upworthy

jobs

Education

Job recruiter is surprised when candidate put 671-day streak for Japanese Duolingo on his resume

Clever idea? Or just resume fluff?

@bllshfrv/Reddit, Wikipedia

Nearly two years of learning a language…something's had to have stuck.

In the age of algorithms and keywords and incredibly steep competition, people have to be more strategic and creative than ever to secure a good job. Especially when it comes to drafting a resume that stands out amongst hundreds of others.

Recently, one job recruiter was so impressed by one job seeker’s clever idea of listing their 671-day Duolingo streak—alongside a fluency in English and limited American Sign Language —under the "languages" section in their resume that he decided to share it online.

According to Newsweek, the job recruiter, named Bilal Ashrafov, was pleasantly surprised, and had even considered including something similar on his own resume, “but wasn't sure if it would come across as professional.”

“Seeing someone take that first step made me reflect on its relevance,” he said, noting that “a long-standing Duolingo streak can demonstrate dedication and continuous learning,” even if the popular app only requires a minute of practice a day.

After sharing the resume onto Reddit, others seemed to agree, and commended the potential employee for their innovative approach.

Someone sent a resume with their Duolingo streak under ‘Languages’
byu/bllshrfv induolingo

"Imagine explaining that in an interview—'I'm not just consistent, I'm Duolingo consistent!'" one viewer quipped.

Another commented, "If I was hiring, I would definitely interview this person."

Still another said, "It got noticed, didn't it? Sounds like not too bad of an idea."

Considering that there are a few ways folks can keep their Duolingo streak intact without truly getting proficient in a language, like continuing to purchase streak freezes, this idea might never take on as the new resume must-have. But, on a much broader scale, this story highlights the need to bring a bit of ourselves to our resumes. As the concept of portfolio careers, or a career that includes multiple income streams, rather than a single job title, becomes more and more mainstream, we’ve seen people find great success in listing what they uniquely bring to the table, professional or otherwise.

When it comes to adding resume items that pop, and offer a true reflection for who you really are, think about including:

Soft skills:

These are personal qualities that describe how you work and interact with others, such as conflict resolution or time management, and they are not only gaining importance across the workforce, but are highly transferable across different types of work.

Personal projects:

Whether you got paid for these isn’t paramount here. If you led a community initiative your passionate about, or even have a long-standing blog about something that interests you, this could be included.

Technical skills beyond the job description:

Do you have a proficiency in certain programs, like coding languages, data visualization, project management, etc? Even if a job doesn’t specifically ask for these skills, they could be helpful additions.

Creative or unique hobbies:

You never know what interesting conversations your oddball pastime might inspire, if anything else. So don’t be embarrassed if you’re a wiz a Photoshopping old-timey puppy portraits or engage in recreating Scandinavian folk tunes with GarageBand.

Community involvement:

This can be your volunteering roles, and mentorship programs you might have participated in, or even charities you have close ties to.

Academic achievements:

Include relevant published research papers or presentations, and awards or honors you received during your studies, or any significant contributions you might have made to a research project

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. Include a few, or perhaps your own impressive Duolingo streak, or something else. Just remember, sometimes it pays to think outside the box.

From Your Site Articles
jobs
Health

Boss shares 5 things he's 'sick' of hearing from staff and people actually love him for it

He's just being honest.

via Rob Dance (used with permission).

CEO Rob Dance holds a list of things he's "sick" of hearing from his employees.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted workplaces worldwide, there has been a greater push for improved work-life balance and many companies are taking notice. The exciting thing is that when companies become more flexible, their employees become happier and more productive.

It’s a win-win for all involved.

Rob Dance, the CEO of ROCK, a technology consulting company in the UK, recently went viral for posting about his approach to work-life balance on Instagram. What, at first, appeared to be a CEO reprimanding his employees revealed a boss who knows how to get the best out of is team by treating them like adults.

The post was of Dance holding a whiteboard that reads:

Things I’m sick of hearing from my employees:

- Can I leave early today

- I’ll be late in the morning

- My child is sick, can I rush off

- I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, is that okay

- I’m going to be late back from lunch, I’ve got some things to sort.

I don’t care.

I hired you for a job and I fully TRUST you to get it done.

I don’t need you to account for every single hour.

Times have changed, and the workplace is different these days.

People are sick of being treated like children.

All that should matter is that everyone is happy, and that the work gets done.


