Millions of employees started working remotely after the pandemic first took hold in 2020. But now, more people are returning to the office – and they’re being greeted by much higher prices for just about everything. Food. Commuting. Daycare. Rising gas prices and soaring inflation have made going back to the office more expensive. And that is eating into workers’ incomes, especially if their pay increases aren’t keeping up.

Here are some daily costs that have crept higher, making the return to post-pandemic office life more expensive.

Eating at the office
Coffee runs and long lunches with colleagues are one of the perks of returning to the office. But they come at a higher price these days.

The index for food away from home increased 7.2% over the last year, the Labor Department reported earlier this month. Food prices were up 9.4% in April from the same time last year – the biggest jump since April 1981, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported. And grocery store prices increased 10.8% for the year that ended in April.

Office workers are seeing higher costs for everything from their morning coffee to their lunchtime salad: Starbucks raised prices in the US earlier this year and in October 2021 – and said prices could continue to rise.

“We have additional pricing actions planned through the balance of this year,” said then-CEO Kevin Johnson during an analyst call in February, citing cost pressures such as inflation.
Salad chain Sweetgreen has raised its menu prices by 10% since the start of 2021, the company said in its most recent earnings report.

“Lunchflation is 100% real, everything is more expensive,” said Kelly Yau McClay, who lives in Potomac, Maryland. “Before, you could get lunch for $7 to $12. Now there is no way you can get a decent lunch for less than $15.”

Yau McClay had just started a job doing branding and marketing for a real estate company as everything was shutting down in April 2020. She had been working remotely full-time until October 2021. But now she’s on a hybrid schedule, going into the office three days a week, and estimates she spends around $30 to $35 a day on work-related expenses, like lunch, coffee and snack runs, and parking.

But for other workers, returning to the office has brought some relief – at least on some fronts. Consumers changed the way they spent during the pandemic, with expenses like dining out at restaurants getting replaced with higher grocery bills and more meals at home.

Sara Hill, who works in the insurance industry in Buffalo, New York, saw her food budget increase when she and her four children were home full-time.
“I was eating more food because I am closer to the kitchen… my food spending was still increasing because we were all home,” said Hill.

After working remotely full-time during the height of the pandemic, she is now going into the office two days a week.

Before the pandemic, she spent around $25 to $30 a day on breakfast and lunch when working from the office. But now, with many of the food businesses near her job closed, she regularly brings lunches with her. “I pretty much bring things from home, whether it’s leftovers or a cup of noodles to get me through the day.

Getting to the office
A return to commuting has also meant more gas usage.
With gas prices hitting record highs recently, it’s an expensive time to be filling up more frequently. According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.60. In February 2020, it was $2.44.

In Orlando, Florida, Mike Tobin upgraded to a minivan in August 2020. At the time, he said it cost about $40 to fill up the tank – but now it’s closer to $75.
“My biggest driving thing is going to the office…everything else is really close to where we live,” said Tobin, who works for a wholesale electric distribution company.

For Hill, the higher prices at the pump have made her change her routines to try and fill her tank up just once a week. She fills her truck with premium gas, which she said costs between $110 to $120 a tank.
“That is extremely crazy for gas,” said Hill. “I try to pack the days when I go to the office – if I can do anything right after work or on my hour lunch break I will try to squeeze things in because…it’s a day I am already driving.”

She tries not to leave her house on the three days she works from home.

For Yau McClay, any day she goes into the office she has to pay for parking. It used to cost $1 per hour but increased by 50 cents earlier this year. Now she is paying $12 a day – up from $8.
Ditching the comfy sweatpants and dressing up for the office again is also costly. Apparel prices were up 5.4% in April from the same time a year ago.

“Now that I am going into the office, I have to go buy new makeup sets – so I am spending money there when I wasn’t before,” said Yau McClay. “The things you used to spend money on, like hair cuts, makeup, manicure and pedicures, and updating your wardrobe, those things were essentially on pause for two years. Yes, I was spending it before… I got so used to not spending that it was really nice. And now everything is more expensive.”

Caring for the kids
Childcare costs tend to be one of the biggest expenses in working parents’ budgets – and that is getting more expensive for some parents, too.

In 2020, the national average annual cost of child care was $10,174, according to Child Care Aware of America.

In September 2020, Yau McClay put her three-year-old daughter in a new daycare facility full-time for $2,150 a month. Though child care tends to get cheaper as a child ages, a series of price increases has eaten into those savings, Yau McClay said.

“Every time she got bumped up [to an older age group]…later, they would announce: ‘Sorry we have another price increase,’” Yau McClay said. “Between when we started there and now, the price [for her current class] has gone up almost $200 net.”

The post ‘Lunchflation’ is real. Returning to the office is costing us a fortune appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

{This article originally appeared on Monster}

Hit some kind of milestone? A resume update is in order.

Since you’ve been gainfully employed for a good stretch of time (score!), an updated resume might seem low on your to-do list. We get it: It’s no longer a priority. But if you don’t update a resume promptly and let it go stale, you put yourself at a disadvantage.

“You never know when you may get laid off or when a job opportunity might present itself out of the blue,” says Dawn Bugni, a professional resume writer in Atkinson, North Carolina.

For many people, “updating their resume feels like going to the dentist—they avoid it at all costs,” says Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, executive resume writer and owner of Dallas-based coaching firm Career Trend. Granted, a constantly updated resume isn’t realistic, but there are benchmarks in your career when your resume needs a tune-up.

