2016…What Next?

Well, it’s that time again. The final month, the last weeks of 2015. As we scramble around to manage last minute plans with friends and family, and splurge on holiday gifts for loved ones (or ourselves, admit it!), it’s easy to lose sight on the goals we’ve had for the past year. But once all the festivities are over and January 1st dawns, we will step into the new year with a list of hopeful resolutions–and for many of us, at the top of that list is the goal of landing a new and better job.

As 2016 approaches, I find myself in the same boat as many of my clients: ready for a change. I love helping people pursue their dreams and probably won’t be stopping any time soon, but even so, the question of “what happens next” is looming over my head.

Going after a new job is frankly terrifying, especially when you’re not even sure what you want to do. Like my fellow millennials, the future of my career is murky at best. With the job market constantly changing, the path of the professional writer is in constant flux. Where once it was possible to gain permanent employment with publishing houses or newspapers or marketing firms, now much of the work has shifted to the competitive realm of freelance. In some ways it’s ideal–freelance work allows you to set your own pace, choose your own projects, and of course as everyone loves to point out when they hear what I do for a living: spend all day in your pajamas. But it’s not all rainbows and comfy flannel.

Between getting passed over for jobs due to lack of experience, and facing the overwhelming burden of self-employment tax, being a full time freelancer has some major downsides. The independence is wonderful, especially for those who dislike being forced into a schedule. But when the work is slow and the options limited (who really wants to spend their time writing technical manuals or developing advertising copy for athletic equipment?) the world of stable employment starts looking real nice.

Thus far I’ve primarily received offers from insurance companies to become a sales person, and encouraged to purchase a resume makeover from the very same company I’ve worked with for nearly three years.

But I’m not giving up hope.

Somewhere out there is the perfect opportunity for an eccentric English major who loves kids’ cartoons, Swedish mystery books, and coffee.

Probably.

So as we step blindly into the new year, clutching tight to our list of resolutions we probably won’t keep, and trying not to think too hard about the moths flying out of our empty wallets, let’s think positively. After all, anything can happen. Just like every year, 2016 will no doubt bring as many challenges and tragedies as it will bring opportunities and accomplishments.

What’s most important, is that we own every minute of it. Instead of setting unattainable goals, focus on the idea of self-empowerment. Find your confidence, ignore the critics, and acknowledge your personal triumphs, no matter how big or small. Embrace your inner badass–the rest will follow.

New Year’s Resolution: Get A Job

Midst holiday preparations and expectations of fun, food, and family, you’re probably feeling the burden of something else–an empty wallet. Dead end jobs, immanent New Year’s layoffs, promotions just out of reach, and unemployment can be a real drag on the holiday spirit.

Thousands of people will soon be going full-force with their job search, so in support of those of you who are anxious to get off to a good start this New Year, I’m reducing my prices for December.

Prices through January 1st will include:

Resume Critiques—$15

Makeovers—$25
Resume/Cover Letter Package—$35

Additional services will also be discounted by around 50%.

According to Monster.com, two of the biggest months for hiring are January and February. So give yourself or your job-seeking loved one an advantage against the competition in 2015!

All gifts will include a personalized note to give the recipient, explaining the service they’ll be receiving.

Email me for more information at clarerushing@gmail.com.
Happy Holidays!

Languages: “I Speak English and Spinach.”

We all need some humor in our lives now and again. Here are some lists of funniest, craziest, and most embarrassing mistakes and lapses in judgement included on real resumes.

A few my personal favorites:

• [Employer]  received a resume that had a small plastic vial of red-colored liquid attached to it and a note saying the candidate would “sweat blood” for the job.

Biological warfare? Or applying to be a vampire?

• Part of someone’s e-mail signature: ‘I am the Master, and Technology my Slave.’

Reasons you should make sure your signature is appropriate before sending an email.

• Career break in 1999 to renovate my horse.

I assume you meant house. Maybe your house is a Trojan horse?

• “I’m married with 9 children. I don’t require prescription drugs.”

Impressive, but inappropriate.

• “My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I have no training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.”

Good plan, friend.

Jobmob: Funniest Resume Mistakes
AOL: 7 Outrageous Things People Actually Put on Their Resumes
CNN: Weird Things Written On Resumes
Career Goods: Hilarious Real Life Resume and Cover Letter Blunders
Strategic-Resume.com: Funny Resume Mistakes: Resume Do’s and Don’t’s

 

The “D” Word

In a few lines, I’m going to tell you a word. And when you hear this word, I want you to sit and think about it for a moment, read this blog entry, and then banish it from your vocabulary.

Get ready.

Dynamic.

“What?” You say. This word is fine. It’s not a swear word. It’s fun, it sounds like dynamite, it calls to mind enthusiasm and energy and everything a good employee should be. Right?

Wrong.

In fact, CareerBuilder.com lists “dynamic” as number 13 on their list of “The Worst Resume Terms”, alongside other no-no’s like “best of breed”, “synergy”, “bottom-line”, and “go-to person”.

