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.

Online Scams: Job Site Edition

(Scroll down to the bottom to see the resume this post is about)

I feel like a secret shopper.

This week I’ve been in the process of uploading myself onto different job boards, in hopes of finding more opportunities within my field. One of those websites I signed up with sounded familiar, but it wasn’t until I was half-way finished with my profile that I remembered why.

The resume writing company I work for has a deal with them.

That statement may sound like a shady, back-alley kind of thing.

It absolutely is.

When I first signed up with the website they sent me an email announcing their free resume critiques. I opted out, because I’ve read those critiques before, from clients who purchased our services after receiving one. Being a professional resume writer, I’m confident in my abilities, and while I’m fully aware that there’s always room for growth, I don’t need an automated critique to tell me how I should go about it.

The next morning, I woke up to another email, informing me that my free critique is available to view.

Already annoyed, I opened the link and found the (generic) critique that had been “custom” created for my resume. Immediately there were some glaring issues. It told me I didn’t have an objective statement, which I don’t, because those are antiquated and unnecessary. But it then went on to define an objective statement as a career summary, which gives an overview of your experience before getting to the meat of the resume. I do have one of those. A full paragraph, right at the top of the resume. Not off to a great start, Mr. Resume Critique Bot.

The next big problem is a little more nuanced. The critique informed me that my resume is skills based rather than achievement based. In some respects, this is true. The resume I uploaded doesn’t have the spiffy kind of businessy achievements resume websites will use as examples—

“Slashed costs 70%”

“Saved employer 2.3 million dollars”

“Streamlined processes”

Contrary to what the good folks at Fake Resume Critique R US will have you believe, achievements are NOT always that straightforward. They don’t always follow the cookie cutter algorithm of responsibility + effort = result that we’re told to use when writing bullets. The resume of mine that Resume Snobs Inc. so graciously critiqued was intentionally written to give an over view of my writing specializations, a few projects I’ve completed, and my relevant work experience. It’s a non-standard structure, which apparently the Critique Bot could not understand.

The point of this little rant isn’t just to vent about the woes of working for an industry filled with scams and false information. Since starting this blog entry I continued to receive messages from the website in question, offering me a great discount (15%) for a brand-new, $165 resume.

Right now I’m the customer, so all I see is the awful rating my resume received, and the heavy-handed call to purchase a new one. Normally though, I would be the writer who works with the poor fool who believed that scare tactic.

It works like this:

1. The website scans your resume, and offers a “custom” critique that’s really more like one of those fill in the blank stories. Every critique is more or less the same.
2. Good Guy Job Site offers to rewrite your resume, giving a brief overview of the services you’d receive, how much you’d pay, and why you should do it.
3. After purchasing services, the critique and the resume are given to a writer (me), who will get paid about $20 of that $165 to create a new resume.
4. Job Website and Resume Website celebrate their mutual genius while the poor writer scrambles to comfort a distressed client who has buyer’s remorse.
5. The client ends up happy, or screwed over by an incompetent writer.

Looking for a job is a job in itself, they say. And in my case, that is apparently literal. Having spent two years working for a company that now has a monopoly on online resume writing services, I now find myself knowingly signing up for those very websites that scam unsuspecting, desperate job seekers into purchasing assistance they may or may not need.

The moral of the story:

When you are job searching, you may have no choice but to rely on some of those job sites out there. They’re wonderful tools for finding open positions and making yourself visible as a professional. HOWEVER. Many of these sites offer “services” that are misrepresented and overpriced. In this case, upon ordering the suggested resume makeover, your information would be sent into a random lottery of writers—all with different skill levels and backgrounds. You could end up with a trained writer like me…or the fate of your $165 new resume could land in the hands of someone who took a creative writing class once back in college, and kind of knows how to string words together to form a sentence.

Having a resume professionally done is a great way of improving your chances of getting a new job. But regardless of how legitimate the many hundreds of job posting sites out there may be, if you don’t see the name of the writer, or their credentials, don’t purchase the services.