5 Times to Update a Resume

1. When you start a new job
The best resumes highlight quantifiable achievements—not job responsibilities. But when you’re a new employee, you don’t have any real accomplishments yet. Instead of copying and pasting snippets from the job posting onto your resume, tell the story of why you were hired, says executive resume writer Louise Kursmark, co-author of Modernize Your Resume. Got recruited? Say so.

Now is also the time to update your career summary section. Coming off the job search circuit, you should tweak this part of your resume while your value proposition is fresh in your mind, says Robin Reshwan, professional resume writer and founder of Collegial Services, a consulting and staffing firm in the San Francisco area.

2. When you get promoted
Take the opportunity to celebrate, but don’t forget to update your resume, which should always include your current position. Don’t just slap on your new job title though; explain why you earned the promotion (e.g., “promoted for outstanding performance to spearhead new project”), and “don’t be afraid to brag,” says Bugni.

3. When you complete a big project
Did you close a major transaction? Wrap-up development on a new product? These accomplishments need to be reflected on your resume. “Any time you finish a successful project, make sure it goes directly onto your resume,” says Barrett-Poindexter. Citing quantifiable results is crucial (e.g., “implemented new accounting system that saved the company $50,000 in annual operating costs”). Include such details as how many people worked on the team, what your role entailed, and the hurdles you crossed, says Barrett-Poindexter.

4. When you get laid off
Yes, it stinks to have to update a resume when you just lost a job, but do it anyway. Getting fired is one thing (in which case, you’ll need to do more than update your resume); getting laid off as part of downsizing is a different story. “Unemployment isn’t a black mark if it’s a result of the company’s performance,” says Tiffani Murray, an HR professional and resume writer at Atlanta-based resume service Personality On a Page.

Part of bouncing back, though, involves working on an updated resume. And rather than try to hide the fact that you’re unemployed—a strategy that could put off prospective hiring managers—include in your summary section why you were terminated (e.g., “laid off as part of a 20% reduction in staff”).

Additionally, you’ll want to update your work experience to reflect what it is you’re currently doing. Yet, putting that you’re now a “job seeker” isn’t very appealing to prospective hiring managers. The better move: Join a professional association and take on a volunteer position, such as an events coordinator, that you can add to your resume.

“Showing that you’re actively involved with an industry organization clears up any assumption that you’re just sitting there twiddling your thumbs while you look for a job,” says Bugni.

5. When you acquire new skills
Whether it’s an accreditation, certification, or new proficiency (e.g., learning a second language), skills strengthen your resume, so keep yours current. Industry-specific credentials can also serve as keywords to help your resume pass through application tracking systems, says Kursmark.

Do a quarterly assessment of your resume and remove any outdated skills or obsolete software, advises Reshwan. Look at job postings in your field to determine what skills are in demand.

The post 5 Times in Your Life You Should Update Your Resume appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Get a better understanding of what exactly an employer is looking for, and use those insights to put some extra shine on your job application.

If you’ve been searching Monster job postings for a golden career opportunity, you don’t have to look too far for a helping hand. Job descriptions themselves offer valuable guidance on which resume words to use to best position yourself as a strong, competitive candidate.

Job descriptions can vary from company to company—even if you’re searching for one particular job title—so you have to know how to interpret the information in front of you. Primary tip: Note the keywords used and be sure to use the same words in your application materials.

Why? Because many recruiters and HR professionals use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to pre-screen resumes for applicable words related to the job’s requirements. They do this to narrow down the number of applicants, which can grow to be in the thousands depending on the popularity of the open position. A recruiter doesn’t have time to look through all those resumes one at a time, so they rely on ATS to pull the most relevant for (human) review. By using the same words in your resume that you see prominently displayed in a job description, you’re increasing the odds that you’ll pass the screening test and move on to the next round.

Obviously, this entails that you customize your resume words to each position you plan on applying to. This is key. You can’t use one resume for each job because the keywords will differ from job to job according to what you uncover in each job description.

For more, we broke down the parts of the job description that are most likely to contain the best words to use on a resume so that it leads to a signed offer letter.
Resume Words: Where to Find Them in Job Descriptions

1. The Company Description
How this can inform which resume words you use: The description of the company helps you learn more about the company culture and how well it syncs with your personality.

A company describes itself as it wants to be seen, and from that, you can get clues as to what the company values, what you should research, and what kinds of questions you should ask in an interview.

For example, if a company describes itself as “a rapidly growing athletic brand for busy young professionals,” you can infer that the company sees itself as energetic, youthful, and poised for success. If that matches your personality, then describe yourself similarly in your cover letter.

On your resume, you could incorporate the phrases “rapidly growing” and/or “busy young professionals” to establish that alignment.

Then, once you score an interview, investigate the financial health of the sporting goods industry, design trends, the current generation’s buying habits, and competitors. In general, it’s smart to research the following

• the industry
• the particular position
• the company’s customer base
• challenges
• interests
• goals

Use what you learn to write up some interview questions that demonstrate you’ve done your homework. This research also helps you understand the business better from the perspective of the company.

2. The First Few Bullet Points
How this can inform which resume words you use: They usually map out the bulk of your duties.
Hiring managers frequently front-load job descriptions with the most crucial responsibilities of the job. As you get further down the list, the bullets more than likely represent a smaller percentage of the job duties and requirements.

