Sexual Orientation Discrimination and California Law

The only state in the United States that has anti-discrimination law for sexual orientation discrimination is California. California has many statutes that protect workers from any discrimination in the workplace regardless of their sexual orientation. One of the more complicated of these issues is in regards to perceived sexual orientation.

Employers who think that one of their employees, or a potential job candidate, is homosexual or of what the employer considers a “questionable” sexual orientation, and fires the person (or does not hire the person) for this, the employer is discriminating against that person due to their perceived sexual orientation.

It does not matter whether or not the person is actually homosexual; California law states that even assumed sexual orientation discrimination is grounds for a lawsuit. The fact that the employer has proven their bias is good enough for a court case.

Changing Jobs and Providing Your Resume For A New Career

Changing jobs has to be one of the more difficult decisions you can make. Staying in the work environment you are used to can sometimes be easier than having to change careers and having to write a resume to prove your professional qualifications and credibility. The decision for change becomes that much more difficult if the new job you want means changing your career. While you will face a challenge in trying to get the job that meets your new career objectives, writing your resume should not be one of them.

On the Internet alone, there are numerous resources for career changers. From helping you decide which career you are best suited for to providing helpful advice on how to succeed in your new job, you will find an overwhelming amount of resources to help you in your new journey. While most of the information you find will be helpful, be careful about the sources you utilize in order to put together the most persuasive resume for your new career choice.

There are really two basic elements to successfully writing a resume for a career changer: research and transferable skills. Most people put a lot of thought into changing careers. They consider their families, their living and financial situations, their competitive advantage in the new field, etc. After you convince yourself that changing careers is the right thing to do, you will have to convince your potential employers to give you the job you are seeking. To do so, you have to do your research. Demonstrate to your employer that you have an extensive knowledge of the industry, even if you don’t have the accompanying experience.

Before you begin your new career, make sure that you understand what professional paths are available for you, and determine what your ultimate goal is. This will help you form the career objective for your resume. Additionally, make sure to do your research on the company you are interested in, as well as their competition (if you are interested in non-profit organizations, make sure to brush up on other organizations with similar missions); if invited for an interview, you will want to appear very knowledgeable not only about their company, but about the industry as a whole. You will have to convince your potential employer that you the best person for the job, better than the candidates with experience – to do that, you have to showcase not only your enthusiasm for the opportunity, but your eagerness to learn and your knowledge about the field.

Transferable skills, those skills that can be utilized in numerous fields, are also a key to a successful career change. Consider your qualifications to date. What experience have you acquired that can be transferred across industries? Transferable skills include verbal and written communication, people management, customer relations, organization and project management, development of new processes, generation of new ideas or concepts, etc. Such skills can be adapted to all organizations, and you should utilize them to showcase your qualifications for the job you are seeking.

For example, if you would like to ditch the 9-to-5 desk job for a hectic, unpredictable life of a high school teacher, let your potential employer know that your previous experience in leading by motivation makes you a perfect candidate for the job (even if that marketing project you managed has nothing to do with teaching English composition). Making a list of all your professional experiences and the qualifications needed for the job you are seeking will help you in determining which skills are transferable to your new career. Once you define your transferable skills, use a functional resume to assure most (if not all) of the qualifications needed for the new job are met in your resume.

In addition to your resume, use your cover letter or email to let your potential employer know why you are changing careers, and that your new interest is not a passing one. Make sure that your resume reflects your new found interest in a genuine and professional manner, and you are sure to have a successful career change.

Printed Resume Tips

As professionals, we rely on the Internet to search for jobs and to apply for them. We create our resumes and cover letters to fit the electronic format, so it is not a surprise that having to print out a resume can result in concerns and mistakes.

First, let’s discuss when a printed resume is needed. While you are completing numerous job applications online, you still need to have a printed resume to bring on an interview with you. You also must keep in mind that it is very likely your potential employer will print out your resume from a job search web site or from the message you sent expressing your interest in the job. Thus, it is very important that you print out a test copy before submitting your resume to employers to assure the layout is what you want it to be.

As a rule, when printing out your resume, make sure to use white or ivory paper. You can get a stack of resume paper at any office supplies store. You will want your resume to appear as clean and professional. Do not use color paper, or change the color of the font in order to make your resume stand out; your employer will find this unprofessional and childish, which is not the first impression you want to make.

If your resume is longer than one page, print out multiple pages. Don’t print on the front and the back of a single page; rather, include headings in your resume file, indicating page numbers and print each page on its own sheet of paper. You should not have any handwriting on your resume; make sure that page numbers are in fact printed along with the rest of the resume content.