With the unstable job market, the resume writing industry is booming. It’s also not regulated, so one website might charge you $99, and another might charge $300 for the exact same service.

Do your research. Preferably, go with an independent writer who is up front about their background, their training, and the services you will receive. If you DO go through a company, read reviews.

More than anything, trust the feedback of real people over that of an automated job site robot. Show your current resume to an employer, your coworkers, friends, etc. Ask them what they think.

If you receive negative feedback, some independent resume writers (like myself) will give you free, or affordable critiques that are actually customized. Before purchasing that service make sure you know what you’ll be getting. Ask what they will critique, and don’t be afraid to ask if it will be a critique that is specifically written based on your resume, and not a form letter with a few blank spaces filled out.

tl;dr—Online job sites will try to coerce you into buying overpriced resume re-writes. Seek out an independent, experienced writer instead. Don’t be a consumerism sheep.

Boring information about my services: The critiques I write are $15, and include an analysis of the content, wording, spelling and grammar, structure, organization, and visual appeal of your current resume. There are no strings attached, and no pressure to purchase a re-write. If you decide to order a new resume after reading the critique, you’ll receive a completely overhauled document, as well as a cover letter. The $15 from the critique is applied to the final cost of the resume, leaving it at $85. This is my standard rate, critique or no, so you basically end up getting the critique for free.

You can see the resume that started it all here.

5 Annoying Things Job Seekers Deal With

So we’re a few months into the year, now. Some of us are settling into new roles, or continuing on in the jobs we’ve had for a while. But for some, job seeking is what’s up. The post-New Year’s blues may be over, but for many of the clients I’ve helped recently, this has given into the sheer frustration of “why the heck don’t I have a new job yet?”

Here are a few things that probably have you gritting your teeth and pulling your hair as you search for that perfect job in 2015.

5. Job Applications

It’s the endless, necessary evil for snagging that coveted first interview. Whether it’s pointless questionnaires or filling out online app after online app, there’s no argument that the whole process is super frustrating.

4. Cover Letters

I’ll be the first to admit it: even as a professional writer, I hate writing cover letters for myself. With the pressure of impressing the hiring manager without dissolving into a desperately plea of “please for the love of god hire me this is the 73rd letter I’ve written this week”, it’s easy to get burnt out customizing every letter to every job.

3. Balancing Your Current Job

Whether you’re already employed, a full time parent, or a student overburdened by homework, finding time to send out endless job applications is a sure fire way to an aching headache and lots of sleepless nights.

2. Disappointing Interviews

Job searching is a job in itself. And once you’ve spent hours and hours perfecting your resume and filling out online apps, getting an interview feels like a golden trophy. Until you get a rude or disinterested interviewer, or stumble in your answers, or realize you had lettuce in your teeth the whole time. After a bad interview, the whole job thing feels pretty bleak.

 

1. Training

For me, the worst part of getting a new job…is getting a new job. Depending on the nature of the work, training and probation periods can be brutal. Before you’ve built trust with your coworkers and learned the ropes of your new role, having your trainer or boss breathing down your neck is enough to make you wish you were back at home, tweaking your resume at 2am.

So there you have it. Job searching is a pain, but don’t get discouraged! You never know when that dream opportunity might show up.

 

Until then, don’t forget to give your self time to rest between the craigslist dives and late night questionnaires.  Have some coffee. Go for a walk. Watch a favorite movie. Have some more coffee. And always remember, don’t sell yourself short. You deserve a fulfilling job where you are valued for the hard work you do.

Happy Hunting!

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!

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.

Did You See That Guy’s Resume?

“Did you see that guy’s resume? It was so cool!”

Words everyone would like to hear.

Not long ago Business Insider posted a great article about 10 resumes that went “viral” on the internet, meaning basically everyone saw them, including websites like Yahoo Finance and Reddit.

While turning your resume into a chocolate bar or an Amazon product page may not be practical, all of these resumes have two critical things in common: creativity, and enthusiasm.