He also shared his advice for companies on how to treat their employees. “Treat your staff like adults. That’s it, that’s the big secret,” he wrote. “Give them autonomy. Respect that they have lives outside of work. Don’t gaslight them into being grateful for not being fired every day.” Because in the end, the only thing that matters is if they get the job done. “Output should always trump hours,” he concluded.

Upworthy contacted Dance, who explained why managers still hesitate to treat their employees like adults.

“Many bosses don't trust their employees and keep extremely close tabs on them because of past experiences and a desire for control. They might believe that micromanaging ensures productivity and prevents issues,” he told Upworthy. “Additionally, the pressure to meet business targets can drive bosses to monitor employees obsessively, thinking it will lead to better outcomes. This approach, however, only undermines trust and destroys morale in the workplace. It creates a toxic environment where employees feel undervalued and stressed, leading to higher turnover rates and decreased overall performance. Instead of fostering a culture of accountability and growth, this behavior only promotes fear and resentment.”



Dance says that technology has helped drive demand for improved work-life balance.

“Mobile technology definitely started to blur the lines between one’s professional and personal life, making it tough to switch off from work,” he told Upworthy. “As a millennial leader, I've always valued work-life harmony for my staff, helping them to achieve both flexibility and finding purpose in their work.”

The ROCK CEO also has advice for employees who’d like to gain their employer’s trust.

“Always deliver quality work and aim to meet or exceed expectations. Keep communication lines open by regularly updating your manager on your progress, challenges, and successes,” he told Upworthy. “Take the initiative to go beyond basic requirements, showing your willingness to contribute more. Act with integrity by always being honest and ethical. Seek honest feedback and make tangible improvements based on it, demonstrating your commitment to growth. Finally, a big one is building positive relationships with everyone you work with, as strong connections are what help to build real trust.”

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles
work-life balance
Popular

People share some unexpected jobs that aren't nearly as romantic as you'd think

Who knew?

Unsplash, Unsplash, Twitter

Dog groomer, librarian and knight.

Blink 182 said it best: Work sucks, I know.

When we're kids, we dream of becoming astronauts, marine biologists, firefighters … only to discover that these jobs are nowhere near what we imagined them to be. As it turns out, all jobs require work, sadly.

A recent Reddit thread asked: "What is an overly romanticized job?" And though the answers are blunt, they do reveal another side of these so-called "dream jobs."

Working With Animals

vets, dog groomers, zookeepers, lame jobsAce Ventura Movie GIF by MANGOTEETHGiphy

"You spend most of your time cleaning poop and you're paid like shit." – Coc0tte


FBI Agent

fbi, field work

Sandra Bullock surprise GIF by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Giphy

"I dated a woman who was with the FBI and she enjoyed what she did most of the time but wow was it dry. Imagine sitting in a car watching a house for 6 hours then going back to the office and spending a few hours writing a report. Or looking through 10 years of purchase records and receipts that you pulled out of the trash to build a case. Or sitting in a room at midnight listening in on a dude having phone sex with his mistress.The overwhelming majority of her job was writing reports, status updates, and reviewing financial documents in an office. The hours were terrible, the work seemed boring, and the bureaucracy was thick." – L_Bart0

Video Game Testing

snl, snl video gamesVideo Games Nbc GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy

"I had a boyfriend who did it for several years… You play the same five minutes of game over and over again, hundreds of times (sometimes thousands). The job kinda killed his passion for gaming, and as far as I know, he still doesn't play anything for fun." – QuinnRMonroe

Knight at Medieval Times

medieval times, medieval times knight, medieval times jobsknight lot GIFGiphy

"Those guys start as squires and deal with tons of grunt work and when they become knights, hours are still terrible but now you risk very serious injuries during practice or during a show. All of my friends that have worked or work there have had multiple surgeries, broken bones, you name it. They do like having the spotlight on them and they're like brothers but usually hate it after a while." – Linas416

Traveling Sales

sales jobs, jobs that suckGiphy

"For some reason some of my old coworkers got it in their heads that my traveling sales job was whisking me away to exotic places and gourmet meals on the company dime. No. No no no. Unless you think Syracuse is basically Paris and eating a poorly wrapped burrito while driving because you don't have time to stop for lunch between appointments is fine dining, sales is not sexy." – FistedTate

"Saddest part for me was on the road one time going out to a solo dinner (as usual) and being sat with a candle and rose in the middle of the table. I looked around and saw every other table was a couple and only then did it hit me it was Valentine's Day." – rocket-guy-12

Academia

reddit, reddit hot

How i met your mother spell GIF

Giphy

"If you get offered a professorship in Boise Idaho you have to take it, because you almost certainly will not be offered another one." – workacct1999

