The world of work is evolving rapidly. In What Color is Your Parachute, Richard Bolles offers a proven, step-by-step system to help you land a job you’ll love and thrive in. In this free What Color is Your Parachute summary, you’ll learn the 3 key stages of job hunting and the actionable steps to ace each stage—from discovering your career calling to successfully implementing your job search.
Adapting to the Changing World of Work
The current job market has undergone significant changes, making job searches longer and less predictable. Events like the 2008 economic crisis, technological advancements in AI and automation, and the Covid-19 pandemic have reshaped the way work is performed. These shifts have accelerated trends such as remote work, gig jobs, and automation, requiring workers to adapt and develop new skills to remain competitive.
Modern workers are likely to hold dozens of jobs throughout their lifetime, making job-hunting an essential skill for long-term professional growth.
Job seekers and employers have differing priorities. While candidates seek to save time by applying to as many jobs as possible, prospective employers seek to minimize risks by prioritizing internal hires, referrals, or applicants with proven skills. By understanding this gap and tailoring job applications accordingly, you can improve job search success.
Career expert Richard N. Bolles first introduced the Parachute Approach in 1970 to help workers navigate the ever-evolving work landscape. The approach involves 3 key steps, which we’ll cover in this summary:
- Deciding what you want to do (skills, values, and interests).
- Identifying work options that fit your strengths and goals.
- Taking action to plan and implement your job search.
Know What You Want to Do
The Parachute Approach flips the traditional approaches to job hunting. Instead of looking for job postings, you start by figuring out what kind of work aligns with your strengths, values, and preference . Once you know that, you can position yourself as the perfect candidate for the right roles.
One effective tool to help you discover the career you want is the Flower Exercise. It’s a comprehensive tool that helps you assess 7 critical dimensions of career satisfaction. Each dimension is represented as a career flower petal. They jointly create a holistic picture of your professional identity and preferences.
Petal 1: People
Think about the types of people you prefer to serve or work with—those who bring out your highest potential. Start by picking the top 3 ideal people environment based on Dr. John Holland’s 6 personality groups. Then identify the traits of people who energize or drain you.
- Realistic: Hands-on people who prefer tools, machines, or outdoor tasks.
- Investigative: Analytical people who prefer research/data.
- Artistic: Creative people who dislike structure and repetition.
- Social: Those who enjoy teaching, helping, or serving others.
- Enterprising: Those who thrive on influencing, persuading, or leading others.
- Conventional: Organized, detail-oriented people who prefer structured environments
Petal 2: Work Environment
Define your ideal working conditions, where you perform at your best and feel the most satisfied. To answer this, think about your past workplaces and list what you liked (e.g., flexible hours, natural light) and disliked (e.g., rigid schedules, noise). Then convert these dislikes into preferences e.g., “Hated rigid hours → Prefer flexible work.”
Petal 3: Favorite Transferable Skills
Identify the skills you enjoy across different roles. To find these, write 5-7 short 1-2 page stories about your past experiences when you felt fulfilled and achieved meaningful results at work. Then analyze patterns using Skills Grid. In our full summary, we guide you on how to do this.
Petal 4: Knowledge and Interests
Identify the fields, subjects, or topics where you have both expertise and enthusiasm. Ask yourself questions like: What hobbies or subjects excite you? What do you love talking about? In our full What Color is Your Parachute summary, we make it easier for you to identify top career priorities by grouping your interests into 4 quadarants based on expertise and enthusiasm.
Petal 5: Geographic Preferences
Determine your preferred locations to work and live based on desired lifestyle and well-being. Define your preferences by reflecting on the places you’ve lived in the past. List the positives and negatives, and then rewrite top negatives as preferences (e.g., “Too noisy → Prefer peace and quiet”). Identify your top 5 geographical factors.
Petal 6: Salary and Responsibilities
Define your financial needs and level of responsibility you’re comfortable taking on. Then determine the minimum salary needed for basic expenses and research industry standards for your experience. Beyond salary, factor in non-monetary benefits like healthcare, flexibility, and perks, as well as intangible rewards such as leadership opportunities or work-life balance, to ensure a fulfilling career.
Petal 7: Purpose
Align your career with your broader life mission to create a sense of meaning and fulfillment. Ask yourself: What outcomes do I want to create? Is it creating beauty through art? solving environmental issues? There 9 spheres of purpose you can choose from. In our complete 18-page What Color is Your Parachute summary, we reveal all these spheres of purpose and how to write a short mission statement.
Identify Suitable Work Options
Once you’ve completed the Flower Exercise, the next step is to find jobs and industries that match your strengths.
