Lesson No. 1: Don’t lie. It’s bad for career credibility. We extrapolate: Tell the truth to potential employers. And don’t fudge your resume. More on this one later.
Lesson No. 2: The Trump administration is shaking up the job market, although not always on purpose.
Looking for a job that protects civil liberties?
Interested in working on a pipeline?
The time looks right. President Donald Trump wants pipelines built, for one. A couple of his orders have also landed in court, with civil rights advocates questioning their constitutionality, and the president’s detractors generally driving increased donations to a variety of causes. As a result, some of those organizations can afford more help (read: jobs).
Donations up
Charitable giving is up at the American Civil Liberties Union, which raised some $24 million in a few days after the travel ban took effect. Last week, job postings at the ACLU included ones for policy researchers, social media editors, communications strategists, writers, legal directors, and more.
The Christian Science Monitor reported last week that other organizations are experiencing similar floods of donations for their causes, a backlash against some of the proposed federal cuts. Meals on Wheels, Planned Parenthood and some news organizations have benefited.
Pipeline push
Friday, the Trump administration announced it will issue a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline to link oil producers in Canada and North Dakota with terminals in the Gulf Coast.
Here’s one story from the New York Times. The project has been controversial and incited protests, with conservationists arguing the pipeline is a step backward for clean energy and climate change, and proponents arguing for jobs. A story posted Friday on CNN Money said building the pipeline would require a lot of jobs, albeit temporary ones.
The truth is more protests are likely.
Black and white
And speaking of the truth, do you remember the name Rachel Dolezal? Well, the truth-challenged narrative she told is still stuck in Rainmaker Resumes’ craw, and it’s creating real-life consequences for Dolezal.
Dolezal lied about her race. The Spokane activist said she was black and presented as such, but her parents set the record straight. They said she’s biologically Caucasian.
Cultural appropriation pushes all sorts of buttons, but for now we’ll stick with the element of Dolezal’s story most relevant to job seekers: The Associated Press reports the woman who still presents as a racial minority can’t get a job. In fact, the story notes she legally changed her name because “Dolezal” doesn’t look great on a resume now that her credibility is shot.
Who could have guessed?
We craft resumes that get people through the door, and we do it with the truth, even when it’s hard. No fudging. No whoppers. And we recommend you do, too.
Bets are you learned that a long time ago, too, and you’re on the same page.
For more on jobs, check out the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.