Having completed hundreds of (more traditional) resumes, I can tell you right now that these guys are nothing special in terms of experience or talent. What they are, is creative. Understanding how competitive their fields are, they found unique ways to stand out. Don’t get me wrong—their skills are vitally important. But what won them the attention of millions of internet viewers wasn’t a Bachelor’s Degree or strong attention to detail. It was the amount of effort they put into inventing a new way of representing those skills.

These ingenious job seekers didn’t just build their resumes and hope people might notice them. They actively sent out their finished product to major companies.

If you’ve done any amount of job hunting you know that most job descriptions are pretty boring. A summary of the company and the role plus a basic list of qualifications. The average job seeker submits an equally boring resume, including their objective or career summary, list of skills, and the things they’ve done. What sets you apart from the Average Joe applicant is your creativity.

I’m not telling you to go out right now and spend the next week figuring out how to turn your resume into a Coke can (though that would be pretty cool). While these job seekers managed to have just the right recipe for getting noticed, most of us don’t, and plenty of employers wouldn’t get the humor or ingenuity of a 3D-Printed head being sent to their office anyway.

But you can still set yourself apart as a creative thinker, while staying within the general rules of the standard resume. A visually appealing, “pretty” format, clarity, uncluttered content, and elegant wording will give you an instant advantage over your competition.

Once you realize that the majority of resumes are basically plain (and often jumbled) lists of skills, it’s easy to understand that a dash of creativity is a breath of fresh air to a bored hiring manager.

I’ve read plenty of resumes that were dull as dish-water. While some people do just have a hard time marketing themselves, it’s important to understand that a dull resume is going to make you look dull as a person. If I don’t know you, all I have is the information you’ve given me to go on. So if that resume is unformatted and sounds like you copy and pasted generic, job descriptions from the internet, I’m going to assume you’re a) not creative, and b) don’t care about getting the job.

Applying for a job is a competition. You can’t just assume that you’ll win based on your experience alone—no matter how impressive it is. If I have two resumes with the exact same skills and accomplishments, but one of them is plain and boring, and the other is beautiful to look at and interesting to read, who do you think I’m going to pick?

If you’ve seen another “viral resume” out there on the web, or have other ideas about creative job-hunting, leave a comment or email me at clarerushing@gmail.com

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.

 

Beating the Online Job Questionnaire

If you’re a customer service worker, failing one of those pesky online questionnaires can ruin your chances of getting a job, regardless of how great your experience is.

I’ve put together a little guide to help you get through the questions in one piece (mostly).

During your questionnaire you’ll see a lot of questions that go more or less like this:

1. It’s never okay to steal from work.

A)     Agree
B)     Disagree
C)     Not Sure

And later on:

2. Sometimes I take little things home from work like pens or notepads.

A)     Never
B)     Rarely
C)     Sometimes
D)     Always

And still later:

3. One of your co-workers has been taking things from the break-room every day.
   What are you more likely to do?

A)     Report the theft to a manager. Stealing is wrong.
B)     Confront your co-worker.
C)     Do nothing. It’s their business.

The BEST answer to all is A. Why? Because each question is a variation of the first.

By asking this question three times, they gauge firstly what your general opinion of stealing is, secondly how serious you are about your convictions, and thirdly, whether you feel strongly enough to go out of your way to try and prevent further loss to the company.

Another example:

1. It’s important to leave your emotions at home when at work.

A)     Agree
B)     Partially Agree
C)     Disagree
D)     Not sure

And then later

2.   Sometimes I get angry at customers.

A)     Never
B)     Rarely
C)     Sometimes
D)     Often

And finally

3.   When a co-worker becomes very upset while on the clock–

A)     Tell them to work through it. They need to be professional.
B)     Take the time to ask them what’s wrong and see if I can help.
C)     Offer to take on their responsibilities until they’ve calmed down.
D)     Do nothing. It’s not my place.

The BEST answer to each of these is A, for the same reason as before. The first one is straightforward, but the second and third questions are a good example of the sort of morality-bending you’ll have to do to get through the test.

