HowResume Writing Students of Color Did It

HowResume Writing Students of Color Did ItWhile it is not necessary to go back in time to learn how to write a resume, it is helpful to see how resume writing students of color did it in the past. The actual first step is to find out how they did it.Writing a resume does not have to be an intimidating ordeal, as long as you know what you are getting into. There are many different ways to learn how to write a resume, and many different ways to view resumes. Just knowing the basics can be beneficial. These are the resume writing skills that are important to learn, and these are the basic steps that have been done for years by people who have become successful.The first step is to gather information. This will give you the freedom to create a resume that best suits your needs and helps you get hired.Students of color tend to learn the skills at a younger age, usually after entering college. This means that you need to find out how they did it.Students of color can typically find resourc es in their local library, community center, college or community center, or other groups that they may belong to. It is important to use these resources for help.Simple questions will allow you to see what steps they took to create a resume, how long it took, and if it was successful. It is also important to ask how the curriculum was taught, whether they had mentors or professors to assist them, and if there were any tutors.Students of color learn at a slower pace than other students. This can make it difficult to get fast answers to simple questions. Many resumes are on time, but even for the fastest of them, patience is often needed.

Tips on Choosing the Best Color For Resume

Tips on Choosing the Best Color For ResumeIf you are considering the best color for resume, it is really quite important to consider your overall personality and how well it matches with the job you are applying for. By doing this, you will be able to make an excellent impression on your prospective employer. And choosing the right color for resume will definitely contribute to your success. Below are a few tips that can help you choose the right color for resume.- A professional resume should include your name, contact details, and contact numbers. However, before doing so, ensure that the information is right for the job you are applying for. For example, if you are a mother, you may want to incorporate your children's names into your cover letter.- The color of your resume will greatly depend on your personality. If you are outgoing and energetic, you might want to include brighter colors in your resume. On the other hand, if you are more introverted, consider choosing a deeper co lor. Bright and deep colors have been found to suit those who are introverted.- Choose a color that fits your personality. And in order to do this, you need to check out the colors that people usually use. If you think that you are going to find something very unique, consider going with a bold color such as red. People like to do business with bold colors and they generally do not take them too seriously.- For those who are imaginative, the best color for resume would be a vibrant color. Bright colors such as red and yellow have been found to be very effective. Furthermore, black and white have been found to be the most non-threatening colors. If you have trouble expressing yourself with words, try adding a little creativity to your resume by using colorful items. Some examples include beads, fabric designs, fabric paints, paper, colorful stickers, and embroidery.- It is possible to incorporate a little bit of whatever you are passionate about into your resume. For example, if you are a good cook, consider putting a recipe or two from your favorite recipe book on your resume. Color coding is a great way to add that extra flavor to your resume.- The color of your resume will not only reflect your personality but it will also be an excellent way to communicate your skills to potential employers. Since so many people will be reading your resume, it is important that you make sure that it is appealing and eye-catching. These are some great tips to help you choose the best color for resume.

