employees to find, and secure, the role they want. This new edition contains essential updates that speak to the contemporary job market.

Who Should Listen to What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021?

Job-seekers wondering if they’ll ever land a coveted role
Fed-up employees who are ready to take on a new career challenge
Prospective entrepreneurs who need a kick start

About the Author: Richard N. Bolles with Katharine Brooks

Richard N. Bolles was a pioneer in the field of career development. His job-seeker’s manual, What Color Is Your Parachute, was first published in 1970 and has been revised and updated every year since. The title was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential nonfiction books. The 2021 edition was updated by Katharine Brooks, the Career Center Director at Vanderbilt University.

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021 — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021 — Full Chapter Overview

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021 Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021?

About the Author: Richard N. Bolles with Katharine Brooks

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