Architect

Architect GIF by Harvey'sGiphy

"Seems like lots of good romcom boyfriends are architects. In reality, the hours are long, the stress is extremely high, and pay is really poor for a skilled profession.Edit: I'm an interior designer, and it never stops surprising me that I make FAR more money than architects, with far less training." – RandomRavenclaw87

"There's a great essay that's titled something along the lines of 'the best time to be an architect is at a cocktail party.' I'm lucky. I genuinely love architecture and design and didn't really mind the killer hours and stupid tests when I was younger, and I have mostly worked for firms that ask me do quality work most of the time. But man oh man do the general public have no idea how cutthroat and fragmented the business side of it is." – Bulloak

Humanitarian Work

Angelina Jolie Love GIFGiphy

"People imagine you selflessly save starving babies. In reality it's a commute to a desk job and staring at a computer all day." – DJRoone

The Film Industry

the disaster artist filmmaking GIF by A24Giphy

"I'm currently on a show I love with people I love and it's the weirdest mix of dream job and ruining my life. I get to make incredible things but the deadlines are unreasonable, I haven't had a weekend in months and neither have my coworkers. I feel like I'm in a suicide cult where we are all too afraid to let each other down, meanwhile we are just lining the pockets of the CEO of Netflix." – jerisad

"Other people: "Do you ever get to meet {insert famous performer} ?

Me: "Sadly, yes." – Wuz314159

Lawyer

Harvey Specter suits GIF

Giphy

"Working as a lawyer isn't anything like on TV." – Grapezard

"I'm a lawyer and most of my friends are lawyers and I know very, very few who enjoy their jobs. The disconnect between what people think lawyers do and what lawyering is actually like on a day to day basis is massive." – _Doctor_Teeth_

Chef

Happy GIFGiphy

"It's not all creativity and celebrity. It's almost entirely grunt work, danger, injury, and long hours resulting in missed time with family." – tamiraisredditing

Fashion

That Is All Meryl Streep GIFGiphy

"People have big dreams, but most people end up working positions similar to quality control assistant at a random industrial uniform company rather than a designer at Forever 21, let alone Dior. Reality is quite brutal. Even if you do make it into the mainstream side of things, be prepared for all the negative stereotypes. It's pretty much true that it's filled with toxic, judgmental, superficial people who are also kinda racist…And those ethically sourced, made by women in developing countries, feel good brands? You'll be shocked by how morally questionable it gets behind the scenes.I left the industry kind of by accident due to life circumstances, but I always knew I was never going to be happy in that environment. Nor would I have made as much money or have any semblance of a work life balance." – lithelylove

Librarian

DC comics television GIF

Giphy

"It's not quiet, we don't read all day, we clean up our fair share of bodily fluids, plunge many toilets, and interact with homeless/mentally ill patrons fairly regularly depending on our location. Sure a bulk of our job is recommending books to readers and coming up with fun programs, but sometimes I feel like a community secretary…Or a social worker, which I did not sign up for. I love my job, but it is absolutely exhausting and gross and stressful and scary sometimes." – _s_p_q_r

Writer

flying kiss misery GIFGiphy

"You picture yourself at a typewriter in a cabin by a lake, crackling fire in the fireplace, a golden retriever asleep at your feet and a glass of lagavulin in your hand dreaming up the next great American novel. Contrast that to reality where the writing jobs that actually pay the bills usually involve long nights and weekends sitting in a cube farm writing the instructions that come with a toaster that nobody will ever read." – capn_gingerbeard

Airline Pilot

This looks a little too bright catch me if you can GIF

Giphy

"People think you are like Leonardo Dicaprio in Catch Me if You Can; swaggering through the airport, wearing sunglasses, surrounded by hot flight attendants. In reality, we're like glorified bus drivers whose job is 1% excitement and 99% absolute boredom just sitting in a cockpit waiting for life to pass by." – Essex1820

By this point, you might be wondering, IS there a job that's as romantic as it sounds? One user provided a humorous answer:

"IT is exactly as romantic as it sounds. It really is a bunch of nerdy guys in a basement spending most of the day on Reddit and acting like we're swamped with work."

And a delivery driver came in to offer the thread a different perspective:

"I work at a Dominos delivering pizza and everybody acts as if it is the most embarrassing job but I love it! I basically get paid 20 bucks an hour on average… and honestly I like it a lot more than my graphic design job."

Though maybe no job is as glamorous as it looks on paper, hopefully we can all find that sweet spot where even the less-than-ideal working conditions are still workable.


