Part 1: What makes for a dream job?

What Color Is Your Parachute? is more than a job-hunting book; it is a guide to discovering one's passions, values, and transferable skills to design a fulfilling career. The book, updated annually, provides advice on networking, resume writing, interviewing, and salary negotiation. It features the renowned 'Flower Exercise,' a self-assessment tool that helps readers identify their ideal career paths. With over ten million copies sold, it has been a trusted resource for people at various stages of their careers, from those seeking their first job to those considering a career change.

In 'Stumbling on Happiness,' Daniel Gilbert delves into the human capacity to imagine the future and why we are often poor at predicting what will make us happy. Gilbert argues that our imagination is flawed in several ways: it adds or removes details, extrapolates from the present, and fails to account for the psychological immune system that helps us cope with undesired outcomes. The book uses scientific research from psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and behavioral economics to explain why we consistently misjudge our future satisfaction and how this affects our decisions. Gilbert also suggests that understanding these biases can help us make better choices and gain more control over our pursuit of happiness.

In 'Give and Take', Adam Grant examines the surprising forces that shape success, highlighting the differences between givers, matchers, and takers. Givers contribute to others without expecting anything in return, matchers aim to trade evenly, and takers strive to get as much as possible from others. Grant uses cutting-edge evidence and captivating stories to show how these styles impact success across various industries. The book emphasizes the benefits and challenges of adopting a giver mentality and provides practical advice on how to build successful relationships and achieve extraordinary results.