Practical and not-so-practical counsel from Richard Bolles

Richard Bolles and the What Color Is Your Parachute books have been around for a while: http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/.

They sell for around 18-19 bucks a copy and the market must perceive value in them despite their being a pricey, large-ish volume which doesn't fit well in a briefcase or vest pocket. Whether because of the value of their counsel or because they are entertaining or both, they continue to sell well.

I find the Parachute books hard to read. Maybe that's partly because I think a basic premise of them is seriously, annoyingly wrong. The Parachute books encourage one to navel-gaze until one finds one's perfect vocation. I think for many people, as a practical matter, the perfect vocation isn't discernible within the finite bounds of a human lifetime - it ain't there, they'll never find it, and they'll never get off their backside and engage with life "until they find themselves." I know far too many people who are inclined that way, and Parachute unfortunately validates that inclination.

Perfection is the enemy of the good enough. A career strategy has to be part of a life strategy. For such people, the key can be to find a job you don't hate too much which enables you to arrange your life the way you want it.

That all said, Bolles makes a very useful observation about A Philosophy Of Work, p. 56 of the 2006 edition, viz:
1. The typical job these days is best viewed as a temp job. ...
2. The typical job these days is best viewed as a seminar.. ...
3. The typical job these days is best viewed as an adventure. ...
4. The typical job these days is best viewed as one where the satisfaction lies in the work itself. ... [goes off the track a bit - gets a little masochistic]
5. You need to approach any job with the philosophy that it can be transformed. ... [Maybe. But also check out what Peter Drucker says about "widowmaker" jobs.]