This article originally appeared on 11.24.21

From Your Site Articles
work humor
Pop Culture

The dull side of these 17 'dream jobs' will erase any doubts about your own work life

Every job has its disappointments. Maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Photo credit: Canva

Maybe there is no such thing as a dream job.

Listen, no job is perfect. Even with what most consider to be a dream gig, there’s bound to be some gap between expectations and reality—be it tedious, but necessary admin work, investments costs, day-to-day stresses, being away from family for extended periods of time…the list goes on.

And that was the topic of conversation led by a recent AskReddit thread, when someone asked:

“What type of job seems appealing but ends up being quite disappointing?”

Out of the 4,700 responses the question garnered, we’ve chosen 17 of the most interesting ones.

While it might at first seem like a bit of a downer to pull back the curtain on some of these vocations, it can also instill a little more appreciation for the folks that manage to actually do them day in and day out.

Without further ado…

1. Librarian

via GIPHY

"I tell people it's my job and they say, 'That must be chill," or, 'I'd love to read all day.' It's basically just another customer service job where I'm either checking books in/out or showing people how to do basic computer things, but we also attract a lot of folks with mental health problems or substance abuse issues, and that can lead to some tense situations."

—u/fourphonejones

"I'm a fellow librarian here, and people are surprised when I tell them this. People idealize libraries as a kind of academic third space, but I always explain it by saying, 'It’s more a community center with a bunch of books than a place to read and do research.'

Like all jobs, it comes down to measuring stats to determine value, even though it's a service. How many computer users did we have? How many people attended our programs? Not so much discussing literature genres and theory. Also, here’s some Narcan, and watch this video on dementia and active shooter situations.

And let’s not get started on the book ban.”

—u/PonyEnglish

2. Florist

via GIPHY

"Working at a flower shop is just like any other retail position, but everyone assumes it’s more enjoyable than it really is. Assisting families in selecting flowers for funerals is definitely not the fun part either."

—u/Serious-Baseball-321

"'I don't care that you're saying you want azaleas, the email specifically said rhododendrons. Yes, I get it's your special day, Janice, but I can't source 34 brand-new centerpieces in the next two hours. Yeah, well, next time communicate with your bridesmaids better. Yes, I was insinuating there will be a next time, because you seem lovely.'"

—u/Worried_Place_917

3. Forensic Scientist

via GIPHY

"A friend of mine is a forensic scientist, and whenever he's on dating apps, it's the only thing people want to talk about. His work is actually pretty technical and involves a lot of routine tasks."

—u/Beneficial-Pop7235

"Former forensic scientist here, it sounds glamorous but often you specialize in one thing like drug analysis or fingerprint analysis and it becomes very repetitive. I was fortunate to be a generalist and did a variety of things."

—u/ironmanchris

4. Personal Trainer

via GIPHY


“Sounds fun, right? Help people exercise all day. Spend time in your already-happy-place - the gym. In reality it's a constant grind to keep getting new people in to replace the ones who drop out suddenly on a whim, or complain about not having enough time, etc etc. They never really put in the true work and focus and expect their hand to be held the whole time. People who can't learn to appreciate the process of losing weight and getting fit.”

—u/relevantelephant00

5. Veterinarian

via GIPHY

"Expectation: Ooo, lots of animals!

Reality: Death. SO MUCH DEATH."

—u/rekniht01

"There's a reason that field has some of the highest suicide rates. I only worked in a pet store, and the number of insane pet parents, abusive/ignorant owners, and pets that were definitely not living their best lives was heartbreaking. Vets get even more angry customers and heartbreaking cases. I befriended a few vet techs and vets, and their mental health is almost always in the dumps."

—u/magicrowantree

6. Security Guard

via GIPHY

"I couldn't believe how lucky I was...getting paid to stand there and do nothing.

Until that job, I had not realized how much I would hate being bored."

—u/series_hybrid

7. Travel Blogger

via GIPHY

"A travel blogger job seems appealing with its promise of adventure and free trips, but it often turns out disappointing due to constant deadlines, unstable income, and the pressure to always 'perform' for social media."

—u/Delilah_KlineXO

…In that same vein…

8. Influencer

via GIPHY

"I know a lot of kids aspire to it, but the idea of having to constantly be on camera and always coming up with new content and always looking and playing the part no matter what seems literally exhausting. Not to mention the fact that you’re an online figure, so you are going to experience abuse and crap from people because that’s what people do online. It’s a hard pass from me."

