Rating: 
Summary: GREAT BOOK, GREAT CONCEPT... BUT STILL NO GUARANTEES
Review: I really enjoyed this book and have read it twice simply because I do like the author's writing style and the message he has to convey. There are some interesting concepts here and excellent tips on job search; however, the book really gets into the nitty-gritty of bouncing around statistics based on studies, which proved to be somewhat tedious, a minor flaw of the book. The positives far outweigh any minor negative aspects. One apparent and critical element I did find missing from the book was the importance of matching what you do to the need and demand in the marketplace for your area of expertise. If you are a financial analyst, for example, and the marketplace is already overflowing with more unemployed analysts than there are available jobs, than it does not matter what color your parachute is, the parachute is going to come soaring down very quickly. All in all, the book is certainly worth reading and very informative, but like many other things in life...it offers no guarantees that you will ultimately land that job of your dreams.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Job Hunting book on the market!
Review: I bought "What Color is Your Parachute?" in about 1984. I've used the techniques it teaches several times, not only to get the jobs I wanted, but also in other areas of my life. The first time I used the techniques I was unemployed. I spent several weeks working the exercises; writing down the pros and cons about what I liked in a job, looking at a number of potential career paths, deciding which companies I really wanted to work for and working out exactly what I was going to say on the phone. Once I started calling prospective employers, I received a number of job offers, all of which I turned down! Two of the job offers were over the phone, sight unseen, in a field that I had no professional experience in! One manager literally told me, "I don't care if you don't have the tools and the experience. I need people like you." When I finally decided to get the job I wanted, the Human Resources Manager literally had to beg me to come in for an interview. Needless to say, I got the job offer, accepted and did quite well there. I can't help but think that those who pan this book either don't understand it or refuse to believe it can happen as Richard describes it. The old "mail your resume, respond to ads, try to get interviews, hope for a job offer" way of job hunting just results in frustration and a loss of confidence. You have to believe in yourself to stand out from the crowd. Richard's book helps you do that IF!! you apply his techniques. If you think you're too good to do such "stupid" things or you apply the techniques half-heartedly thinking they're "silly", then maybe you need to rethink what you really want in life.
Rating: 
Summary: Colorless Parachute
Review: If you are looking for sound advice on how to change careers and find that ideal job then this book is not for you. "What Color Is Your Parachute?" is nothing more than an exercise in futility that leads nowhere as it provides little or no meaningful advice on how to make that change. Although "Parachute" can help job seekers identify their skills, it doesn't tell them how to match those skills with the right job. I can attest from personal experience that some of the things Bolles states in his book are rather misleading. For one thing, Bolles essentially tells his readers that you can get a job just by showing up at a prospective employer's office and selling yourself. That may be true in some rare cases but more often than not, an employer isn't going to create a job for you just because you ask them to. "Parachute" is a time consuming project that doesn't produce substantive results. If anything, it's a complex, contradictory piece of work (e.g., it tells you not to use a résumé in your job search but then gives you advice on how to write one) that has lost touch with the realities of the contemporary job market. If you want good, down-to-earth advice on how to find a job, read "Job Hunting For Dummies". JHFD is a clear and concise book that addresses the complexities of the job market and gives sound advice on how to get around some of the brick walls that all job seekers encounter. "Parachute" is a book that has outlived its usefulness. It's time to pack it away.
Rating:
Summary: Best Version Yet!
Review: I think Richard Bolles really understands the job market better than anyone, and explains it with compasion to the reader with a healthy dose of pragmatism necessary for anyone to be aware of. I particularly liked the concise nature of of this volume which really seems to say it all without a lot of filler. Highly reccomended
Rating:
Summary: NOT THE BEST BOOK FOR MAKING CAREER DECISIONS
Review: As a career counselor/coach in private practice, I have met hundreds of people over the years who have tried to decide on their career direction by using "Parachute". This includes both mid-life career changers as well as younger people trying to pick a career. The vast majority say that "Parachute" was not much help. The methods the author uses are simply inadequate to make this most important of life's decisions. The author, Richard Bolles is a warm and kindly man, but the book is just too simplistic to help you if you want to be both maximally successful and personally fulfilled in your work. On the other hand, if you know exactly what sort of job you are looking for and are looking for a book to provide good job hunting advise, "Parachute" is really excellent. If you are trying to make a decision about what to do with your life, forget about "Parachute". I highly recommend the following two books. Get them both! The first is "The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success" by Nicholas Lore. I think it is the best book ever written on the subject, if you want to have work that suits you so well that you actually look forward to going to work. It will "coach" you all the way through the process of designing your future work, step by step. "The Pathfinder" has had a major influence on how several of my professional career coach friends work with their clients. They absolutely love this book, as do I. Also get yourself a copy of "Do What You Are" by Tieger. It is a terrific guide to personality type and work. Use it to supplement to "The Pathfinder". With these great books, there is no reason why you cannot have a career you love, if you are willing to really dig in and invest the time and energy in figuring out what will be the best fit for you. If you already know what job you are looking for, by all means get a copy of "Parachute".
Rating:
Summary: Do something good for yourself!!
Review: Mr. Bolles' book helped me to realize a potential in me that I'd overlooked through simple writing exercises, the real statistics of typical job searching techniques, and the stats on the endeavors of the 'creative minority'. Charts and thoughtful anectdotes galore, with lots of soul searching opportunity, its all there. If you're out of work, and/ or, just looking for a career change, get this book, DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR YOURSELF!! You deserve a job that you love and get paid well for.
Rating:
Summary: What Color is your parachute - 2000-
Review: I bought 'What Color is your parachute?' and I love it! I read it all the way through and even started filling out the workbook. I am currently going through the book again with a high-lighter. Well done Mr. Bolles! You have written a no-nonsense manual of what should be common sense. I used to refer people to my endless list of employment agencies, when they asked me for job hunting help, now I tell them to go buy your book. Also I e-mailed Mr. Bolles and he actually responded! That, for me, is a plus for any professional be they author or whatever.
Rating:
Summary: The perennial classic!
Review: Even though Mr Bolles may have written this book for the American audience, I personally beleive the ideas, exercise and thoughts expressed are applicable globally. Even if you are not looking for a job or thinking of a career change, it is a very useful book to have on your bookshelf. It should be part of your "first aid" kit in the event you lose your job! The topics covered include how to "define" yourself, salary negotiation skills, finding your mission in life and many more interesting subjects. The skills vocabulary is a useful tool in defining what you can do! The table on relationships with others is another useful tool.
Rating:
Summary: A Must for self-development and career changing
Review: Mr. Bolles does a wonderful job is distilling the complicated aspects of the workforce as it pertains to the career changer and those who are unsatisfied with their jobs. He uses unconventional approaches to get us to look at ourselves and how we relate to our careers and what we really want to do. This is a must-have for anyone who is contemplating a career change or simply wants to succeed better at their current position. Also recommended: The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills
Rating:
Summary: OVER-RATED
Review: Like a steroid-induced Brian Bosworth, this book is overrated. Lots of better career titles are available. Get a book by J. Far instead.
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