These two chapters in What Color is Your Parachute are about choosing a job that suits your individual strengths, weaknesses, and passions and dealing with any handicaps or weaknesses that you may have. Chapter nine is about how to choose a job that suit you as an individual. This means that instead of just looking for a job just for the sake of getting a job, but keep hunting for a job that is tailored to you as an individual. To do this there are a few guidelines and helpful tips that need to be looked at in order to optimize the amount of jobs that are available. Chapter ten is all about dealing with personal handicaps and weaknesses. When the book talks about handicaps, it does not exclusively mean physical or mental handicaps. These can be anything, such as: not graduating high school or college, you think you are too fat or too thin, you have never held a consistent job, you you are too shy or even if you have a prison record. All of these things need to be recognized so that you can get over them, and you potential employer can see that you have overcame these handicaps.
Chapter nine starts off with talking about five steps to take when looking for a job that suits you. These five steps are: finding out what careers you flower (from the previous chapters) points to, trying on some of these jobs before deciding to pursue one, finding out which organizations have jobs that suit you, finding names of particular places that interest you, and thoroughly researching the particular place before approaching them. The first step shows how to analyze your flower that you made from the previous chapters and see where there are either overlaps in your flower, or if you have knowledge in a specific field. All of these things can be used to see in what direction you should start to look. The second step is trying on a job before deciding what to pursue. This means that you should look at all options that your flower points to in order to see the whole spectrum of potential jobs. The book gives an example of trying on dresses before buying one, you look at all the options before the final decision. The third chapter is about finding what organizations in general have jobs that match your wants. This step takes research to see exactly what your options could be. You might find out that there are places that match your criteria that are non-profits. This shouldn't dissuade you from trying it out. There are many places that could potentially match what you are looking for. The next step is finding particular places near you that are potential options. You will be going from a broad spectrum of places that fit your flower to a very narrow list of places when you start to be specific. The book starts with an example that goes from: finding a place that hires welders, to a place that hires welders in the San Jose area, to a place that hires welders in the San Jose area with less than 50 employees, to a place that hires welders in the San Jose area with less than 50 employees that makes wheels. This shows that it goes from a large grouping to a very select group. But finding the few companies in this smaller group makes for more of a connection. The final step talks about doing extensive research about the particular place where you are going to approach. You will want to know just about everything you can find about the particular company. This shows that you have an interest and want to come in and help. It shows that you are looking for more than a job, you want to find a job that you are passionate about.
Chapter ten starts with an entire list of potential handicaps or weaknesses that could be applicable to anyone. After that the book states that you as a job hunter cannot generalize about employers. This means that just because you have certain handicaps and have been turned down from a job doesn't mean that another employer will think the same way. Every employer is different and will look at you in a different way. The next thing the book talks about is that every person has a handicap. Everyone has a weakness that they must come to terms with. After a few pages of self evaluation to see what each individual thinks are handicaps, the book goes on to talk about potential employer prejudices. Some of these prejudices include: you being out of work too long, racial, religious, or sexual stereotypes, being a returning veteran, being an ex-offender, or former mental or psychiatric patients. Even with these handicaps the book divulges how to beat these handicaps. The last thing the book addresses is beating shyness. Being able to mask your shyness or nervousness is a major way to be able to break this handicap.
These two chapters discussed show very different, but yet still important areas where people can better themselves in order to start going in a direction that will end with them in a job. Knowing what you want to do and what types of jobs match what you want to do will ultimately help you find a job that makes you excited to go to work. Also knowing what your weaknesses are helps you see what you need to do in order to break your handicaps and go get a job that you want.
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