—u/wellyboot97

9. Rancher/Farmer

via GIPHY

"I cringe every time I see someone say they want to live on a farm or ranch. It's hard, brutal work. Most people that say it will not last."

—u/peezle69

"Every time somebody romanticizes farm life, I think of the time my entire family went on vacation in the middle of winter and left me to take care of the herd. Massive ice storm hit while they were gone. Picture me, a 5'4" woman, alone out in the middle of the prairie in my dad’s overalls and coat, trying to bust ice in the cattle troughs with an ax. Ballerina Farm could never."

—u/jellyrat24

10. Music Store Employee

via GIPHY

"I thought it was going to be listening to awesome music all day. It was just putting stickers on everything, trying to sell an absolute rip-off of a store card, and listening to the same four basic-ass albums over and over and over until you understand why war crimes are a thing."

—u/Comics4Cooks

11. Event Planner

via GIPHY


"Seems exciting until you’re stuck with last-minute changes, unresponsive vendors, and managing everyone’s stress."

—u/Exotic_Insect8587

"I studied event management and I couldn't believe how much red tape and risk management there is. It's like the whole job."

—u/ClammyPlacebo

12. Chef

via GIPHY

"I wanted to be a chef when I was a kid. Now I work in a kitchen and I hate it. The work is harder than you think, a lot of your time is spent doing mundane tasks, and you practically live there so no work-life balance.

Although all the chefs I know that 'made it' make quite a bit of money, they were so hard on their bodies from lack of sleep and drinking that they can’t enjoy their life after they retire. Their friends were reduced to their drinking buddies because they were the only ones who were available after closing.

Those who had families had strained relationships with their children and wives. Super sad."

—u/Dry-Substance3260

13. Film Crew

via GIPHY

"Don't get me wrong, I love it, but after five years I can already tell my body will not be able to keep up with it till retirement."

—u/Flanman1337

"The hours that people in this industry work are completely insane. I'm talking everything from set building to cameras to makeup to the damn accountants. Our hotels offered free breakfast and even light dinners, and we almost never saw them."

—u/lovebyletters

14. Video Game Developer

via GIPHY

"Video games are great. Creating them is hell with long work hours and minimum pay."

—u/The1joriss

15. College Professor

via GIPHY

"Much less lecturing on profound topics of importance, much more trying to keep your course running properly on Canvas than expected..."

—u/PuzzleheadedPin1817

16. Archeologist

via GIPHY

"When I was an undergrad, it was so exciting. A different dig every summer… different eras, different cultures, different countries, different crews, so much to learn! But I figured out in grad school pretty quickly that it was 90% begging for money for your project while having to juggle teaching first-year yokels at some school in a part of the country you never wanted to visit — let alone live — and 10% using a toothbrush on the same patch of dirt that no one was ever going to be interested in for the rest of your life."

—u/SnappyTippyTappies

17. Social Media Manager

via GIPHY

"Thought it’d be memes and chill, turns out it’s dealing with 2 a.m. crises over emojis."

—u/SunbeamHeart

"Even if I'm at home and on my social media privately, I can't not see what people are trying to sell, product or way of life, or what trend they are hopping on. It's handy since I can spot a scam but also a balls because I don't really enjoy social media like normal."

—u/isaidyothnkubttrgo

And as a positive bonus, we’ve added in a few jobs people said might seem UNappealing but are actually not half bad!

1. Data analyst

“Definitely not exciting to talk about and I live in spreadsheets but it's honestly a lot like doing puzzles, lots of problem solving.”

—u/DrunkenJetPilot

2. Financial analyst

"This is the best job I've ever had. I'm always looking for more projects, because I love that initial rush of looking at all the angles, and trying new things to figure out this particular issue. And then when you create something really cool that makes people's lives easier, amazing. A very satisfying job with lots of appreciation."

—u/WalmartGreder

3. Urban Forester

“I’m a forester who got into that line because I liked physical outdoor labor, but moved into the more technical side of urban forestry because I don’t want to be doing physical labor when I’m 50.

Don’t tell my forester friends this but I’ve fallen hard for spreadsheets. I just set up a 5 tab sheet that’s all interlinked and I feel like I just created a miniature universe. It’s fascinating.

And I have a MiFi so I can work spreadsheets outside under trees. Life is good!” —u/TheMonkus

Let's face it—humans need novelty, relaxation, creative expression, stimulation, opportunities to learn. No job can fulfill all these needs. Maybe we're better off accepting that as long as we're getting these needs met in other ways, then maybe we're not doing so bad after all.

From Your Site Articles
community
Trending Stories