What Color Is Your Parachute?

Kernaussagen

• Beginne die Jobsuche bei dir selbst, nicht auf Jobportalen
• Deine übertragbaren Stärken stecken in Geschichten von Erfolgen, die dir Spaß gemacht haben
• Die meisten Jobs werden über Kontakte vergeben – sprich mit Menschen, bevor du Bewerbungen schreibst
• Lerne Jobs und Teams durch kurze Gespräche mit Insidern kennen
• Ein Vorstellungsgespräch ist keine Einbahnstraße – übers Gehalt wird erst verhandelt, wenn sie dich wollen

In diesem Bit

1. Zwei Wege der Jobsuche

   Richard Bolles first wrote this book in 1970 and updated it almost every year for the rest of his life. Its staying power comes from one simple contrast.

2. Die Blumen-Übung

   The heart of the book is a self-inventory Bolles draws as a flower with seven petals. Each petal answers one question about you: the kinds of people you work best with, the physical setting you prefer, the values or purpose you want your work to serve, the fields of knowledge you enjoy, your favourite transferable skills, the working conditions that suit you, and the level of pay and responsibility you need.

3. Fähigkeiten stecken in deinen Geschichten

   Most people underrate themselves because they think of skills as job titles or certificates. Bolles separates three kinds.

4. Jobs entstehen durch Kontakte

   Bolles points out that employers hire in roughly the reverse order that job seekers search. Seekers start with advertisements and agencies.

5. Gespräche auf Augenhöhe

   Before any formal interview, Bolles recommends informational interviews: short conversations with people who already do the work, asking how they got there and what a typical week involves. You learn the field, test your assumptions, and build the contacts that lead to real openings.

6. In die Praxis umsetzen

   This week, write three short stories about times you did something well and enjoyed it, then underline every skill verb you find. Start a rough version of the flower with the two petals you are most sure about, such as the people you like working with and the setting you prefer.