# What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021 by Richard N. Bolles with Katharine Brooks - Blinkist

What’s in it for me? Land your dream role in a dynamic job market.

Some lucky people seem to walk into their dream jobs and piece together successful careers almost without trying.

For the rest of us, though, finding a job where we can thrive can be a complicated process.

And for job-seekers in 2021, this process is about as complicated as it’s ever been.

A global pandemic has accelerated a shift toward online job-hunting, networking, and interviewing.

In addition, widespread economic uncertainty means prospective employers are more risk-averse than ever, and technological developments are opening up new fields while limiting others.

Happily, common sense advice for job-seekers still applies.

By pairing tried-and-true strategies for finding and securing the ideal role with cutting-edge advice tailored specifically to today’s dynamic job market, you will land a role that works for you.

In these blinks, you’ll learn  how a simple self-inventory task can underpin your entire job search; that prospective employers start checking your résumé before you’ve even submitted it; and when and how to bring up salary if there’s an offer on the table.

Want to get hired? Think like an employer.

For prospective employees, job hunting can quickly turn from an exciting exercise into a depressing grind.

If you’re sending out application after application and hearing crickets in response, it’s easy to become convinced that there aren’t any jobs out there – let alone one that’s a good fit for you.

So, you might be surprised to learn that in the US alone, there are between six and seven million job vacancies created each month!

At least one of those vacancies will be right for you.

It’s not a scarcity of opportunities that’s stopping you from getting interviews and job offers.

It’s the way you’re going about your job search.

The key message here is: Want to get hired?

Think like an employer.

Remember, you’re not the only one on the prowl.

Prospective employers are constantly looking for great new hires.

In many ways, both prospective employees and employers share the same objective: to match the right candidate with the right role.

The problem is, you and your potential employer are searching in different ways.

For one thing, many job-seekers take a traditional approach to landing a new role.

They comb classifieds, send out résumés, and wait.

But while job-seekers prefer to wait for companies to flag that they’re hiring, companies actually often prefer candidates who take the initiative and approach them.

Moreover, businesses would rather hire someone with whom they have a personal connection, or who’s been recommended by a trusted person from within the company itself.

Another difference is that while job-seekers hope the information they provide on their résumé is sufficient, employers are increasingly taking the bigger picture into account, vetting candidates’ backgrounds and social media profiles.

But why are job-hunters and employers so out of sync when it comes to filling roles?

Simply put, both have different priorities underpinning their search.

For job-seekers, time is at a premium.

Completing an application can be a drawn-out process, so a job-seeker will want to reach as many firms as possible in the same session.

That’s why so many take a blanket approach to sending out résumés – it’s efficient.

But it’s not well-targeted.

The result?

You could end up applying for, and even accepting, jobs that don’t speak to your passion.

Remember, hiring and onboarding a new employee is expensive and time-consuming for a company.

When a new hire doesn’t work out, the firm takes a hit.

Candidates who use the blanket approach – and don’t make their value to the prospective employer abundantly clear – will likely get their application stuck on a pile of résumés on the employer's desk.

So, tailor your approach in a way that directly speaks to the firm’s needs.

That way, you’re far more likely to parachute into a dream role – one that leverages your passions and progresses your career objectives.

Define your career objectives with a self-inventory.

As we’ve seen, traditional ways of finding a job are simply not as effective as they used to be.

So why not try the parachute approach?

It’s a job search method that empowers you to identify the type of work that suits you, and helps you optimize your search, so you can parachute into your target role.

And it starts with the Flower Exercise, a tool for uncovering what you want from a job.

Picture a drawing of a flower with seven petals, each representing a component of your working life.

When complete, each petal will list a few keywords or statements to guide your job search.

You’ll arrive at your own unique keywords for each petal through a series of exercises.

This blink will walk you through the process of filling out the first three petals.

So get out your notepad or laptop, and let’s get to work.

The key message here is: Define your career objectives with a self-inventory.

The first petal represents people.

What kind of people do you like and dislike working with?

We’re not talking about minor gripes – sure, you’d prefer not to work with someone who microwaves their tuna sandwich.