Make sure that you let your resume sit on the printer for a few moments before picking it up. This will help you avoid smudging the ink of the paper, especially if you are using an Ink Jet printer. You want to assure that the resume doesn’t have any smudging, stains, or crumpling when you are handing it to your potential employer. First impressions are important – you don’t want yours to be that of someone who is sloppy and careless.

When going in for an interview, you should bring multiple copies of your resume with you. Some people think this is not necessary because your potential employer already has your resume. This is a common misconception. You should always have several copies of your resume printed out and with you when at an interview. Often times, the hiring manager may ask another associate to meet you during the interviewing process, and he/she may not have a copy of your resume. Having extras makes you look professional, prepared and organized, which helps you set your best foot forward.

Additionally, it is helpful that the copy of the resume you bring in for an interview has a complete list of references. You can include the references directly on your resume (typically at the bottom of the page), or you can include a separate sheet of paper with the list. The first option is preferred, because it provides the employer with all of the critical information about you in one place. Including your references preempts the employer from asking you for this information; it also shows that you are seriously interested in the available position.

Having a well-formatted, clean and professional resume will only help you make a great first impression, and help you get the job you are truly interested in.

Check Your Education If Starting A New Career

It is very important for those who are thinking about going back to work after an absence, or for those thinking of starting a new career, to look into their educational history.

It is a big boost to be able to add a two year degree or a bachelor’s degree to a resume that formerly had no secondary education listed.

The problem for many people who want to further their education is that they do not have the time to go back to school. They have families and full-time jobs that prevent them from attending classes during the week. Some options for these people can be Saturday and weekend classes or online classes.

Many degrees are currently available through online universities or through brick and mortar universities that have online programs. Saturday and weekend college are generally all day events, but many companies pay for their employees to take these classes.

Today employees look at your educational history and qualifications as more and more people are looking for employment. The better you are equipped the better your chances of securing that position.

Posting Your Resume Online

One way a job seeker can reach a large number of employers is by posting their resume online. This can be done on a personal website or by entering the resume in a database managed by websites which host job advertisements such as monster.com or hotjobs.yahoo.com. Having web resume services available online can provide a great deal of exposure for a job seeker but it can also create some unique problems as well. This article will discuss some of the unique concerns when posting a resume online and will also provide a few tips for how job seekers should go about posting their resume online.

One of the biggest concerns in regards to posting a resume online is valid for job seekers who are currently implored. This is the concern that current employer will encounter the online resume and learn the employee is seeking a new job. There is certainly nothing wrong with employees seeking out other possible jobs, however, most employees do not wish to make it common knowledge when they are considering leaving their company. Fortunately many of these job posting website realize this is a concern and have provided options for these job seekers to remain anonymous. In most cases information such as the name, address and current employer will be kept confidential. This allows the job seeker to search for jobs without the current employer accidentally stumbling upon the employees resume online.

Another concern job seekers may have when posting their resume online is receiving contacts from those who they are not interested in hearing from. While it is true that job seekers are posting their resumes for exposure this does not mean they want to be contacted by job search agencies or individuals who do not have an available job for which the job seeker is qualified for or interested in. Again, many job posting websites realize this is a concern for job seekers and provide some forms of protection for these job seekers. Specifically some job posting websites may allow the users to specify which types of agencies they are accepting inquiries from, the locations they are interested in finding a job in and the type of employers they are seeking. For example a user may be able to specify they are not interested in being contacted by job placement agencies.

When job seekers are posting their resume online they may want to follow a few basic guidelines. Obviously the resume that is posted online should be carefully edited to ensure it is free of typographical errors. It should also be reviewed to make sure it highlights the skills and previous work experience of the job seeker. The job seeker should also make sure the information on the available is accurate and not misleading.

Job seekers posting resumes online may also wish to keep the resume fairly generic so they can use it to apply for a number of jobs without making major changes to the resume each time they apply. Some of the available job posting websites allow the user to store more than one resume in the database. When this is possible the user should take advantage of this opportunity to create resumes which are more tailored for different types of jobs. Most of these websites will not allow the user to store an infinite number of resumes online so the user will likely still want to have one generic resume stored in the database. Then they can replace other tailored resume after a sufficient amount of time has passed and the user is fairly sure he is not being seriously considered for the position for which he applied.

Another  important resume tip is to make sure your most valuable skills are really showcased when you post a resume online. This is especially true for websites which only allow you to store one resume in the database. The job seeker should carefully consider the skills necessary for the type of position he is seeking and make sure the resume shows how the potential employee has demonstrated these skills in the past.