What To Do About An Employment Gap -

What To Do About An Employment Gap -Historically, having a significant gap in your professional employment has been seen as a huge negative on a resume. However, given that a May Gallup poll showed that 19% of the American bevlkerung is underemployed (either not working or working part-time instead of full-time), there are many, many job seekers out there wondering how to handle this resume issue. The good news is that there are ways to present gaps in employment that minimize their impact on your resume.Fill your time any way you can Hiring managers receive dozens of applications for every job they post these days. They know as well as anyone how tough the current job market is. Because of this, employers are far less likely to stigmatize a job seeker who shows a recent gap in their employment historythe key is to fill that gap with something that shows that you care about your career.Take a classOne simple way to keep yourself sharp as a professional is to take a class while youre looking for work. Depending on your financial situation and available time, there are many options for professional development. Many universities offer continuing education classes in subjects like writing grants or preparing taxes. There are also erreichbar training programs for licensed professions such as real estate sales. If finances are a concern, you can take affordable classes through your local parks and recreation department or library system.Do consulting workWorking less than full time doesnt mean you automatically forget all the expertise youve gained from working in your field. Using your network to obtain consulting gigs not only allows you to earn some income, but it gives you recent experience to discuss on your resume and in interviews.Work as a freelancerI know a copy editor who has been unemployed for 15 months now. Hes been working as a freelancer over the Internet while hes been searching for a full-time position. Given the current economic conditions, he know s that its a logical alternative to doing nothing at all. And should this year-long gap even come up at an interview, he knows that his freelancing experience will not only provide a reasonable explanation but also show the potenzial employer his initiative and ability to persevere under adverse conditions.VolunteerVolunteering is particularly helpful to those who are hoping their next job will be in a field different from their last one. If you dont have professional experience in something like marketing, volunteer to promote a fund-raiser for a local nonprofittheyd love the help, and you instantly possess some marketing experience.If youre currently paying your bills by working a job for which youre overqualified, its OK to mention it when applying for a new position. Employers appreciate the honesty. Im waiting tables right now while I look for full-time work, is a meinung that shows youre flexible, humble, and willing to get your hands dirty when its neededJessica Holbrook Hern andez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http//www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

The 10 Most Important Lessons I Learned When I Decided to Work for Myself

The 10 Most Important Lessons I Learned When I Decided to Work for Myself After spending ten years in the corporate world, I finally decided to make the leap and work for myself. Over the past five years, Ive created a successful business and could notlage be happier. As Ive reflected upon my time as a self-employed writer, Ive realized what its taken to get me here. Below I list the ten fruchtwein important lessons Ive learned since becoming my own boss.1. Life insurance is a must.When I left my employer, I left behind all my benefits, including fantastic life insurance. Over the course of the first few months, I didnt consider life insurance to be a necessity. However, I soon realized that I needed the peace of mind of knowing my husband and children would be financially taken care of, if something happened to me. I went out and purchased a policy the next day. There are many advantages and disadvantages to life insurance, but as a breadwinner, I decided that I needed that comfort to take care of my familyshould the unexpected happen2. Dont forget health insurance.Not only did I put off buying life insurance, but I also put off enrolling in a health care plan. I didnt realize how much Id miss a group health plan. When looking at different health care plans, I found some providers were better than others. Take a look at the best insurance providers for the self-employed.3. Roll your 401(K) into an IRA.One of the things I worried about when leaving my employer welches my 401(K) account. I was scared of losing everything I had saved for retirement, once I quit. Luckily, the benefits of rolling my 401(K) into an IRA account allowed me to keep investing for retirement. Not only could I keep saving, but I also had more options. An IRA account gave me more investment options and flexibility.4. Managing your time is crucial.Being your own boss is great. situation my hours and being able to take time off whenever I needed was exactly why I decided to go rogue, in the first place. However, when I first started working for myself, I strugglumineszenzdiode managing my time. I concluded that if I wanted to be successful at home, I needed to make some changes. Cutting out social media, using online time management tools, and setting up an actual work schedule helped me stay on top of my work and make better use of my time.5. Eliminate distractions from your workspace.Working from home can get distracting. There were times that I would do a load of laundry instead of answering an emailmaybe take an hour to declutter my daughters closet. Recognizing that I was getting distracted by things around my house led me to remove myself from any distractions during working hours. Instead of working at my kitchen table, I started working in my husbands study. I would shut the door after dropping my kids off at school and just work. Eliminating those distractions helped me focus and made me more successful.6. Learn how to delegate.Before I started working for mys elf, I had an employer who delegated tasks. Suddenly, assigning tasks was my responsibility, but I was unsure and unwilling to distribute work. I wanted to take steps to efficiently delegate, so I started small. Asking a financial firm to handle my taxes and freelancing a few blog articles out every month helped me focus on more important tasks. 7. You cant avoid taxes.The only thing I miss about being employed is not having to worry about taxes. Becoming self-employed meant that was now my responsibility. I discovered plenty of ways to manage my taxes after becoming my own boss. I set aside money each week to cover my tax fees. I also save every receipt and am diligent with my bookkeeping. Now, when tax season comes around, Im a lot better prepared and less stressed.8. Balance work and life.Balancing my work life and my personal life became significantly harder when I first became self-employed. I was busy and paranoid I wasnt doing enough to ensure the success of my business. That led to the neglect of my family, my home, and my hobbies. Finding balance meant becoming more strictnot with working, but being mindful of my familys needs. At night, my laptop remained in my office, and my phone was turned off. I set aside a few hours every night to spend with my family. Those few changes led to a more balanced, happy work and home life.9. Be a good boss.Sometimes I forgot that I was my own boss, which meant there were times I didnt treat myself like I should. My first few business trips were spent in cramped motor hotel rooms eating crappy, fast food and taking the cheap flights in the early hours of the morning. No good boss would expect their employees to do that, so why was I doing it? I learned to treat myself like I expected a good boss to, and it made all the difference. I was happier and more productive, which lead to more success.10. You reap what you sow.Perhaps the most significant lesson Ive learned while working for myself is that success depends on m e. If I slack off or waste time, it is my own pocket Im stealing money from. Additionally, I learned that Im only accountable to myself. Reaching my full potential and and ensuring the success of my business is entirely up to me. These ten lessons Ive learned havebeen well-earned. It was a little rough at first, but Ive slowly learned how to manage my time, be efficient, and take care of the leg work necessarywhile still enjoying theperks of being self-employed.