But, in terms of the big picture, what social environment works best for you, professionally?

Before we continue, let’s quickly get familiar with The Holland Code.

Developed by psychologist Dr.

John Holland, it suggests there are six social workplace contexts: Realistic, where people are data-driven and truth-seeking.

Investigative, where people are driven by curiosity and problem-solving.

Artistic, where people exercise creativity and imagination.

Social, where connection and collaboration are prized.

Enterprising, where people like to influence and persuade.

And, finally, there’s conventional, where people are organized and detail-driven.

According to Holland, each of us is comfortable in no more than three of these groups.

Which three groups would you be happy to work within?

Add these to your first petal.

The second petal represents your working conditions.

Start by thinking about the working conditions at previous jobs.

In two columns, list things you liked and disliked.

Maybe you were a fan of the relaxed dress code but hated the open-plan office.

Rank all these likes and dislikes in order.

Then, use the data to write a short statement detailing your ideal working environment, which you can add to this petal.

The third petal lists your transferable skills.

Write about a time you accomplished a goal.

Maybe you nailed a presentation, or you persuaded the electricity company to cut your rates.

Whatever it is, write it down in detail.

Now, go through the story and pick out the skills you used there, like time-management, persuasive talk, programming, or filing.

Repeat this process seven times.

You might be surprised at how many job-relevant skills you already possess!

Add five key skills to your petal.

Filling out the Flower Exercise clarifies the kind of job you want.

By now, you’re halfway through the Flower Exercise, which means you’re halfway toward articulating your dream job!

Let’s take a look at the remaining petals.

The fourth petal lists your knowledge.

Write down all the knowledge you’ve gained at previous jobs, all the knowledge you have outside of work, and any professional fields that interest you.

The goal here is to come up with a big list of your knowledge sets, from accounting to dog-breeding.

Don’t worry about how it all fits together.

Think of this petal like a fisherman’s net – you want to catch all your know-how and specializations here.

Next, sort through your haul for the best catch.

Reorder these knowledge sets using metrics of enthusiasm and expertise, putting the topics you have the most experience with and the most enthusiasm for at the top.

Finally, narrow down your top five knowledge sets and add them to your petal.

The fifth petal focuses on salary.

Professional fulfillment is great, but you still need to live.

So think hard about what salary range you’d like to aim for.

Calculate how much you need to earn in order to cover expenses and meet financial goals, and write down what benefits you’d like to receive as an employee.

Finally, make note of the level of responsibility you’d like to reach in your career: Are you aiming for a managerial role?

Or are you happy being part of a team?

Summarize your findings, and add them to your petal.

With the sixth petal look at geography, or where you might be willing to live and work.

List places you have previously lived, as well as positives and negatives about each.

Turn your negatives into positive action items.

So, for example, if you live in New York and list “too crowded” as a negative, add “small city or town” to your action items wish list.

Now you have a list of positive geographical factors that you can rank in order of importance.

Finally, do some research, and come up with five places that meet your geographical priorities.

Add these to your petal.

The seventh and last petal asks you to focus on purpose.

This is the time to get deep and meaningful.

Write a free-flowing essay about your philosophy of life.

Think about things like your relationship to spirituality, beauty, community, morality, love, and truth.

When you’re done, try and sum up this philosophy in a few sentences.

Add these to your final petal.

Now that you’ve completed the Flower Exercise, you have a snapshot of all the decision-making data you need to drive your job search.

You’ll come back to it again and again.

A great paper résumé is just half the story.

The job market is dynamic, but one thing is constant: you will always need a great résumé.

So what does that look like?

Your résumé should be a one- or two-page document that shows, at a glance, your employment and education history, as well as your skills, expertise, and accomplishments.

You can opt for a functional résumé, which lists responsibilities specific to your past roles with a short employment history at the end, or you could go for a traditional résumé, which lists employment and experience in chronological order.

Either way, make sure to include key achievements and instances where your skills benefitted past employers.

If possible, include concrete data.

Did you increase sales by 15 percent?

If so, include that.

For contemporary job-seekers, however, things don’t start and end with a great résumé.