Ask the Expert Can My New Company Make Me Change My Name

Ask the Expert Can My New Company Make Me Change My Name Q: Is it legal for my new company to make me change my name? I am starting a new job next week. Somehow another employee, who is a favorite of the regional manager, objects to my name, so I have been told I cannot use it. My middle name is King and it is a name that has been in our family for years. I have been called King since the day I was born â€" 54 years ago â€" and have never had anyone even mention it, much less object to it. This entry-level employee says it offends her religious beliefs. She has been at the company for several years but is still at entry-level, so how can she carry so much weight? What are my options? Is this even legal? A: That’s ridiculous. It’s your name. Legally, they can probably insist you use another name (at least I can’t think of a law it would violate), but it would be 100% crazy for them to do that. It’s your name. No reasonable person or employer would ask you to change your name, especially on grounds like these. I would say this to your new employer: “I certainly don’t want to offend anyone, but this is my name, it’s what I’ve gone by my entire life, it’s how all my professional contacts know me, and it’s what’s on my birth certificate. It’s not possible for me to change it.” If they push back, I’d continue to say, “It’s really not possible for me to change my name.” I’m hoping that they just haven’t thought this through and realized how ridiculous this is (and maybe they somehow think it’s more optional because it’s your middle name rather than your first?). Hopefully, politely but firmly saying that it’s not something you can do will make them realize it’s not a reasonable request. But if they insist on it, well, you’re learning that you’re about to start working for an employer that’s incredibly unreasonable and willing to insist on something outrageous just because someone cried “religion” inappropriately.* It might be better to know that now than before you actually start work. * And it is inappropriate. Religious accommodations don’t extend to changing other employees’ names. That has nothing to do with what level of seniority someone has, so it doesn’t matter that she’s entry-level; if she was requesting a reasonable religious accommodation, they’d need to grant it whether she was the COO or the receptionist. But this one is unreasonable, and it would be just as unreasonable coming from the head of the company as it is coming from this person. Read next: Can I Really Be Fired Over My Private Text Messages? Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Q: Should my resume include a job I quit after a month? I’m an ER nurse. I started at a new job just a few weeks ago. I haven’t yet completed my probation period, but I don’t think I can in good conscience work at this hospital any longer, because I’ve observed some really serious safety problems. (A full explanation would be long and technical. The short explanation is that they don’t have the right equipment or the right policies to provide safe patient care, and management encourages staff to take unsafe shortcuts and “find workarounds” instead of enforcing good practices.) I don’t think my input could significantly change the ingrained systemic problems, so I’ve resolved to quit and find something else. My concern is about whether to keep this short-lived job on my resume. My impulse is to leave it off, because it could look bad that I bailed out from a job so quickly, and because anything I did there wouldn’t mean much in terms of experience gained. But on the other hand, would it be considered dishonest not to mention it? A: Nope, it’s fine to leave it off (and in general, you should leave off jobs that you left after only few months, unless they were specifically designed to be short-term jobs from the start). A resume is a marketing document; it’s not required or expected to be a comprehensive listing of everything you’ve ever done. It’s not dishonest or even unusual to leave something off your resume that you don’t want to highlight. These questions are adapted from ones that originally appeared on Ask a Manager. Some have been edited for length. Read next: How to Change Your Name Without Hurting Your Career More From Ask a Manager: New employee insists we call her “Mrs. ____” even though we all use first names Employer pulled the job offer after I tried to negotiate Employer offered me a job but refuses to tell me the salary

Neil deGrasse Tyson Used His First Job to Buy a Telescope

Neil deGrasse Tyson Used His First Job to Buy a Telescope Neil deGrasse Tyson may have his head in the stars, but he got that way by putting his boots on the ground. The world’s favorite astrophysicist and bestselling author also happens to be a master of the side hustle. In addition to his day job as director of the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium, he hosts the podcast StarTalk, while his latest book Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is nearing 60 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list â€" crazy for any book, much less one that details quantum physics and quarks. And September will see the release of Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance between Astrophysics and the Military, co-written by Avis Lang. (He also entertains nearly 13 million star gawkers on Twitter.) Alright, so, fine: Dr. Tyson is now an expert at dispelling the mysteries of the universe. But do his talents translate to money matters? He shares with MONEY some stories about his early start in the workforce â€" and the first big thing he ever saved for. A First Glimpse Into Space I’ve known since age 9 of my interest in the universe, and on my 12th birthday, my parents bought me an entry-level telescope in response to that interest. That first telescope cost $50, but I would rapidly outgrow it. Going Beyond the Basics My family was extremely frugal middle class. There was a very strong sense of “every dollar you spend needs to matter.” So I had my own source of income when I was 13 and I was able to pursue my own interests. I lived in a big old apartment building [in the Bronx] and I walked people’s dogs and earned 50 cents per dog, per walk â€" and these dogs were walked two or three times a day. This adds up very quickly. Building Up a Client Base They would see me with other dogs and they’d say, “Oh, that’s a good idea.” It was an apartment complex with a lot of common area around it. Suburbanites have a hard time thinking of it this way, but in a city, the building itself is a neighborhood. On-the-Job Expertise This was the glory days of dog walking, before there were pooper-scooper laws. Who knew there would later be a law that we have to clean up after our dogs? You have to make sure the dogs are compatible with each other â€" if they’re not, that changes the dynamic. I’d walk four dogs at the most, and that’s if I added my own dog to the mix, which typically I would. Getting to the Payoff By the time I was 14, I was able to buy my next telescope, and a camera â€" although my parents chipped in for the camera, because they knew it would work with the telescope â€" and darkroom supplies, because I also developed my own film. The telescope cost about $200, the camera was $150, and the darkroom and all those supplies, throw in another $100 to $200. This wasn’t an “oh-my-gosh-what-will-this-do-for-me?” item. I knew exactly what that telescope would do for me. In that sense, it wasn’t a surprise. Buying it was a fulfillment. I wanted to buy something that continued to give â€" and telescopes do. Purchases That Made History I still have that camera. It was my first single-lens reflex (SLR) camera â€" but more importantly, which was true for any modern camera, the lens was removable, so that I could replace it with adapters to mount the camera body on my telescope. That was the whole point. I posted an Instagram of me taking a mirror selfie with that camera in 1973. Some people are thinking that it may be the world’s first selfie. We’re still waiting for others to claim the title. I offered to donate the telescope to the Smithsonian, and they said, “Oh, we don’t know if we want it,” so I said, “OK, fine.” The Kentucky Museum at Western Kentucky University created its own exhibit of the first scientific instruments of noted scientists. That’s a hell of an interesting thing to do, and so I donated my telescope to them. Dog Walker Dreams I still live in New York City, and any time I see someone in Central Park with six dogs on a leash, I think back and say, “I wonder what he’s saving that money for?” Or he could be using it to pay rent! But I basically funded my own interest in the universe during middle school and high school through walking other people’s dogs.

