Richard N. Bolles

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About Richard N. Bolles

Richard Nelson Bolles is the author of What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Guide For Job-Hunters and Career Changers, the most popular job-hunting book in the world, which has sold more than 10,000,000 copies since its first publication. Parachute is dramatically updated, reshaped and rewritten every year, and has been translated into 20 languages and published in 26 countries.

What Color Is Your Parachute? was chosen as one of the all-time 100 best nonfiction books by Time magazine, and was selected as one of 25 books that have shaped people's lives (throughout history) by the Library of Congress' Center for the Book.

A member of Mensa and the Society for Human Resource Management, Bolles has been the keynote speaker at hundreds of conferences. He holds a bachelor’s degree cum laude in physics from Harvard University, a master’s degree from General Theological (Episcopal) Seminary in New York City, and three honorary doctorates.

He is credited with founding the modern career counseling field, and is often described as the field's foremost authority. Bolles is a recipient of the National Samaritan Award, whose previous honorees include Karl Menninger, Betty Ford, and Peter Drucker. He is also one of LinkedIn's 300 "Influencers" or "thought leaders," and writes regularly for the site as well as a number of others. In 2014, he was named one of the "Wealth Wizards" in the U.S. by Forbes Magazine—along with Warren Buffett and 18 others.

Dick has three grown children, Stephen, Sharon, and Gary, and lives with his wife, Marci, in the San Francisco East Bay Area.

Learn more at parachutebook.com.

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What Color Is Your Parachute? 2022: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success Dec 14, 2021

by Richard N. Bolles

( 241 )

$11.99

With timeless advice, up-to-the-minute insights, and more than ten million copies sold over fifty years, the world’s most popular and best-selling career guide is fully revised and expanded for 2022.

“One of the first job-hunting books on the market. It is still arguably the best. And it is indisputably the most popular.”—Fast Company

What Color Is Your Parachute? is the world’s most popular job-hunting guide. This completely updated edition features the latest resources, strategies, and perspectives on today’s job market, revealing surprising advice on what works—and what doesn’t—so you can focus your efforts on tactics that yield results.

At its core is Richard N. Bolles’s famed Flower Exercise, a unique self-inventory that helps you design your career—and your life—around your key passions, transferable skills, traits, and more.

This practical manual also provides essential tips for writing impressive resumes and cover letters, networking effectively, interviewing with confidence, and negotiating the best salary possible.

Whether you’re searching for your first job, were recently laid off, or are dreaming of a career change, What Color Is Your Parachute? will guide you toward a fulfilling and prosperous life’s work.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement, Second Edition: Planning a Prosperous, Healthy, and Happy Future (What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement: Planning Now for the) Sep 21, 2011

by John E. Nelson, Richard N. Bolles

( 224 )

$11.99

Plan Now for the Life You Want

Today’s economic realities have reset our expectations of what retirement is, yet there’s still the promise for what it can be: a life stage filled with more freedom and potential than ever before. Given the new normal, how do you plan for a future filled with prosperity, health, and happiness? As a companion to What Color Is Your Parachute?, the world’s best-selling career book, What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement offers both a holistic, big-picture look at these years as well as practical tools and exercises to help you build a life full of security, vitality, and community.

This second edition contains updates throughout, including a section on Social Security, an in-depth exercise on values and how they inform your retirement map, and the one-of-a-kind resource for organizing the sea of information on finances and mental and physical health: the Retirement Well-Being Profile. More than a guide on where to live, how to stay active, or which investments to choose, What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement helps you develop a detailed picture of your ideal retirement, so that—whether you’re planning retirement or are there already—you can take a comprehensive approach to make the most of these vital years.

Other Formats: Paperback

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2020: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers Aug 13, 2019

by Richard N. Bolles

( 2,055 )

$9.99

With more than 10 million copies sold in 28 countries, the world's most popular job-search book is updated for 2020, tailoring Richard Bolles's long-trusted guidance with up-to-the-minute information and advice for today's job-hunters and career-changers.

NAMED ONE OF THE ALL-TIME 100 BEST NONFICTION BOOKS BY TIME

What Color Is Your Parachute? is the world’s most popular job-hunting guide, revised and updated annually with more than ten million copies sold. This newly streamlined edition features the latest resources, case studies, and perspectives on today’s job market, revealing surprising advice on what works—and what doesn’t—so you can focus your efforts on tactics that yield results.

At its core is Richard N. Bolles’s famed Flower Exercise, a unique self-inventory that helps you design your career—and your life—around your key passions, transferable skills, traits, and more.

This practical manual also provides essential tips for writing impressive resumes and cover letters, networking effectively, interviewing with confidence, and negotiating the best salary possible.

Whether you’re searching for your first job, were recently laid off, or are dreaming of a career change, What Color Is Your Parachute? will guide you toward a fulfilling and prosperous life’s work.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , MP3 CD

What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens, Third Edition: Discover Yourself, Design Your Future, and Plan for Your Dream Job (What Color Is Your Parachute for Teens) Apr 21, 2015

by Carol Christen, Richard N. Bolles

( 828 )

$4.99

This updated career guide for teens draws on the principles of What Color Is Your Parachute? to help high school and college students zero in on their favorite skills and find their perfect major or career.