To stand out to potential employers, make sure your resume elaborates on your skills that mirror the duties mentioned in the top bullet points; you can simply list your skills that align with the job description’s lower-level bullet points.

For example, if a job description’s top bullet requires “advanced knowledge of medical terminology” or “the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders and the public,” those exact phrases should appear in either your career summary or work history.

3. Required Experience/Skills
How this can inform which resume words you use: They tell you what to highlight on your resume and cover letter.

As with required duties, job descriptions will list the most valuable skills and experiences at the top of the list. Your resume and cover letter should follow suit. Why? Because most employers will try to hire the person who will need the least amount of training.
It’s smart to use your accomplishments to address each of the required skills and/or work experiences and to put this information on your resume first. For each major accomplishment, create bullet points that describe:

• the challenge presented to you
• the actions you took
• the results of your strategic efforts

For example, if the job description says you need “extensive experience in staffing,” you might use that exact phrase and mention that you researched and implemented the launch of a new applicant tracking system that helped accelerate hiring times by 25%.

Finding a new job is all about finding the right fit, for both you and an employer. While a job description can show you how you can present yourself as a good fit for the company by using targeted resume words, there are other ways of finding jobs that are tailored to your skills and experience.

The post The Best Resume Words Are Lurking in Job Descriptions appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Job hunters are putting their vaccination status on LinkedIn and on their résumés. Should you?

As someone who’s been working in the recruiting and talent acquisition industry for two decades, Dustin Mazanowski knows how important it is for job candidates to use “keywords” on their profiles and résumés that quickly distinguish them from the pack.

“If it comes down to me and another person with the same qualifications and the same interview, what I wanted to do is have that extra qualification of being fully vaccinated,” the 44-year-old Chicagoan said, as his approximate four-month-old search continues for a senior role in the recruiting industry.
Jacki Hall, an experienced IT project and program manager, has the phrase “Available and Vaccinated for Travel” on her LinkedIn profile. She’s searching for a managerial role that includes international business travel.

“I hoped there were hiring companies requiring travel for an IT project manager, but who were discovering that candidates were nervous about traveling,” said Hall, 57, who spends her winters in Tampa, Fla., and her summers in Minnesota. “If there is a lack of candidates wanting to travel, letting recruiters know that I am ready to get out there might give me an advantage.”

Today’s job market is already starkly different from its pre-pandemic version. There’s a much greater likelihood of working from home, of course, but also the much greater chance of protocols concerning masks and social distancing when physically at the job.
Now, job seekers like Mazanowski and Hall say volunteering their COVID-19 vaccination status could give them a competitive edge.

“It’s better to be overqualified and state all the qualifications you have,” Mazanowski said. The “#vaccinated” mention is not a political statement, but a way he can signal to potential employers that he’s comfortable with in-person office work, he said.

Mazanowski added “#vaccinated” to his profile in July. Hall added it around mid-June, and her résumé’s personal statement also mentions vaccination. So far, neither has seen the disclosure making a noticeable change one way or another in their search.

Figuring out when to disclose vaccination status — or ask about it — is a top new question
It may make a difference going forward, said John Challenger, CEO of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Instead of managing morale over vaccination rules, Challenger said, “employers want to focus on other things. If you are vaccinated and looking to be hired, for more employers that just portends fewer difficulties.”

Challenger said he’s seen “a small group of people” who are revealing their COVID-19 vaccination status on résumés and online profiles, and he thinks more will follow suit.

Josh Daniel, a career coach at Korn Ferry Advance, works with job seekers and employers — and on both sides, figuring out when to disclose vaccination status or ask about it is the top new question. Is it on LinkedIn? On a résumé? During the interview? “Those tend to be the big three,” he said, and he doesn’t see the dilemma going away.

Like his clients, Daniel’s still figuring out what’s the best advice. “There really is no precedent for this,” he said.

“We are exploring new ways for job seekers on LinkedIn to learn more about how companies are approaching the future of work including vaccination requirements, if they plan to go back to an office, stay remote or go hybrid,” said Suzi Owens, director of corporate communications in consumer products at LinkedIn.

More companies are requiring vaccinations for employees
Here’s where job-market dynamics get more intricate — and make it a serious matter to consider including vaccination status.

In early summer, when Mazanowski and Hall announced their vaccination status to potential employers, the number of companies with vaccine mandates was small, yet growing.

A survey of more than 950 large employers found that 21% had some type of vaccine requirement for all or some of their staff by the summer, up from 9% in the spring, according to Willis Towers Watson a human-resources consulting firm.

The same trend shows in help-wanted ads. By the end of August, the share of postings per million on Indeed.com requiring vaccination rose 242% from the same point in the previous month.
Though vaccination is specifically being required in less than 1% of all ads on the site, AnnElizabeth Konkel, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, wrote that “with delta variant cases surging, employers are undoubtedly wondering how they can keep their business’s recovery on track.”

Here’s a blue-chip example: Delta Air Lines is making full vaccination a requirement for its new hires.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has grown impatient with the nearly 80 million people who remain unvaccinated. He said last week that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is creating rules that will require private-sector employers with at least 100 workers to either require vaccination or regular testing.