6 Tips On Working With Recruiters - Work It Daily

6 Tips On Working With Recruiters - Work It Daily 6 Tips On Working With Recruiters When job boards aren’t delivering the results you want, you may consider working with recruiters. But, before you do that, understand how they work. Related: Quick Analysis Of Your Job Search Techniques The fact is recruiters aren’t there to find jobs for people. Recruiters are there to find people for jobs. Recruiters are paid by employers to help fill an open position with the right job candidate, so their loyalty will be on the side of the employer, not you â€" the job seeker. 6 Tips On Working With Recruiters So to get started with recruiters, here’s what you have to do: 1. Don’t go with any recruiter, find one that works in your field and at your experience level. Recruiters will focus their efforts on talent that meet positions they have to fill. If you’re looking for something in the field of marketing and the recruiter specializes in IT jobs, there’s going to be little the recruiter can do for you. In the same light, if the recruiter is looking to fill high-level positions with executives who have 10+ years of experience, you’re wasting your time if you’re just coming on to the job market as an entry-level candidate. 2. Demonstrate you have the skills and experience to meet most, if not all requirements. After job searching and researching for a while, it’ll become clear exactly what most employers seek and require out of a candidate for the position you want. If you want the recruiter to put you in front of their client (the employer), demonstrate through your resume and communication that you are the best-fitting candidate and have the credentials they’re looking for. 3. Be forthright in communication. If you continue to go about doing your own job searching while working with a recruiter, be forthright in communication as to who you’re targeting so your efforts do not overlap. It’s also important to keep communication open following an interview they’ve helped arrange so that proper follow-up with the employer is conducted. The follow-up is also an opportunity for the recruiter to gather any feedback that may help you improve on future interviews. In most cases, it’s the recruiter who will be communicating with you the employer’s decision to hire or pass, so keep open communications. 4. Steer clear of recruiters who require you to pay a fee for their services. Good recruiters are paid 20-30% of the job seeker’s first year’s annual compensation. The fee is paid for by the employer when a candidate is secured and hired, so you â€" the job seeker, should not be expected to have to dole out any money to work with a good recruiter. 5. Don’t limit yourself to local recruiters. Just because you want to be based in New York City doesn’t mean you have to stick to recruiters in the same location. There are plenty of recruiters who work across states and countries to fill positions for employers. A good way to find recruiters is to ask your colleagues and friends in the field for referrals. Those with first-hand experience with a recruiter should be able to provide you with the best insight to whether they’re good and how the particular recruiter works. 6. Don’t expect career coaching and advice from recruiters. You need to put your A-game on in front of recruiters. Think of the recruiter like the hiring manager for the employer. They’re not there to coach you through job searching or to help you figure out what your want to do with your career, although some may offer friendly advice. The recruiter’s primary goal is to fill open positions with the right candidates because that’s how they get paid. Always show professionalism and inform them of what you have to offer that is a right match with the requirements for the job. Also, be open about your professional desires and experiences because the more information you can offer, the more the recruiter has to work with. So, before you go ahead looking for a recruiter to work with, remember that they can help you only if you have to offer what they need to fill an open position. Related Posts 5 Ways To Instantly Improve Your Job Search Results 9 Job Search Trends You Need To Know Shave Time Off Your Job Search By Being A Smart Shopper About the author Don Goodman’s firm was rated as the #1 Resume Writing Service in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Don is a triple-certified, nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Career Management Coach and Job Search Strategist who has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Check out his Resume Writing Service. Get a Free Resume Evaluation or call him at 800.909.0109 for more information.   Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 6) - Work It Daily

Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 6) - Work It Daily In Part 1 of this series, I postulated a formula for some of the “known” elements. The formula suggests that each of this factors can contribute to the success â€" or failure â€" of a retention strategy. Successful Retention = f (Objective Expectations, Compensation, Training, Recognition, Feedback, Organizational Culture, and…) Part 5 discussed several aspects on the power of both positive and negative feedback. There are two additional points that are important to understanding feedback â€" and some specific guidelines for delivering powerful feedback on a regular basis. Negative Or No Feedback For years, I’ve used a classic exercise on feedback to demonstrate its power for managers in training programs. It involves having blindfolded participants attempt a task with three different variables: a manager who provides 1) No Feedback, 2) Negative Feedback, and 3) Positive Feedback. While there have been interesting examples where the “no feedback” or “negative feedback” have yielded explainable best results, the overwhelming number of times (100’s) I’ve conducted this experiment have shown that positive feedback produces results far beyond the other options. The exceptions are notable with practical value for managers. One of the highest overall scores was achieved by a participant who received absolutely no feedback. The instruction was given once â€" then nothing more was said as the participant attempted the task. But in this particular case, the participant “hit” the target perfectly on the first attempt (of 10). The participant “learned” exactly how to do the task â€" without begin given clear instructions (expectations). In the real world, a new employee might figure it out on their own â€" but that’s not a chance a good manager should take. In a second example, one participant who received only negative feedback on performance scored very well. I knew â€" and deliberately picked â€" the person because of a very highly “competitive” personality. This participant was visibly reacting angrily to the challenge, began to take the negative feedback very carefully to fine tune the attempts â€" and made it work. Are there personalities that can perform well with negative feedback â€" maybe even thrive on it? Sure, but that’s not the workplace environment needed for consistent high individual and team performance. And a final note on the power of negative feedback: There are various studies that actually show that we store negative feedback in a different part of our brains â€" and in a part where that memory remains more easily accessed (remembered) for a longer period of time. This is consistent with our knowledge of the “fight or flight” reaction and many other studies on the brain. Easy to prove on a practical level? I think so. Here’s a question: Think back to something very specific that happened to you in the second or third grade. Is the memory something positive or negative (embarrassing)? I’ve asked this question of 1000’s â€" I’m sure about 75% of you recalled something negative. Guidelines For Positive Feedback Be specific! Generalities like “good job” or “thanks for the hard work” aren’t specific enough. Even if your goal is give some feedback on overall performance, include a recent, very specific example as part of that. It’s from you â€" not the company! You should include what it means to the organization, or the department, or co-workers but the primary source of the feedback is you and what it means to you. One of the most powerful pieces of positive feedback I ever received started with: “I want to let you know that my father, brothers, and I know how hard you’ve worked…” (By the way, those words are ingrained from decades ago). Don’t add “But…” Keep the message pure â€" the only thing that can be added for the future is the desire or expressed confidence that the employee will continue the behavior. Too many times, positive feedback is completely destroyed by the “But…” Even when done jokingly, it significantly depreciates the value of the positive. Make it public â€" with caution. Providing positive feedback in front of an audience can be appropriate in some cases and for some people. Think about it! It can also be embarrassing to some people and virtually ensure they will never excel again. Guidelines For Negative (Constructive) Feedback Ask for Permission! This is the most powerful, and most overlooked, tactic for delivering negative feedback. Very few, if any, look forward to receiving negative feedback. Yet it’s frequently “dumped” without warning. Simply ask: “Can we talk about what happened with that last customer?” You’re the boss. In my experience, 90% of the time the employee says “Yes” and you’ve addressed a significant barrier. Obviously, there will be times that, as a manager, you’ll have to insist. But here’s another quick tip: If the employee says “no,” ask “OK, but we need to talk about what happened, when can we do that?” Try it â€" it works! Be quiet â€" listen! In the vast majority of cases, employees are aware of their performance. In many cases, they are tougher on their performance than the manager is. (Note: I’ve discovered that performers don’t like what critics write primarily because they miss more of the mistakes than they hit.) Present the key issue quickly, then let the employee explain and analyze. Good listening leads to focused analysis of the problem and solutions. It’s the future that matters. It’s not a never-ending discussion of the past. Focus on expected changes in behavior and consequences, good when possible, negative when necessary. Express confidence that the person can improve. Clear and simple! Feedback has been identified as the primary motivator of human performance. Managers need to understand the process and develop the skill with practice to be effective. Related: Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 2) Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 3) Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 4) Solving The Retention Puzzle (Part 5) About the author Jim Schreier is a management consultant with a focus on management, leadership, including performance-based hiring and interviewing skills. Visit his website at www.farcliffs.com.     Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!