Question 2.  Most of us wouldn’t tell a co-worker to just suck it up and deal with it. But choosing anything but “never” indicates that while you agree it’s important to keep emotions out of the workplace, you don’t always act on it. Inconsistent.

Question 3. Any of the four answers can be justified based on the situation. But answer “B” wastes time—especially if this happens during work hours and not on a break. “C” is another time waster; handling the work of two people will most definitely slow you down.

When a co-worker is completely out of control, “D” is probably the best choice. But for the sake of the question, it’s the weakest, as it isn’t applicable to every possible scenario. It may not feel natural to choose A but it’s the best answer out of the four.

There are three helpful rules to remember when you trudge through one of these questionnaires.

1. Always be consistent. Your early answers will define the rest of the questionnaire.
2. Never go for the middle ground. Pretend those neutral answers don’t exist. Choosing answers like “sometimes” or “maybe” or “I don’t know” or “do nothing” makes you seem weak and indecisive. Even if you are a naturally mild-mannered or neutral person, it’s better to aim for the extremes. “Yes” rather than “Possibly”, “Never” rather than “Occasionally” or “Rarely”.
3. Don’t look for the RIGHT choice. Instead, try to figure out what the BEST choice is out of the options you are given. If you’re thinking in terms of right and wrong, you’ll be approaching each question from a personal, moral standpoint, rather than logical.

Questionnaires are a pain. But if you know how to beat them, your chances of getting an interview are significantly better. When I figured out the system, I got contacted for interviews about 99.99% of the time. The questionnaires are annoying, pointless, and guaranteed to make you feel like a soulless robot. But get through them, and you’ll be golden.

 

For more advice about getting through online applications, or job searching in general, contact me at clarerushing@gmail.com.

 

 

 

How to get a job, without knowing how to get a job.

“Back in the day”, or so my parents tell me, job searching basically meant submitting a resume and hoping you didn’t have lettuce in your teeth when you went for an interview.

Today, with all of the online applications and job sites and resume styles and cover letters—applying to just one job is a daunting task. And unfortunately, in our current economy, often times you have to apply to 10, 20, 30 or even more jobs before you can even snag an interview.

As a bright eyed and bushy tailed young Liberal Arts student, I was committed to the idea of being a starving artist for a few years and then finding that awesome dream job. I didn’t want to “sell out to the man”, I didn’t want a job in retail (who does?), and I definitely didn’t want a desk job.

Come to find out, I didn’t really know what “starving artist” felt like. It was unpleasant, embarrassing, and definitely NOT what I wanted to be doing for any prolonged period of time.

I knew more or less how you were supposed to job search. I knew what the requirements of my profession were. And pretty soon, I figured out what a lot of young artists and writers find out. I was severely underqualified for pretty much everything.  I’d discovered the dreaded cycle of “need experience to get experience, but can’t get a job without the experience”.

It seemed wholly unfair.

But I was determined. By a stroke of sheer luck I had the opportunity to move to Chicago and by my third day there I had a job—as an over-night grocery store price clerk. But heck. I was out of my mom’s living room, and into my own apartment.

It lasted about 7 months. Retail really, really does suck the life out of you. I had had enough of it, and so one fateful weekend I submitted somewhere around 40 applications. I perused Craigslist, various jobsites, some of the freelance websites I was a member of.

Within two weeks I was getting paid  to write. The irony of it? My new job was helping desperate people get a job.

It was scary at first, because while I was a great writer, I was still kind of clueless about the whole job thing. But after a few months, something changed. I began getting more and more emails from clients thanking me for my services. Telling me that they now felt confident enough to go after that job they’d been coveting.

Somehow, miraculously, I’d found a job that simultaneously taught me about my industry, the business of finding a job, and gave me the opportunity to help people who, like me, were struggling in their search.

Now, 500+ resumes and cover letters later, I’m kind of an expert, according to my clients. And while this is by no means the end game—I have my own goals, just like all of the talented people I work with every day—I am thoroughly and totally committed to helping other people overcome that same feeling of desperation and intimidation that I felt in my search.