Though some Republican governors are threatening to sue, Biden has signaled he’s ready for any court showdown (“Have at it,” he said when asked about the prospect of legal challenges to vaccine requirements from Republican governors), and some legal experts say the president has the law on his side.

Knowing a prospective employee’s vaccination status ‘could be a relief for employers’
The real possibility of new federal rules will give some companies the cover they’ve been seeking to proceed with vaccine mandates, Challenger said. In such a contentious moment, spotting a mention of someone’s COVID-19 vaccination status “could be a real relief for employers to say, ‘I don’t have to ask about this,’ ” he said.

Even though the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has said there’s no legal breach if companies ask current staffers about their vaccination status, “an employer should refrain from asking prospective employees about their vaccination status until after they have received a job offer,” according to attorneys at Husch Blackwell, a firm representing employers.

Probing too soon might get them in hot water under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which bars employers from asking job candidates about potential medical matters before a job offer, the attorneys said.

Nevertheless, employers ought to make any vaccine standard loud and clear from the start and maybe even put a statement on the job application, the attorneys added.

How providing vaccination status on a résumé could be a gamble
Hall and Mazanowski say they haven’t encountered any nasty reactions to their job-search-related revelations. That doesn’t mean the strategy is risk-free, said Challenger. Generally speaking, résumés and job profiles should steer clear of controversies that could sink a job possibility from the start, he said.
In a smaller market, perhaps in an area with a lower vaccination rate, it might be a gamble to put mention COVID-19 vaccination on a résumé before having any other chance to make an impression, Challenger said. “You don’t know who an employer is, who might see it, who might take offense,” he said.
But in a larger market with a higher vaccination rate, Challenger said the mention could be a way to quickly stand apart.

Daniel’s not ready to say there’s a risky way or a wise way to talk about vaccination status in a job hunt. It’s a case-by-case situation, he said. But keep this in mind, he said: a LinkedIn announcement is out there for everyone to see. Waiting for a mention of vaccination status in a résumé could be a “deliberate decision because you see it as marketable,” he said.

Uncertainty over Biden’s vaccination mandate for employers
This all hits on a larger uncertainty with the coming federal vaccination requirements.
“There are so many open questions about how this plays out,” said Laura Boudreau, an assistant professor at Columbia Business School.

What she’s interested to know is how any federal vaccination-or-testing rules play out with businesses that have more than 100 workers but are small enough to stay out of the public eye — especially if those businesses happen to be located in places where vaccine hesitancy runs high.

For Hall, the upside to providing her vaccination mention outweighs any risk. “The pros are that it would make me stand out as someone who wants to travel for work and who is willing to take the necessary steps to make that happen,” she said. A risk would be pushback from people questioning the vaccine, but she hasn’t faced that.

As for Mazanowski, he’s willing to take his chances. “I felt that putting that I was fully vaccinated has more upside than not having it or the opposite.”

The post Job hunters are putting their vaccination status on LinkedIn and on their résumés. Should you? appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

While some interviews may feel more like interrogations, they shouldn’t.
Close your eyes and think of a tennis match: The ball is hit back and forth, rather effortlessly (well, unless you’re opposite Serena Williams). An interview should be like a casual game of tennis, where questions are lobbed back and forth. They ask a question, you respond. Then you ask a question, and they respond. Back and forth.

The key is to ask the right kind of questions. The type of questions you chose to ask your interviewer should stem from what you need to know in order to fully evaluate the position. This means the questions you chose to prioritize should be well thought out.

Here are 8 prompts to get you in the right frame of mind:

QUESTION #1: What do the day-to-day responsibilities of the role look like?

Writer Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Success and happiness in a job boils down to contentment with the nitty-gritty of the everyday.

QUESTION #2: What are the company’s values? What characteristics do you look for in employees in order to represent those values?

Dig deep to get more information on company culture. You’ll get insight into what is most important for the company as a whole, and what it values in the individuals who work there.

QUESTION #3: What’s your favorite part about working at the company?

It’s important to get a sense of your interviewer’s opinions about working there. If enthusiasm flows easily, that’s a great sign. If it doesn’t, that is worth noting too.

QUESTION #4: What does success look like in this position, and how do you measure it?

It’s crucial to have a deep understanding of how a company measures success. What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the role? How, and how often, are they measured?

QUESTION #5: Are there opportunities for professional development?  If so, what do those look like?

When asking this question, you’re looking to key into whether there are opportunities for growth and whether the company has a Learning & Development program. Stagnation is a big red flag, so be alert!

QUESTION #6: Who will I be working most closely with?

This question will help you get a better sense of the dynamics of who your collaborators will be. Jot down names, ask for titles. It’s important to evaluate how cross-functional the role is.

QUESTION #7: What do you see as the most challenging aspect of this job?

Knowing the good is just as important as knowing the not-so-good. You want to understand the scale of the problems you’ll be dealing with.

QUESTION #8: Is there anything about my background or resume that makes you question whether I am a good fit for this role?

This question displays that you’re highly invested in the job and committed to understanding your prospects as a candidate. Plus, it will also allow you an opportunity to respond to any potential concerns.

The post 8 Questions You Should Absolutely Ask An Interviewer appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

When you finally see that job interview request pop up in your inbox, it can be tempting to start thinking about all the ways you can please and impress the interviewer, especially right now in a competitive job market.