No idea what you want to be? No worries! This fun, rewarding guide draws on the time-tested principles of the career classic What Color Is Your Parachute? to help you discover your passions, skills, and potential college majors and dream jobs.

Why now? Because when you identify your interests and passions early, you can make informed decisions on what additional schooling (and tuition debt) makes sense for your chosen field.

With fresh updates on the specific challenges of today’s job-market, this new edition features activities and advice on information interviewing, social media, internships, and more. Most importantly, it’s packed with big-picture advice that will set you up to land the job that’s perfect for who you are—and who you want to be.

Other Formats: Library Binding , Paperback

What Color Is Your Parachute? Guide to Rethinking Resumes: Write a Winning Resume and Cover Letter and Land Your Dream Interview (What Color Is Your Parachute Guide to Rethinking..) May 6, 2014

by Richard N. Bolles

( 86 )

$12.99

The first resume book from the What Color Is Your Parachute? career guru Richard Bolles.

Resumes get an average of eight seconds of attention before going in the trash—or getting on the shortlist. That’s just one of the findings reported here, as legendary career expert Richard N. Bolles presents new research about resumes in a guide that summarizes everything job-hunters and career-changers need to know about this essential tool.

This timely resource features the latest research on important resume topics such as key words, soft skills, scanning software, social media, and online posting. Bolles argues that on the basis of what we now know, we need to rethink what a resume is—and how it should be written. He details the words that must be avoided, and the words that must be used, on a resume that wins you interviews.

This slim volume distills a huge amount of information down to its very essence. Armed with tips and shortcuts based on the author’s decades of experience, you can craft a resume and cover letter that will stand out to your dream employers—and increase your chances of getting interviews and landing jobs.

Other Formats: Paperback

The Career Counselor's Handbook, Second Edition Oct 26, 2011

by Howard Figler, Richard N. Bolles

( 69 )

$12.99

With more than sixty-five combined years of experience in the career development field, Howard Figler and Richard Nelson Bolles are the undisputed authorities when it comes to helping people find meaningful work. In this revised and updated second edition of their classic guide for career counselors, Figler and Bolles show aspiring counselors how to break into the business, and give experienced counselors ideas for improving effectiveness and recharging their practice. Outlining tools, problem-solving tips, and ethical values for today's career counselor, THE CAREER COUNSELOR'S HANDBOOK features new information about performing the Annual Career Checkup, choosing Essence over Ego, and using the Internet-while celebrating the fact that even career counselors need counsel once in a while.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Other Formats: Paperback

What Color Is Your Parachute? Guide to Rethinking Interviews: Ace the Interview and Land Your Dream Job (What Color Is Your Parachute Guide to Rethinking..) May 6, 2014

by Richard N. Bolles

( 60 )

$9.99

The first interview book from the What Color Is Your Parachute? career guru Richard Bolles.

Interviews instill fear in many a job-hunter, but this empowering guide from legendary career expert Richard N. Bolles reveals that interviews are really just conversations to determine if the work—and workplace—is a great fit for both parties.

For the first time, Bolles combines his decades of experience with the latest studies and job-market research to create an all-in-one guide for the whole interview process, from pre-interview research to elevator pitches, “tell me about yourself” questions, and salary negotiation. This slender handbook provides just the essentials: the three most important things you need to know about interviews, the five questions you must have answers for, and an ingenious summary of how to succeed. With this guide in hand, you’ll walk into interviews with confidence, armed with the means to impress—and hopefully land your dream job

Other Formats: Paperback

How to Find Your Mission in Life (Parachute Library) Nov 30, 2011

by Richard N. Bolles

( 66 )

$8.99

Now in Paperback!In this intimate treasury of wit and wisdom, Richard Bolles, author of the job-hunting bible: WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE?, explores the spiritual aspects of finding ones place in the work world. For anyone who has ever wondered how to make the most of their unique natural gifts, or how to find a vocation that is both socially responsible and personally fulfilling, this enlightening and empowering little volume provides immeasurable guidance. Originally appearing as an appendix in PARACHUTE, this book has led countless people through lifes most difficult passages and is sure to inspire anyone who is either new to the job market or reconsidering their place in it.

A guide to exploring the spiritual aspects of finding ones mission in the workplace.

Previous editions have sold 85,000 copies.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback , Audio, Cassette

¿De qué color es tu paracaídas? (Spanish Edition) Dec 1, 2013

by Richard N. Bolles

( 30 )

$8.99

Un manual práctico para personas que buscan empleo o un cambio de profesión

Edición del 40 aniversario.

El libro de búsqueda de empleo más vendido en el mundo. Diez millones de ejemplares vendidos. Éste no es el Paracaídas que leyó su padre, ni tampoco el que leyó su madre. Ambos se sorprenderían con los cambios. Por espacio de cuarenta años, las personas que buscan empleo o un cambio de profesión han recurrido al libro de búsqueda de empleo más popular del mundo, confiadas en que cada edición les ofrecerá la información más actualizada sobre el mercado laboral y cómo encontrar un empleo significativo, incluso en tiempos económicos tan difíciles como éstos. Esta edición del 40 aniversario se ha renovado #en experiencia, relevancia y carácter urgente# con nuevas invenciones e información. Y este año es la fuente vital para ayudar a los habitantes del mundo a recuperar sus empleos.