The key message here is: A great paper résumé is just half the story.

What many job-seekers don’t realize is that they possess two résumés.

One is the document they fire off in response to an advertised position.

The other is their résumé that already exists online.

All your public profiles, from LinkedIn to YouTube, come together to create your online résumé.

And it’s more and more often the case that prospective employers will find you, and judge you, based on this second résumé.

You need to leverage this trend to your advantage.

For instance, LinkedIn is often the first online stop for anyone interested in your professional profile.

So if you don’t have a LinkedIn account, get one!

These days, lots of jobs aren’t openly advertised.

Instead, recruiters approach promising candidates directly through LinkedIn.

The site also allows you to grow your own professional network, so you can keep in touch with former colleagues and connect with others in your industry.

Your network is a great way to find personal connections within firms you’re considering approaching.

Once your profile is set up, maintain it.

Keep your résumé and headshot up to date.

And let the site’s powerful SEO algorithms work for you; under “Skills,” list all the keywords you can find that might lead a recruiter in your industry to your profile.

But don’t stop at LinkedIn.

Choose another social media platform and build your profile there.

If you’re working in a visual or design field, Instagram or Pinterest are great options.

Or you could showcase your storytelling and presentation skills in a series of YouTube videos.

You could also use a platform like Twitter to share articles and insights relevant to your industry, and connect with others who share your professional interests.

Remember, most employers will look at your online and offline résumés to decide if you’re worth interviewing or not.

So make sure both are in great shape.

Brush up on simple strategies to succeed in interviews.

Finally, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: your interview.

This stage is, typically, the most critical step in your job search.

You’ll need to impress at the interview if you want to clinch a job offer.

Just as crucially, your prospective employer has to make a good impression, too.

The key message here is: Brush up on simple strategies to succeed in interviews.

Keep in mind that, as with the second résumé, “the interview” really starts before the interview.

As soon as you receive the invitation, start googling the firm to find out key stats and information about it.

Don’t stop there, though.

Do you know anyone – or do you know anyone who knows anyone – who’s worked at this firm?

If so, get the inside scoop.

Your interviewer will be pleased if you can demonstrate an interest in, and knowledge of, the company.

Lots of interviewees stumble over the conventional first question, “Tell me about yourself.

” But here’s a tip: the interviewer doesn’t want to know about the pet dog you had as a child.

The subtext of this friendly-seeming question is, “Tell me about your skills and core competencies.

” So, answer accordingly.

Next, frame your experience and skills as stories, if you can.

“Customer service is in my DNA.

” What a great line!

And because it’s such a great line, your interviewer’s probably heard it a hundred times before.

So rather than using a tired trope, ask yourself what story you can tell to show you’re dedicated to customer service.

Bear in mind that employers are risk-averse.

So try to show you’re not a hiring risk.

Make sure you know the key skills and requirements needed to be successful in the advertised role, and come prepared to prove you have them.

And whatever you do, don’t tell the interviewer that you only see yourself in the role for six months because you’re planning to relocate to Mexico!

An interview is like a date.

You won’t get a second one if you don’t listen, as well as talk.

Don’t parrot prepared soundbites.

Really listen to the questions you’re asked, and try to address them.

Don’t forget to ask questions in return – find out as much as you can about the role and the firm’s work culture.

Remember, you’re not the only one on trial here.

If this position, or firm, doesn’t fit the profile of your desired job, forget it!

Be smart about your salary negotiations.

Let’s say you’ve gone through all the stages of the parachute approach.

You’ve used the Flower Exercise to clarify your ideal role; you’ve leveraged connections and, with the help of killer online and offline résumés, landed interviews.

Finally, you’re offered your dream job.

You accept immediately.

Right?

Actually, no.

Now it’s time to talk cold, hard cash.

As important as it is to find a job that fulfills you, it’s equally important to find one that pays well.

That’s why salary accounts for one full petal on your flower diagram.

The key message here is: Be smart about your salary negotiations.

To get the best possible salary package, you need to be prepared for a full and frank negotiation process.

Here are five tips for coming out of the negotiations on top.

First of all, when it comes to interviewing, talk money last.

