Book Review: What Color is Your Parachute?

First, since this is my blog and I can do whatever I want, I want to thank you all for your positive energy and good thoughts these past few weeks. A month long family emergency seems to finally be “un-crisising” slowly, but surely. Thanks again for your support and understanding as I've cancelled many plans and commitments. Not to linger too long in the sappy, but your support has meant a lot to me. Thanks.

Luckily, this last week has not been a 24/7 kind of emergency week, which gave me plenty of time to finish reading Richard Nelson Bolles's “What Color is Your Parachute?” (WCIYP) and continue avoiding my dissertation. This is the definitive job hunting book, according to a gajillion university career centers and websites. It is pretty badass. I have two copies on order: one for me and one for an undergrad who I am afraid will end up living with Honey and me if he doesn't read this book [D: if you are reading this, you can crash as long as you like, you just can't stay forever]. [Readers: sorry for the oversharing, see above about this being my blog...]

Anyway. Why am I dropping $18 on this book? Because it has tons of websites, reviews of websites, and suggested reading lists. It breaks down the job search into manageable nuggets (“Ch 8: How to Pick a New Place to Live,” “Ch 11: The Three Secrets to Finding That Dream Job of Yours”). WCIYP has more self-assessment quizzes than a year's worth of Cosmos. Enough “learn about yourself” exercises to help even the most insecure person make a decision or two. Plenty of “employer perspective,” so you know what you're getting into and what creative possibilities exist for you (job sharing, anyone?). Advice on negotiating salaries!

Now, I was reading the 2007 edition, i.e. a pre-Recession version. I have a feeling that the 2010 printing will be sympathetic but ultimately do little in response the Recession. Because I think Bolles's position will probably be the same: 1) there are jobs out there, you just have to look to find them. 2) take advantage your lack of current employment to figure out what you want to do 3) do something you love because getting stuck in a bad-fit job just isn't healthy. 4) you have to WORK for your awesome job. This means you have to work to figure out what you want to do, you have to work to figure out where you can do what you love, you have to work to get there.

The main message I am learning from all these job books/websites/etc is that finding work, takes work. Sigh. I'll let you know when I figure out how to get a job without effort.

Like I said though, the book breaks down the steps to finding a job, and the self-reflection work it suggests you do should be enlightening. I haven't done many of the exercises yet, but the one or two brief ones I looked at made sense to me. And for all of you who are “outside the box” and “beyond the box” and unclassifiable. Fine, but it still helps to know how the rest of the world (i.e. hiring world) thinks of itself. I don't feel wedded to the schematics, but I think we can productively use them as guidelines and suggestions.

Awesome tidbit from WCIYP I keep remembering, several weeks after reading it: “small organizations create up to 2/3 of all new jobs” (p.66). “With a small organization, you don't need to wait until there's a known vacancy, because they rarely advertise vacancies even when there is one. You just go there and ask if they need someone” (66). Granted, I'm currently very interested in working at a small organization, but with 80% of all private businesses employing 50 or fewer people, our odds are pretty good with the small organization.

These odds are especially good for those of us with limited “real world” work experiences and/or interview experience. Small organizations are much more forgiving and much less bureaucratic.

Now, the one thing that may turn off Leadfoot readers is that the author is pretty hardcore Christian. He's not bible-thumping, gay-hating, proselytizing. But he is upfront in his acknowledgments that God is using him to help people find jobs. The last chapter is also religious-esque. However, he says from the get-go of the final chapter that he's writing from his perspective as a Christian and that he hopes his readers translate his comments into their own religious terms. Now, Leadfoot of five years ago would have been turned off by all of this and probably dismissed the book outright. Don't do this, even if you find the last chapter and the last paragraph of the acknowledgments to be offensive, privileged, etc (the rest of the book is nonreligious). I personally think Bolles has a point that we have to do some reflection on our personal “missions” and what that mission (i.e. morals, goals, limits) are. Still, I only skimmed the last chapter and definitely flipped past the sections that dealt with “sin”. If the God talk isn't your bag, then don't read the last chapter and you'll still find the book to be incredibly useful.

Check this book out from the library. Buy a copy. It is worth the money and the real estate on the bookshelf.

As a PS: You'll see in the next few weeks a lot more book reviews. This isn't because I think books have all our job-hunting answers, but more of a reflection of where I am right now and what I'm capable of doing at the moment. Besides dedicating a ton energy and time to family and traveling (for family), I am also beginning the transition from college town and teaching world to alt-academic life in a (bigger) City. I just saw the fabulous Career Services folks today and got lots of advice on how to network in City--I'll be sharing those tips soon. Of course, I'll be able to tell you what works and doesn't work, once I actually try them out in City. So sorry for the snooze if book reviews aren't your thing. More "real world" job hunting trials and tribulations to come, I promise.