ResuMAYDAY Blog | Resume, Job Hunting and Career Tips

April 23, 2020 By Lauren Milligan

Free Job Search vs. COVID-19 Webinar, 4/28

Join me for this free employment webinar on Tuesday, 4/28 at 9:30AM (CST), hosted by the St. Charles Library (St. Charles, IL). If you saw me on WGN Morning News on 4/23, I’ll build off of the few tips I shared during that segment.

Our topics will include:
Suggestions for identifying your transferable skills and then adding them to your resume.

What to do if you’re in an industry that has completely shut down (entertainment, hospitality, travel, etc…).

Other things to keep in mind when updating your resume, and other job search tips.

We’ll leave plenty of room for Q&A. Click HERE to access the library’s event page, with more details.

Hope to see you there! Let’s all turn ourselves into potatoes!

December 17, 2019 By Lauren Milligan

It’s not scary, it’s just networking!

A few days ago I was talking with one of my favorite clients (if you’re reading this, you’re also my favorite) about her job search. We’ll call her Sherri. Sherri mentioned a former boss that she loved working for, and wished she could find another working relationship like that. I asked Sherri when she last spoke with this manager; she admitted they hadn’t spoken since Sherri left that job.
Considering the title of this post, I’m sure you see where this is going.

Her ‘homework’ this week is to reconnect with this manager via LinkedIn. Why? Maybe there’s a timely opening in this manager’s department. Perhaps this manager knows of opportunities with other companies.
But forget job leads for a moment. I’m sure this manager can offer Sherri career advice, or just be another important advocate in Sherri’s corner. Before I could get any of these reasons out, Sherri audibly balked at the thought of making contact with someone who she hasn’t talked to in a few years. My response? “It’s not scary, it’s just networking.” I used the same tone a parent uses when a kid falls down, and the parent wants to convince the kid she isn’t hurt. I know that many people…probably the majority of people, think networking IS scary. That’s why I’m acclimating Sherri by having her start with people who she truly likes and respects. That way, if she does ‘fall down’ (which she won’t), she won’t be hurt. The conversation she has with her former manager will be genuine, and possibly even easy.
And I’m really hoping that in a few weeks, Sherri will be the one to say, “it’s not scary, it’s just networking!”

January 17, 2019 By Lauren Milligan

Low-Cost Job Search Classes for Older Workers

We’re happy to report there are a lot of low or no-cost resources for job seekers in the Chicagoland area. College of DuPage contributes to this bounty with their Plus 50 series of classes taught by local experts, including Lauren Milligan, of ResuMAYDAY. These classes are part of the Continuing Education curriculum, which means you don’t have to pay for credit hours. It’s all very simple and budget-friendly.

The upcoming classes are:

The ‘Career Readiness’ class is a 5-week series that includes resume writing, LinkedIn, interviewing skills, ageism in the workplace, and negotiating skills.

The ‘Self-Discovery’ class is a 3-week series full of self-assessments, writing exercises, group exercises, all geared towards helping you discover your most fulfilling path in your career or volunteer hours.

The ‘Job Search Websites’ class provides a whole catalog of great websites to utilize in your search, and also steers you away from the time-wasters.

Later in the year, the ‘Networking’ class and ‘Negotiation Skills for Women’ class will be added to the roster.

Here’s a screenshot of the catalog and schedule. For a better view, head over to page 33 of the College of DuPage Continuing Education catalog, here.

December 19, 2018 By Lauren Milligan

Protected: Today’s word is…Reciprocity

December 19, 2018 By Lauren Milligan

Job Search Deductions…2018

Big changes for the tax year 2018! Job seekers, the federal government has ended job-search related expense deductions. You’ll definitely want to talk to your tax accountant if you spent money looking for a job in 2018. Perhaps she’ll find some kind of loophole in your favor, but most people will experience a three-prong loss: no income; job search expenses; no deduction relief. Ouch.

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