While the salary conversation is critical, it should always come at the end of the interview process.

No matter how confident you feel that the job is yours, wait until there’s an offer on the table to bring up compensation.

Second, don’t be the first to state a figure.

Most employers try to pay new hires the least they can.

If you lead with a number lower than they had in mind, that’s what you’ll get.

Once they’ve given their number, however, you can ask for more.

Third, do your research.

Talk to industry connections, or use an online tool like Glassdoor to work out the average salary range for similar roles in the field.

If the figure you request is way too high, you’ll potentially ruin your chances at securing the role.

Fourth, “hack your proposed salary range.

” If you’ve researched well enough, you might be able to estimate the salary range your employer has in mind – let’s say it’s between $45,000 and $55,000.

“Hack” this range by countering the lower end offer of 45k with a range that comes in just under their maximum.

In other words, suggest a range that’s between $52,500 and $60,000.

It’s still realistic, but it should drive them to increase their counter-offer.

Fifth, and finally, don’t close your negotiations until you’ve discussed benefits.

Benefits like health insurance, life insurance, and vacation time add, on average, 15 to 18 percent value on top of your base salary.

Make sure you’re not walking away from a low-paying job that offers enormous value through benefits, or a high-paying one that offers few to no perks.

Remember, you work to live, so make sure you negotiate a salary that lets you live well.

If you can’t find your dream job, create it!

Let’s return to the Flower Exercise for a moment.

This self-inventory process is designed to guide you to your dream job.

But what if the role you envision for yourself after completing the exercise doesn’t exist?

Have you done it wrong?

Should you go back to the first petal and start again?

Not necessarily.

Just because your dream job doesn’t exist in the usual nine-to-five context doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

In fact, you can parachute into the role you’ve always wanted, with the best boss in the world – you!

The key message here is: If you can’t find your dream job, create it!

So, what will your business actually do?

Perhaps you want to sell handcrafted jewelry or start a boutique eco-consultancy.

Great!

You’re already moving quickly down the right path.

But what if you don’t have a clear business idea?

Well, try this simple strategy: List five things you’re good at, then list five things you love to do.

Now, cross-reference those lists to see where they overlap to create possible business ideas.

Let’s say you love baking and you’re an experienced teacher.

You could easily move into leading baking workshops!

Before you invest in a set of cake decorating tools, though, you need to get a handle on an important equation: A minus B equals C.

In this equation, A represents the total skills you need to succeed.

This is an unknown quantity.

B represents the skills you already have.

You’ll know what B is if you’ve done the Flower Exercise.

Subtract B from A, and you’ll have a snapshot of C, which is the remaining skills you’ll need to develop before you launch your endeavor.

The only problem is, you don’t know what A is .

.

.

yet.

So your mission is to determine A for your chosen field.

To do this, you need data.

Do your research, then reach out to entrepreneurs whose small business experience speaks to your game plan.

Ask them what skills and expertise are non-negotiable to succeed in the area.

And don’t stop there.

Ask how they got their business off the ground, what challenges they encountered along the way, and what they would do differently if they had the chance.

Once you’ve gathered enough data, you’ll not only know your own existing strengths and skills, but those you’ll still need to cultivate to succeed.

Perhaps, on top of baking skills, you’ll need basic bookkeeping expertise and some social media savvy.

If you can develop these before you launch your business, you’ll set yourself up for success.

Final summary

The key message in these blinks: If your job search isn’t yielding results, rather than searching harder, try searching smarter.

Begin by using the Flower Exercise to establish what you want from a job.

Then, leverage your connections and make the most of your online profile.

Brush up on interview strategies, and don’t neglect the topic of your desired salary.

Follow these simple steps and you might be surprised by how quickly you parachute into your dream job!

Actionable advice: Build your confidence with informational interviews.

You don’t need to apply for a job to request an interview.

Ever heard of an informational interview?

This is an informal chat where a company employee briefs you on their workplace culture and specific role at the firm.

Asking your connections for informational interviews is a great way to solidify contacts in your field.

The interviews are also an opportunity to gain insight into different companies while you’re trying to find out which ones might be a good fit.

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