Now, people who use this word (you know who you are) do have the right idea. You understand that any good employee should be “vigorously active” and “energetic”. Maybe you’ve even been told to use “action” words in your resume and thought, “what word is more action-y than this?”

Think about it this way.

A dynamic painting has a lot of movement and energy and action. But if you want to give someone a clear idea of a painting, you don’t give them a generic umbrella term. You tell them how beautiful the colors are, what medium the artist used, whether it’s an abstract painting or a portrait or a landscape or still life. You describe the painting to the person so that they can “see” it in their mind.

Your resume works the same way. The employer can’t see you or hear you or talk to you. All he or she has to go on to form an opinion of you is a piece of paper.

Using the word “dynamic” to describe yourself basically just means you are, in fact, alive and capable of moving on your own. It says nothing about who you are as an employee—especially when half of the applicants before you have used the exact same word to describe themselves.

When you’re an employer sifting through potential candidates, and every other resume describes the applicant as a “dynamic professional” who influences “dynamic results”, the word loses all meaning.

Have you ever said a word so many times it doesn’t sound like anything anymore? 

Wherever you are right now, I want you to say the word “dynamic” out loud until it’s just a bunch of letters and syllables with no purpose. If you’re around other people, all the better. Maybe you’ll annoy them enough that they’ll never want to use the word again either.

Now, when you’re finished, pat yourself on the back, because according to CareerBuilder, you just gave yourself a 12% increased advantage over other job seekers (the ones who use the D word).

You’re one step closer to a perfect resume and your dream job.

What’s in a Name?

Unfortunately, even today with progress made all over the country for racial and cultural equality, there are still some deep rooted biases that work against people with names that do not sound traditionally “American”.

This does not necessarily pertain only to people of non-Western European descent. For example, Antje and Gerlof have a lesser chance of getting an interview than Andy and Gerald.

So why the racial and cultural discrimination, when many employers claim to support minorities and diversity?

A few possibilities—

Profiling. In some cases, it is a simple matter of prejudice and bigotry. In this scenario, you’re better off missing out on a job rather than dealing with a racist boss.

Social Anxiety. It may sound silly, but some hiring managers would rather pick a less qualified candidate whose name they can pronounce, than deal with the embarrassment of mispronouncing a candidate’s name on the phone or in person.

Unconscious Bias. While a hiring manager may be forward thinking and accepting of all cultures, internalized prejudice does still exist. It’s worth noting that this is not an intentional form of racism, and the manager is likely unaware of their bias. 

So how do you avoid being racially or culturally profiled by your potential boss?

Here’s how Jose Zamora handled it:

The idea that you’d have to change your name to get a job is not only degrading—it goes against decades of movement towards racial and cultural equality and acceptance.

But today, working with the system is sometimes the only way to beat the system. Altering your name is a small price to pay for getting that job you’ve always wanted.

Above all else, remember this:

Changing your name on paper, does not change who you are. Nobody can force you to give up your culture—and if they try, they’re not worth working for anyways.

Check out these articles for more information on name profiling:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/how-an-ethnic-sounding-name-may-affect-the-job-hunt/article555082/

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/34063244/ns/business-careers/t/it-or-not-name-can-impact-your-career/

http://www.chicagobooth.edu/capideas/spring03/racialbias.html

 

If you’d like to learn more tricks to getting a job, or want to share your opinion on racial profiling in the workforce, leave a comment here, or drop me a line at clarerushing@gmail.com.

 

Special Services for Those Experiencing Hardship

I know what it’s like to be unemployed. And unfortunately, a lot of other folks do too these days. Whether you’re a new graduate struggling to get into your field, or got laid off when your company “downsized”, or you’re just out of luck, getting trapped in the cycle of unemployment is horrible.

When unemployed it’s hard to justify spending extra money  on a resume instead of things like food and clothes.

But a good resume isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. With so many people seeking jobs, employers can’t just pick the person with the best skills anymore, because sometimes there are hundreds or even thousands of equally qualified applicants. In cases like this, before your resume is even looked at by the recruiter, it has to pass the test with an automated system that scans only for keywords associated with the job. So if your resume is bare and only lists the jobs you’ve held in the past with a few generic duties—it’s not going to pass. These automated systems also scan job websites like Indeed, Monster, and SimplyHired to look for profiles that include the most keywords from their pre-programmed list.

A good resume has the right keywords to get past the robots, and the quality writing and visual appeal to impress the hiring manager when he or she finally reads it. Simply put, your resume needs to be keyword rich, pretty, and make you sound better than hundreds of other applicants.

To help out, I offer a few special services to people who are down on their luck.

1. $35 for students and graduates who have been out of school for less than 3 years
2. $30 for people who have been unemployed for up to 6 months
3. $15 for people who have been unemployed for more than 6 months
4. Free resumes for people experiencing homelessness or extreme hardship

If you or someone you know meets the above qualifications, email me at clarerushing@gmail.com.

**Note that I do not ask for legal documentation to prove these circumstances, so I ask that everyone please have respect and be completely honest about your situation. Realize that if you lie, you are stealing time from another person who is in legitimate need of my services.