The Average Cost of Resume Writing Pitfall

The Average Cost of Resume Writing Pitfall Average Cost of Resume Writing - Overview Regardless of what resume service you choose, understand that higher resume writing fees dont always translate into a greater quality writer. Make a decision as to what you think is well worth paying for and locate a writer who meets yur standards. You require the writer mentioned previously. Because an excellent writer will often devote a couple of hours writing or editing a resume. Youll discover a list of some of my personal treasured services at the close of the report. It is possible to review services on our site at Great Resumes Fast. Most services offer package deals which include more than 1 service. After getting the info about optimization and parts of LinkedIn profile, it will become obvious to employ the expert services of pro writers to enhance your LinkedIn profile. The Downside Risk of Average Cost of Resume Writing Well, you ought to be quite careful about the duration of summary of your LinkedIn profile, it ought not be more than 2000 characters. bedrngnis having a way to get hold of the business or the writer is an excellent indication that youre going with a minimal quality or outsourced support. Your writer has to know the complete array of skills and achievements you ought to succeed in your targeted position. Beginning writers will, naturally, begin at the base of the range, while the rest of you are able to work your way up. What is Actually Going on with Average Cost of Resume Writing Resume writing is more engaging and client-facing as you have to work one-on-one with the customer. Resume writing is a rather personalized experience, particularly for executives. Average resumes are a breeze to prepare. Writing resumes for individuals extends to you the chance to help them land work, along with earning money from your writing skills. The Fundamentals of Average Cost of Resume Writing Revealed The focus of the session can impact the price. As youre setting your rates, you will want to consider about the types of projects you are going to be requested to take on and estimate how many hours it will take from beginning to finish. Spending under $100 will most likely be a total waste of money. Its quite hard to find a person to compose a quality resume for that price. For resume services, our rates are somewhere in the center of the market with a few of our premium services being priced slightly greater. On the flip side, the maximum price doesnt necessarily signify the maximum quality. For the typical job seeker, the typical price of $200 is more than enough to acquire a quality resume. Get the Scoop on Average Cost of Resume Writing Before Youre Too Late If you reach out to a resume writer and see they have various certifications, odds are they will charge a little more for their services. Naturally, more experience doesnt always translate into better quality. Early in the procedure, you will figure ou t in the event the coachs skills and experience align with your requirements and goals. You may employ the incorrect individual, and receive a bad outcome.