But, now is not the time to forget that interviews are your chance to interview the company, too. So many companies and industries have changed due to the pandemic. It’s your duty to ask insightful questions to ensure you make the best-informed decision for you. At the very least, it’s your responsibility to make sure you know what you’re walking into if you do accept the job.

Here are 5 new questions you should consider asking in a job interview, whether you land an interview during or post the pandemic.

1. What are the company’s biggest challenges right now and in what ways will this role help alleviate those challenges? 

Any company that has decided to open a new position during this pandemic has determined that the particular role is essential to the growth or continuation of the company. As a job candidate, it’s vital you understand the challenges the company may be experiencing as a result of the pandemic and how the company desires for your role to solve those challenges.

Asking this question allows you to go beyond the job description and gives you an idea of what you should expect if you were to land the position. It shows the interviewer that you’re a problem solver and that you’re not just thinking about yourself, but that you’re also thinking about how you can contribute to the company’s goals. Plus, as you move forward in the hiring process, their answer to this question will give you more ways to show the hiring manager that you can be impactful to the team right away.

2. In light of social distancing and remote work, what tools or practices have you all implemented to continue communication and collaboration, and to support employees?

While some companies embraced remote work and flexible hours years ago, many other companies have been forced to embrace remote work because of the pandemic and have experienced many changes because of it. Now more than ever, it’s important to know what type of company culture you’re walking into – or logging into from home before you accept the job. Especially if you are applying for a manager role, this question will help you get a good understanding of how the company is working together. This will help you be sure you’re joining a place that will allow you to connect and support your direct reports and senior leadership in a way that is productive and effective for everyone.

3. I noticed that you all are big on collaboration and failing fast [or other aspects of the company’s culture]and I could imagine that being adaptable and flexible are a few traits that are even more essential right now. What other qualities have become even more vital in a new hire since this pandemic?

One of the hardest things for recruiters and hiring managers to determine while interviewing virtually is if a job candidate will mesh well with the team. Role fit and culture fit are the top two things companies look for when hiring. Eliminating face-to-face communication makes it a bit harder to determine the latter. But luckily, it’s still your duty to do everything you can to show the interviewer that your values, work style, and personality align well with the company and team. Asking this question is a great way to show them that. It will also give you a chance to see if the team has qualities that will allow you to thrive on the team and at the company.

4. I’m interested in joining a company where I’ll be able to contribute and add value right away. Could you share more about the onboarding process, in light of COVID-19? What changes have been made to ensure that the new hire is still successful once they join the team?

Everyone knows that the first 90 days at any company are crucial to success. As a job candidate and potential new hire, you need to know how the company intends to onboard you while working remotely and practicing social distance. What new methods have they implemented to ensure you get started on the right path? How do they plan to connect you with other employees once you’re hired? What tools or pieces of training do they plan to give you access to once you join the team to make sure you’re well informed and well equipped? How long do they intend for you to work remotely before transitioning to the office?

Asking this question will help ensure you’re not lost at sea once you accept the job offer. It will also show the interviewer that you plan to be a valuable asset to the team right away.

5. I know things are quite uncertain right now but as we continue to navigate this time, what are the company’s top priorities and plans for the next few months? 

Transparency is key right now. If your future company can’t be honest with you as a job candidate about their plans or goals right now, then they most likely will not be honest with you once you’re an employee. Of course, none of us can predict how the next few months will pan out, but you can get clarity on the company’s rough draft. Job security is never guaranteed but, at the very least, you should know that you’re joining a company that has a strategy for proactively moving forward.

Asking some variation of these questions will give you a good understanding of the company you could be joining. These questions will also show the interviewer that you’re a problem solver, a big-picture thinker, and an adaptable team player, all things companies are looking for right now when hiring.

The post 5 COVID-19 Questions You Should Ask in A Job Interview appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Don’t worry if you have a gap on your resume—it’s all about how you explain your experience.

Resume gap. Even the phrase is scary, calling to mind yawning chasms void of all light and sound—and any hope for a new job. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Knowing how to explain gaps in your employment history isn’t as difficult as you may think. There are dozens of reasons why you might have gaps in your resume. Good news: If you know how to explain it well, it won’t hinder your job search.

Whether you just graduated into a down jobs market, got laid off or furloughed, took time off to raise kids or take care of a family member, started a job you hated and quit without another job lined up, traveled the world, or something else entirely, it is all about how you explain your experience that’s going get the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager.

Even if you feel awkward about your resume gaps, trust us—shedding light on the situation will be better than simply leaving it to an employer’s imagination. Here are three ways to explain gaps in your resume and come off as the great candidate that you are.

Be positive
You might have been hoping that the folks interviewing you would take a quick look at your resume and completely miss the fact that you didn’t work for two years—but, we’re sorry to report, that’s not going to happen. When figuring out how to explain gaps in your employment history, you can almost always find some value in it.

As you’re preparing for your job interview by practicing your answers to the most common job interview questions and researching the company, try to identify a few things you gained from your time away. Whether it’s a stretch of freelancing experience, a handful of new skills you picked up during your time off, or a realization of what you’re really passionate about, there’s often a way to frame resume gaps as a period of personal and professional growth rather than just downtime.

Focus on how your experience contributed to your professional development. Shift the focus away from a gap in work to what you learned and accomplished and the transferable skills that will make you a great hire for this job.

