Do You Know Employment Law?

You're a resume writer, not a lawyer. But having a basic grasp of employment law is useful, because it not only informs the resumes you write, but it can help you position your clients appropriately when they have "special" situations.

For example, my clients have included:

• A woman who was two months pregnant and job searching -- and wondering if she should tell her employers she was expecting. (I directed her to information about the Pregnancy Discrimination Act)
• A young woman looking for her first teaching job who had graduated from college two years ago, but was diagnosed with cancer just a month after completing school. (The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 prevents employers from asking medical questions in an interview, but I coached her to answer the question about the job gap in such a way that it would satisfy an employer that her health issues were resolved and she was ready to work!)
• A young man from Nepal who was interested in working in the U.S. (I had to educate myself about H1-B visas!)
• Numerous Army and Air Force veterans. Anytime you're working with a veteran, you should be aware of special consideration for veterans in hiring for federal agencies and government contractors)
• My 16-year-old niece. Her current employer cited a provision in the Fair Labor Standards act that allows employers to pay employees under age 20 just $4.25 an hour for their first 90 calendar days of employment with the company, even though federal minimum wage is (currently) $7.25 an hour.

Having knowledge of federal employment laws especially is important for resume writers, and I've got a Pass-Along Materials package you can share with your clients on the topic:

Jobseeker's Guide to Understanding Employment Law

It's also important to keep an eye on changes to employment law. For example, today I came across this article, "Quinn Signs Pregnancy Discrimination Measure" affecting pregnant women and new moms in Illinois.

Stay informed!

"Launch" Your Resume Writing Business Into Greatness

I'm reading Jeff Walker's new book, "Launch: An Internet Millionaire's Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams" and it is excellent.

Reading Facebook today, I found an interview of Jeff Walker on Forbes.com, sharing seven lessons ("Why Jeff Walker Is The 400 Million Dollar Man -- And 7 Lessons You Can Learn From Him").

My favorite lesson is #5: First Give, Then Receive:

What do you think of these lessons?

Six Books for Resume Writers to Enjoy, Learn From and Share

I was inspired by this post from Explore B2B of "20 Books to Enjoy, Learn From, and Share" -- and I definitely recommend several of their books (especially numbers 1, 7, and 20!), but most of these are geared towards entrepreneurs in general, not careers industry professionals.

I want to share with you six books for resume writers to enjoy, learn from, and share.

Books to Hone Your Craft as a Resume Writer
Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer (4th edition) – Susan Whitcomb
The "bible" of resume writing -- the fourth edition (updated in 2010), this book provides practical guidance for resume writers as well as dozens of samples that have held up to the test of time.

Start, Operate, Profit: The Ultimate Resource for Building a $100,000 Resume-Writing Business -- Teena Rose
The most up-to-date "getting started" guide for resume writers. It covers both business management and operations issues as well as pricing, client communications, writing resumes, and more.

Books to Help You Attract More Clients
Get Clients Now (3rd edition) – C.J. Hayden
If you're looking for a no-nonsense system for attracting more clients to your resume writing business in the next 28 days, this guide will help. You choose a set number of activities to engage in daily for 28 days.

Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand -- William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson
One of the best books on personal and career branding, this book will teach you -- and your clients -- how to become "digitally distinct." Buyers of the book will also be able to access a workbook to help them build their brand and identity.

Books To Help Clients
Get Hired Now! -- C.J. Hayden and Frank Traditi
Taking the 28-day system she developed for Get Clients Now, Hayden partners with Traditi to offer a step-by-step system to help jobseekers develop a system to guide their jobsearch.

What Color Is Your Parachute? – Dick Bolles

Updated annually, the 2015 edition provides lots of tools and resources for jobseekers...making this a resource to share with clients. While I disagree with some of Bolles' assertions ("Google is the new resume,") there is enough good content to outweigh the bad (he also discusses online job search strategies extensively, which isn't a great source of new jobs for jobseekers, generally speaking). Resume writers will find his "Starter Kit" questions to be useful to ask clients.

Want more book recommendations? Check out my Recommended Reading list!

If You Want Jobseekers To Take Your Blog Seriously, You Need To Take It Seriously

If you're a resume writer who blogs, you need to read this article by Gary Korisko:
The Guilt-Free Guide to Earning an Honest Buck From Your Blog

It's long, but completely worth the read, especially this paragraph:

I don't want to scare you, but as someone who has been blogging for 7 years, there will be times when you're writing just for you. People are reading, but not commenting. But the good news is, those posts will be there when someone discovers you for the first time. But you need to be there for them, even when they're not there for you.

But if you go for extremely long stretches of time without blogging (because some other part of your life -- or your resume writing business, even -- needs you), you may have a hard time keeping your audience.

So read the entire post (yes, the whole thing) ... and take his advice to heart.