I've begun reading and learning from another book, What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard N. Bolles. With more than ten million copies sold, this book has several attention grabbing accolades including, the world's most popular and bestselling career handbook, one of the all-time 100 best nonfiction books, one of the first job-hunting books on the market, and many more.
CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO THE EVER-CHANGING WORLD OF THE JOB SEARCH
There were many interesting topics even within the first chapter of this book. General discussions about the changing workforce, how COVID has disrupted so many industries, and the likely impact on AI and other tech advancements will have on future jobs and the greater workforce. What I found particularly interesting and most applicable to my current career was the way Bolles described and depicted the process for filling a job vacancy. Bolles indicates that employers, who are looking to fill a vacancy, and applicants approach the same process in the opposite direction. Below is a simplified depiction of how Bolles describes the way in which employer hunt for applicants compared to how applicants hunt for jobs.
Fortunately, I am not currently looking for a job but you never know when that could change! With so many unknowns on the horizon, it seems valuable to be armed with useful information such as this to better position yourself to become the next hired candidate. The depiction and the concept that Bolles provides was eye-opening to me because it was something that I never realized but can verify that in my experience, it is absolutely true. As a hiring manager, I want to mitigate risk. The best thing that could happen is an existing employee, who has already demonstrated their knowledge and dependability, applies for the opening or is promoted into the opening. The next best thing would be for me to receive a recommendation from someone I trust and that knows what can make a person successful in the position we're hiring for. If I am given a name from such a trusted source and they can demonstrate that they do have the skills I'm looking for, they have a much better chance of landing the job. Lastly, I rely on our employed recruiter to sift through all of the applications/resumes that have been uploaded to our job posting on our website and then begin to work in a process of elimination fashion. But as Bolles indicates, people apply for and try to obtain jobs in the exact opposite manner! Most people will simply upload their resume to the posting and wait to see if they hear back from someone, I myself have been guilty of this. Because that's the way it works, right? I can tell you now, after studying this first chapter and its contents, I would approach searching for a job very differently. I would even consider trying to get in as a volunteer or intern to position myself to be that 'internal hire/promotion' that I myself find to be the best solution when I'm trying to fill a vacancy.
CHAPTER 2: A JOB SEARCH IS HARD WORK: HERE ARE TEN WAYS TO TRIUMPH
Chapter 2 was quite interesting and very unexpected. What sorts of things would you imagine this magic list of ten would contain? Stay dedicated, apply to any and everything, talk to random people that you meet, etc.? Actually Bolles ten ways to triumph in the job search are all internal and self-care related. This was surprising to me but in all honesty, it is true. You cannot expect to perform your best or present the best version of yourself if you are not taking care of your own health, both mentally and physically. This list will help you to get your mind and body right so that you give yourself the best chance of landing the job.
CHAPTER 3: HOW TO DEAL WITH ANY CHALLENGES YOU HAVE IN THE JOB SEARCH
Chapter 3 provides readers with some very useful knowledge related to obstacles and/or barriers that they may face or have to overcome. Bolles outlines what your legal rights are, including a list of discriminatory bias that they are not allowed to use as the basis for hiring of employees. Bolles also lists six different laws that are in place to prevent employers from discriminating against applicants and six different federal agencies that have a role in enforcing and investigating claims of discriminatory hiring practices. Bolles also provides resources and information on how to report a claim and important considerations before doing so, such as seeking legal council. The subject that was really impactful to me personally was the concept of Focus on what you can do, not what you can't. I think this is a very powerful concept and can help keep applicants from sounding unsure of themselves and insecure, to displaying confidence and capableness when they're searching for a job. Bolles includes an exercise that is simply formulating a T-list separating what skills you have and what your favorite skills are. I gave this exercise a try for myself and found that it really helped to identify core skills that I have which I otherwise would've had a difficult time formulating. Take a look at the abbreviated list I put together for myself using Bolles T-list and the list of verbs he provided. While this doesn't include all that I did put for myself, it can give you an idea of how helpful this exercise can be for you. From this list, I was able to reflect on each item and expand to include real-life examples of how I have performed or do perform each one. Having these skills outlined with examples would be extremely advantageous if you were headed to an interview.
Not only have I learned how to better position myself to find work if I ever find myself unemployed, but I am better positioned to find any job, which I think is extremely valuable. Considering the rapid advancement of technology and AI, an ever changing job landscape, and general uncertainty with economy, individual businesses, etc., I find that already this book has provided insightful information both in context and in practice. So far, I would highly recommend to anyone, not just those who are currently unemployed.
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