Reseñas:

«¿De qué color es tu paracaídas? es acerca de la búsqueda de empleo y cambio de profesión, pero también ayuda a determinar quiénes somos como personas y lo que queremos en la vida».

Time

«... uno de los principales libros de búsqueda de empleo en el mercado. Y sigue siendo, sin dudas, el mejor. E indiscutiblemente el más popular».

Fast Company

«Bolles sabe de lo que está hablando: sus estrategias prácticas de búsqueda de empleo están respaldadas por años de investigación, y lo mejor de todo es que funcionan realmente».

School Library Journal

«Idealmente, todos deberían leer ¿De qué color es tu paracaídas? en décimo grado, y después todos los años subsiguientes».

Fortune

«Primero está el Paracaídas y luego todo lo demás... un libro que nos cambia la vida».

Career Planning and Adult Development Journal

«El Paracaídas sigue obteniendo récords de venta y sigue siendo la guía indispensable para todos, desde los Boomers en crisis de mediana edad en busca de un cambio de profesión, hasta los estudiantes que se proponen iniciar una carrera».

New York Post

Other Formats: Paperback

The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide: How to Find Hope and Rewarding Work, Even When "There Are No Jobs" Apr 4, 2012

by Richard N. Bolles

( 34 )

$9.99

One hundred pages of lifesaving advice for people out of work. When over ten million people have needed help with their job-hunt—or with figuring out what to do with their life—there is one person they have turned to, more than any other. He is Richard N. Bolles, author of the #1 job-hunting book of all time, What Color Is Your Parachute? His name is well-known around the world. Just during the last twelve months, he has appeared in Time (“10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now,” March 2009), U.S. News & World Report (deemed “savior of the nation’s unemployed,” October 2008), NBC’s Today Show (broadcast in April 2009), and many other publications and shows. His book was the #1 best-seller on BusinessWeek’s paperback list as recently as last November.

Never has his advice been more sought than during these brutal economic times. He has responded by writing a completely new book: The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide, designed particularly for people who are hanging on the ropes, who haven’t time to do a lot of reading but need help desperately—and now. Early reviews have called this little Guide “brilliant” and “tremendously helpful.”

Other Formats: Paperback

What Color Is Your Parachute? Guide to Job-Hunting Online, Sixth Edition: Blogging, Career Sites, Gateways, Getting Interviews, Job Boards, Job Search ... Your Parachute Guide to Job Hunting Online) May 17, 2011

by Mark Emery Bolles, Richard N. Bolles

( 13 )

$9.99

Before you start your Internet job-hunt, there are some things that you must know, like:

•   Why are job sites like Monster and CareerBuilder so stunningly ineffective?
•   What can you do to make sure your resumes survive the elimination process?
•   How do you find the information that search engines like Google can’t?
•   How can you tell the difference between a genuinely helpful job board, and a website designed only to collect resumes?
•   When are hobby forums more helpful than business networking sites?
•   When is the Internet not helpful when job-hunting?
•   What is the fatal flaw of all social networking sites?

The Guide to Job-Hunting Online, 6th Edition, not only answers these questions and many more, but shows you how to comprehensively and effectively use the Internet for all aspects of your job-hunt.

This companion to What Color Is Your Parachute?, the best-selling job-hunting book in the world, has been completely rewritten for our changing times and includes hundreds of updated website recommendations and descriptions. The Guide to Job-Hunting Online shows you how to quickly find the data that will be most helpful to you, how to identify and research the places where you will most enjoy working, how to leverage the power of social networking sites, and how to use your Internet time most effectively, avoiding the common pitfalls and setting you up for success.

Other Formats: Paperback

What Color Is Your Parachute?: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success Dec 13, 2022

by Richard N. Bolles

$12.99

The groundbreaking, indispensable guide to rewarding work and a fulfilling life—more than ten million copies sold!

For more than fifty years, What Color Is Your Parachute? has transformed the way people think about job hunting. Whether searching for that first position, recovering from a layoff, or dreaming of a career change, What Color Is Your Parachute? has shown millions of readers how to network effectively, compose impressive resumes and cover letters, interview with confidence, and negotiate the best possible salary—while discovering how to make their livelihood part of authentic living.

More than a job-hunting book, Richard N. Bolles’s timeless wisdom and famed self-assessment exercise clarifies seven key dimensions, so you can uncover your greatest passions, most valued traits, and transferable skills to design a life that enables you to flourish.

With the job market in constant flux, people everywhere have found that understanding who they are—what they care about, where and how they do their best work, and the most effective way to express their abilities—is the best compass to navigating an ever-changing and challenging professional landscape. It is also how their work can become part of a life filled with passion and purpose.

Using the trailblazing advice and enduring guidance of What Color Is Your Parachute?, job-hunters and career changers will have the tools to discover—and land—the work, and life, most meaningful to them.

Other Formats: Paperback

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