Be proactive
If you worked at all or volunteered during the gap, include it on your resume. Demonstrate how you stayed active and learned some new skills.

Did you pick up freelance work, take a part-time job, start your own business, or work on a passion project? Include it in your resume and cover letter. (If you freelanced and had multiple clients or projects, you can group it together under a catch-all like “freelance web developer.”)
Just like with the full-time jobs on your resume, don’t just list your responsibilities—show what you accomplished. If you went back to school, took one-off classes to learn new skills, or completed certification programs, add it to the education section on your resume along with the dates.

Be honest
This is a big one. Lying about your resume gap is a really, really bad idea. Don’t change the dates of employment so it looks like you’re still working at the company or shift them so it seems like you have a shorter gap. Employers can verify your career history, and you could get fired for lying on your resume. Honesty is always the best policy.

If someone asks why you left your job, be honest without talking badly about your previous employer or boss. If you were laid off, explain that the company had budget cuts or restructured and that you were let go. Keep it positive and say that you enjoyed your time at the company, learned skills and that you are proud of what you accomplished.

Transition by tying what you learned and accomplished into why you would be great for the job at hand. If you quit your job without having another lined up, explain what you learned and achieved, what you are looking for in your next job and role, and why that led you to apply to this job.

If you left to be a stay-at-home parent, take care of a family member, were sick, or even quit to travel the world, you can simply say that without diving into details.

There are so many reasons that someone’s career trajectory might have a gap of a few months or a few years—a good employer should be focused on the here and now. After all, the most important thing should be the value you’ll bring to the company.

The post This is how you explain gaps on your resume appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

You’ve written an amazing intro and compelling body copy that perfectly highlights your achievements, but you’re having a hard time making it through the final stretch — “How in the world do I end this cover letter?” you might be thinking to yourself. The truth is, closing a cover letter is a difficult task for many job seekers. There’s a lot of pressure because, sometimes, the cover letter is the only piece the recruiter will read.

If you want to land an interview with your cover letter, you don’t want to sound vague or wishy-washy. Your cover letter should illustrate why you are the best fit and how you will help the company or organization reach success. However, when writing the closing paragraph of your cover letter, it’s easy to have a passive voice, because you don’t want to appear overconfident. For example, if you say, “I look forward to hearing from you,” that’s great — but that alone doesn’t seal the deal. The closing paragraph of your cover letter must be one of the strongest elements because it is the last impression you leave in the reader’s mind.

Here are five phrases to include in the final paragraph of your cover letter that will help you seal the deal for your next interview.

Examples for How to End a Cover Letter

1. “I am very excited to learn more about this opportunity and share how I will be a great fit for XYZ Corporation.”

Strong cover letter closings are enthusiastic and confident. You want the reader to have the impression you are truly passionate about the position and working for their company. This statement will also illustrate your ability to fit into the company culture and how your personality and work ethic is exactly what they’re looking for.

2. “I believe this is a position where my passion for this industry will grow because of the XYZ opportunities you provide for your employees.”

It’s always a good idea to explain what you find attractive about working for the company and how you want to bring your passions to the table. By doing this, you can illustrate how much thought you dedicated to applying for the position and how much you care about becoming a part of the company.

3. “If I am offered this position, I will be ready to hit the ground running and help XYZ Company exceed its own expectations for success.”

By adding this piece to your conclusion, you will be able to add some flare and excitement to your cover letter. The reader will become intrigued by your enthusiasm to “hit the ground running.” Employers look for candidates who are prepared for the position and are easy to train. Therefore, this phrase will definitely raise some curiosity and the reader will want to discover what you have to offer for their company.

4. “I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how my qualifications will be beneficial to your organization’s success.”

Remember, you want to make it clear in your cover letter how the employer will benefit from your experience and qualifications. You want to also express how your goal is to help the organization succeed, not how the position will contribute to your personal success.

5. “I will call you next Tuesday to follow up on my application and arrange for an interview.”

The most essential part of your closing is your “call to action” statement. Remember, the purpose of your cover letter is to land an interview. Don’t end your cover letter saying you’ll hope to get in touch. Explain to the reader the exact day and how you will be contacting them. When you state you will be following up with the employer, make sure you do it!

Remember, the closing of your cover letter is the most important element that will help you land your next interview. By crafting a strong, confident and enthusiastic closing paragraph, you will leave the reader feeling like you would be the best candidate for the position.

The post How to End the Perfect Cover Letter appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

With the rise of online learning, there’s no shortage of classes you can take that offer you a certification in a particular trade, skill or software program. But outside of positions that require certifications — pilots, emergency medical technicians and insurance agents, for example — do any of these make a real difference in a job application? We reached out to recruiters and HR professionals to get the answer.

The consensus: Certifications certainly can make a difference, but not all certifications are created equal. Below are some of the ones that recruiters say actually move the needle in their decision to hire a candidate — if one of them is relevant to your field, consider looking into it!

Role-Specific Certifications

1. Human Resources Certifications (PHR, SPHR, SHRM)

While not a requirement, many recruiters agree that job seekers in the HR field can benefit greatly from professional certifications.

“If I’m hunting for an HR professional, I’ll want to be sure they have certification from SHRM,” says Laura Handrick, Senior Workplace and Careers Analyst at Fit Small Business.

