Gratitude For What Lies Ahead
It’s officially gratitude season, and on that note, there’s an old saying I’ve always appreciated:
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a tough battle.
I’d like to amend that a little bit to apply to the job search:
Be kind to everyone you meet at a company you’re hoping to work for because you never know who will influence the decision.
The receptionist? Your interaction with them is a critical “first impression.” They might be tight with the hiring manager. The person who holds the elevator door? Might end up being the boss! In my work as a recruiting leader at KIP Search, I’ve seen that one rude move can make or break a hire.
Be kind, be kind, be kind.
On that note, if you’re actively looking for a new job or just getting ready to think about it, here is some food for your thought on how to write a resume and what next year will hold in terms of benefits.
The grammar rules we all ignore on resumes
Even the brightest people with the best grasp of the English language do some pretty wonky things on resumes, grammatically. It’s as if we’ve collectively agreed that resumes aren’t beholden to the usual rules. For one thing, we typically write about ourselves in phrases instead of complete sentences.
Example: Led the digital transformation of the HR department.
Or: Responsible for hiring 100 people last year alone.
Why do we do this? Obviously, it can be traced back to the paper origins of resumes, when shorter was always considered better. Omitting subjects and using funky verbs (see: present participle) was one way to cut down on word count. But in a time when most resumes are digital and no one really subscribes to the “keep it to one page” rule, the reality is, we can afford to bring back full sentences and active verbs.
Recommended reading
"Somebody's got a case of the Mondays" on the Understandably newsletter by Bill Murphy Jr.
Merriam-Webster: We Added 690 New Words to the Dictionary for September 2023
On LinkedIn’s Learning Blog: First Interview Tips that Will Get You a Second Interview
A new report by McKinsey: Some employees are destroying value. Others are building it. Do you know the difference?
It’s almost time to say “Happy Holidays,” and….
Your employer might have a gift coming for you: From recent research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 80% of employers expect to offer more and better financial wellness benefits next year.
With inflation impacting the cost of living, this is good news for US employees. But on the flip side, it’s important for people weighing a job decision to look hard at the benefits being offered.
The phrase “well-being washing,” which I first heard recently, refers to companies offering benefits that at first glance seem helpful, but don’t turn out to be. For instance, offering generous amounts of PTO and lax rules around taking it are nice. But if the company’s culture makes it hard for people to take advantage of that PTO, it’s not a real benefit.
As a recruiter at KIP Search, my job is to match job seekers up with roles that don’t just seem right theoretically, but actually turn out to be right.
If you’re gung-ho about getting a head start on a new job for next year, reach out today.