It’s a bad idea to mass-apply for job openings. Instead, start by researching potential career choices that fit. Look for roles that align with your top skills and interests using job boards and industry-specific websites. It’s also helpful to perform a career test before committing to a career path. Get first-hand insights via internships, volunteering, or temp positions. The goal should be to get as close to your dream job as possible.
In our full 18-page book summary, we explain why traditional methods of job hunting no longer work. We also share detailed action steps and tips to identify suitable work options, and how to approach those companies to maximize chances of securing your ideal role.
Secure Interviews At Your Desired Workplaces
Now that you know where you want to work, the next step is to refine your job search method to increase your chances of landing job interviews.
In today’s digital world, potential employers review more than just your traditional resume—they also check your “online resume” via social media, blogs, and websites, so managing them is crucial. In our complete summary walks you through cleaning up your online presence, controlling what appears in a search engine, and building a strong career portfolio. We also share platforms you can use, like GitHub (for web development) and Behance (for graphic design) to help showcase your work effectively.
Of course, an impressive resume is still essential. More tips in our full What Color is Your Parachute summary on how to beef up your traditional resume!
Secure Your Ideal Job or Career
A strong resume’s purpose is to get an interview. Your next goal is to secure a good job offer by proving how you can solve an employer’s problems and deliver more value than you cost. Our full summary shares top strategies for excelling in the interview process, including effective interview tips to ace your job interviews.
We also provide invaluable advice on handling interview questions, impressing employers, and mastering salary negotiation to secure the best possible offer.
Other Important Tips and Considerations
Beyond the 3 steps for successful job hunting, the author provides practical advice on career transitions and job searches.
To maintain stability during career changes, Richard N. Bolles suggests keeping at least one steady factor, such as location, finances, or a part-time job. He also shares actionable advice on minimizing risk through a two-step career shift. The book introduces the PIE Method (Practice, Informational interviews, and Employment interviews) to help overcome shyness, which is covered in our full 18-page summary.
If traditional employment isn’t working for you, consider becoming a freelancer or business owner. In the summary, we provide guidance on identifying business opportunities and exploring alternative career paths, as proposed by Richard Bolles.
Getting the Most from What Color is Your Parachute
Career transitions are much more than securing a paycheck—they’re valuable opportunities to align work with purpose and passion. This is a classic book about job-hunting, and the Parachute Approach is an effective framework to help you discover your ideal career, navigate transitions, and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
If you’re ready to apply the Parachute approach to secure a successful and fulfilling job, check out our full summary bundle that includes an infographic, 18-page text summary, and a 32-minute audio summary.
The business book contains many worksheets, templates, tools, diagrams, and success stories to help you apply the careers advice, strategies and key ideas to your unique career goals. For more details, purchase the book here or visit parachutebook.com. The book is being updated yearly with the latest job-hunting techniques and digital tools. So, remember to look for the current version!
Interested in mastering career growth and professional success? Check out these must-read free blog summaries:
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Find out why skills, not passion, are the key to career success—and how to develop valuable expertise.
- Strategize to Win – Learn how to navigate career transitions, step up in your current role, and create a strategic plan for long-term success.
- The First 90 Days – Learn how to transition smoothly and successfully into a new role within the critical first 3 months.
Who Should Read This Book
- Unemployed people and career changers looking for a career guide to navigate job transitions and secure meaningful work.
- Job seekers searching for an effective job hunting book with proven strategies to stand out, land interviews, and learn the art of successful negotiation.
- Aspiring business owners and professionals who want timeless advice to focus on career & business growth and explore new opportunities.
About the Author of What Color is Your Parachute
What Color is Your Parachute: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers was written by Richard Nelson Bolles (1927-2017). He was a renowned author, speaker, career coach, a former Episcopal clergyman, and a member of high-IQ society Mensa. He was best known for the book What Color Is Your Parachute? This career book remained on The New York Times best-seller list for more than a decade, sold >10 million copies, and revolutionized how people approached job search by emphasizing self-assessment, purpose, and fulfilling work.
What Color is Your Parachute Quotes
“The person who gets hired is not always the best at the job, but the best at getting hired.”
“Job hunting is no longer an optional exercise. It is a survival skill.”
“Job hunting always involves luck, to some degree. But with a little bit of luck, a lot of hard work, and determination on your part, the instructions and advice in this book should work for you.”
“Money does buy happiness. But only up to a point.”
“You need to dream about the broad outcome of your life, and not just this year’s job search.”
Click here to download the full infographic & summary