“I am going to be more interested in seeing certifications (or formal degrees) related directly to their career progression (e.g., PHR, SPHR for Human Resources),” adds Dawn D. Boyer, CEO of D. Boyer Consulting.

2. Project Management Certifications (PMP)

“Anyone can claim to have the leadership and organizational skills of a Project Manager, but a certification in this field really adds value to a candidate’s resume,” says Ashley Riedesel, Technical Recruiter at OakTree Staffing & Training.

“Employers love to see this since employees with the PMP certification tend to have a more sophisticated approach to taking projects from inception through to completion across different methodologies,” adds Bryant Vargas, Director of Recruiting, Information Technology at Atlas Search.

Bonus: While this certification is especially helpful for those in the Project Management field, the knowledge you gain can also be broadly applied to other fields at the manager and leadership level.

3. Sales Certifications (Challenger Sales, Spin Selling, Sandler Training)

“Selling skills are often gained from experience, but candidates can stand out by including formal training or certification from a well-known sales philosophy on their resumes. A few examples: MEDDIC, Challenger Sales, Spin Selling, Sandler Training, etc.,” says Jordan Wan, Founder & CEO of CloserIQ. “This shows the candidate has the discipline to back up their raw skills with learnings from sales experts to improve their selling ability.”

4. Help Desk/Desktop Analyst Certifications (A+, Network+)

A caveat here: recruiters say these certifications aren’t quite as impressive for more senior roles, but if you’re in an entry-level position, they can help your resume stand out.

“An A+ cert looks great for a lower-level position like help desk or desktop. It’s a really good starting point and will definitely help you find your footing in the IT industry,” says Chase Wagner, Technical Recruiter at OakTree Staffing & Training.

Recruiters may also like to see Network+ certifications, says Senior Technical Recruiter Kamron Cox, also of OakTree Staffing & Training. “These are easier to get but do look good for those types of roles,” Cox shares.

5. Network Certifications (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE)

If you want to be a network engineer or admin, Cisco offers a variety of certifications that can boost your application.

“A good network engineer/admin typically would have a CCNA or CCNP, and for the heavy hitters, you’re looking at different levels within CCIE,” Cox says.

The CCIE in particular “is a series of the highest level of Cisco Certifications offered for Network Infrastructure Leaders who design, build and implement enterprise networking systems,” Vargas says. “Candidates must first pass a written exam and then pass a hands-on lab exam. When employers see that you’ve dedicated yourself to passing the written and lab portion of their CCIE it shows not only subject matter expertise, but also dedication and perseverance.”

Software Certifications

1. Salesforce

From sales to marketing to customer service and more, many departments in a corporate setting rely on customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, and Salesforce is one of the most popular choices.

“It’s like the Google of CRM systems… most everyone uses [it],” says Wes Lieser, Executive Recruiter & Practice Director of Demand Generation & Marketing Technology at Versique. “If someone is Salesforce.com certified, then I know they’re going to be well-versed in analytics.”

2. Hubspot’s Inbound Certification

Hubspot is primarily a tool for marketers, but it encompasses many different functions within that field — odds are, if you have a role within marketing, a Hubspot Inbound Certification can only help.

“There are only a select few certifications that actually move the needle forward when assessing a candidate… The first is Hubspot’s Inbound Certification,” says Keith Johnstone, Marketing Manager at Peak Sales Recruiting. “It provides a framework and methodology for basic inbound marketing strategies and tactics like SEO, blogging, email marketing and social media.”

3. Google Certifications (Publisher,  Analytics, AdWords, etc.)

Google has a tremendous range of products and services, and almost as many certifications. Whether you’re in digital marketing, data science or software engineering, there’s likely a Google certification that you can benefit from.

“We look for candidates that have the Google Publisher University certificates. There is one for each of Google’s flagship supply-side products: DoubleClick Ad Exchange and DoubleClick for Publishers,” says Kean Graham, CEO of MonetizeMore. “It’s rare to see candidates that have these certificates but when we do see them, we snap them up. We have found these candidates tend to be at a consistently higher level than the others.”

Johnstone looks for candidates with Google Analytics certifications under their belts. “These courses allow students to learn everything about Google Analytics from how to analyze reports, set up goals, campaign tracking to data collection, processing and configuration and more complex analysis and marketing tools,” he says.

Rachel Lehn, Manager of Business Operations at Perfect Search Media, says her company “[looks] for current certifications in Google AdWords… As an agency, almost all of our employees have those certifications,” she shares. “If a candidate has current certifications, we know that they have at least a basic understanding of Google AdWords and Google Analytics, which are core platforms for our service offerings of paid search advertising and search engine optimization.”

The post 8 Certifications That Actually Impress Recruiters appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

“Whitening the Resume.” That is what the headline of a 2009 New York Times article read. A gripping, three-word phrase that described the tactic of candidates altering elements of their resumes to appear less ethnically diverse: changing a name from “Tahani Tompkins” to “T. S. Tompkins”, scrubbing mentions of HBCUs or historically black colleges and universities, deleting professional organizations or racially-specific clubs from the bottom of a resume.

However, this strategy was nothing new.

In 1963, sociologist Erving Goffman coined the term “covering” to describe how individuals with known stigmatized identities made a “great effort” to alter those identities to be accepted by the mainstream. Fifty years later a Deloitte University study revealed eighty-three percent of LGBTQ individuals, 79 percent of Blacks, 67 percent of women of color, 66 percent of women, and 63 percent of Hispanics admitted to covering. Surprisingly the study exposed that 45 percent of straight White men — who have not been the focus of most inclusion efforts — reported covering.

As the NYTimes article had explored, “whitening” or “covering” had become commonplace among a new generation in the workplace. Some would argue that it is still a must-do for ethnic job seekers. Various studies have confirmed that Black candidates have a harder time than whites. A study published in The American Economic Review titled “Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal?” found that applicants with Black-sounding names received 50 percent fewer callbacks than those with white-sounding names. Another study looking just at academic science jobs found that application materials from female candidates received lower rankings and lower starting salaries than male candidates, even when a job application reviewer was female.

However, despite this implicit bias, industry experts contend that employers want job seekers to bring their entire selves to the job. From Glassdoor to GitHub, Pinterest to Proctor & Gamble, creating a diverse company culture has become a top priority. And for Salesforce, it’s not just about diversity—the goal is true equality.

“The word equality really sends a bigger message. We define equality in terms of four pillars: equal pay, equal opportunity, equal advancement and equal rights,” says Cindy Robbins, Executive Vice President of Global Employee Success at Salesforce. “Every leader in the company, every employee, is accountable for diversity and equality at Salesforce.”

The bottom line: As employers seek to find new ways of recruiting and engaging employees, the focus has turned to women and Millennials. With women at half the U.S. population and millennials about one-quarter, addressing the needs of a more diverse workforce is essential for all employers.

With that, how do you best represent your full self in a job application? Here are some things to consider:

1. Don’t Shy Away From Your Diversity

“If you have a foreign-sounding name, don’t assume that this is going to work against you,” advises Elizabeth Garone, a contributor to the Wall Street Journal. “Employers are keen to hire minorities in order to satisfy federal requirements and employ a diverse workforce. Business Mentors’ Al Stewart says he encourages his clients to ‘play up’ foreign surnames or maiden names in order to attract more employers. He recently worked with a Latin American client with a very American-sounding married name. Her résumé reflected that name, and she was seeing very little activity in the job market. Stewart encouraged her to include her maiden name. Once she did, her interview activity increased substantially, he says.”

2. Culture Fit Is Not Exclusive

“Don’t get so caught up in tailoring your resume to fit a job posting that you forget to communicate what makes you special,” says Anish Majumdar, CEO of ResumeOrbit.com. “Yes, you should probably have most of the ‘must have’ qualifications mentioned in a job posting to be competitive. But once that’s established, it’s all about winning people over through your unique perspective and value-added skills. If you’re an amazing coach/mentor, or write an influential industry blog, or regularly volunteer your time to help out in the community, highlight them within the resume! It’s this x-factor that can mean the difference between ‘Thanks for coming in’ and ‘When can you start?’”

3. Lying Doesn’t Pay Off

Immigration status and the job search are stressful enough, but lying on an application or resume can spell trouble in the long run. According to the Center for International Education at Loyola University New Orleans, a job seeker should never lie on a resume or application. “Your visa status should not be included on your resume. Your educational background and work history will display that you are an international student. Hiring managers will ask the appropriate questions during the recruitment process.” However, they point out one caveat. “If your name ‘sounds’ international and you are a green card holder or U.S. citizen, you may want to include your visa status on your resume to indicate that you are already legally authorized to work in the U.S.”

4. Include Professional Affiliations and Cultural Organizations

While explicitly listing age, sexual orientation or race on an application may be tricky, you should recognize that companies are excited and encouraged by applications from diverse candidates. Are you a member of a civil rights organization or a volunteer group? “Don’t be shy! Let employers know where your leadership and passions lie,” advises career counselor Shira Concool. “Do you volunteer at your Korean Church or translate Spanish to English at a health clinic? Put that into your Leadership Experience section. Perhaps as a first-generation American, you travel back to visit your grandparents in Nigeria every year. You can add that as an international travel experience.”

5. Social Media Posts & Photos Matter

With more recruiters and hiring managers browsing Facebook or the social media accounts of applicants, there is a temptation to scrub or sanitize photos that show your identity, sexuality, religion or race. However, there’s a difference between taking down a party pic and hiding who you are. Wardah Khalid, a foreign policy analyst regularly consulted on Middle East issues told Fast Company, “Putting myself out there as a result of wearing the hijab has definitely made me more confident in who I am. Like it or not, when I put it on, I represent a lot of different things. The best thing to do is to own that.” That goes for when you land the job as well. “Walking into the halls of Congress, it’s very white-male dominated. I definitely felt that I stood out,” she said. But over time those feelings of unease were replaced with confidence. “Once I open my mouth, show that I’m competent, and know what I’m talking about,” she explained, “any issues I might have go away.”

6. Highlight The Skills Only You Possess

While protected by law, people with disabilities can face a lot of barriers to employment. However, they can also have skills that able-bodied candidates do not. “Rather than focusing on what you cannot do, focus on what you can do. You learn so many valuable skills from being disabled such as communication, logistics, and adaptability to setbacks,” says visually-impaired Newton Nguyen, Climate Modeling Research Assistant at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. “Use these unique skills to your advantage, and do not let your disability be your defining characteristic. Rather, you are a multidimensional person with diverse abilities. You are unique, you have experienced things many people are deathly afraid of and you came out on top. Remember that.”

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