Working World Realities

[qos]

I've had the good fortune to connect with a really good employment counselor who is part of WorkSource. She recommended very strongly that I update my LinkedIn profile, removing the spiritual direction business from it and making it a more focused tool in my search for a day job. I hadn't realized that recruiters are using it as much as they are, and that the profile I've had up could have been working against me.

This has really been a theme over the past few months: juggling the degree to which I can bring my whole self to any given encounter. I grew up understanding that some things are not for general public consumption, and I am fine with being sensitive to the comfort boundaries of others, but I am continually frustrated by the fact that several of the things which are most important to me fall under the Do Not Discuss in General (or Professional) Company.

Anyway. . . I'm going to be creating a new LinkedIn profile for my vocational identity, using my business email and phone, and a different photo than the one I use on my public profile (which needs to be udpated). If I have to split my life into pieces, I might as well make each one shine as much as possible.

Comments

[blessed-harlot.livejournal.com]

The splits like these are... interesting. There are legal issues around what I can advertise along with my massage license (nothing outside my scope of practice as a massage therapist can share a business card or brochure with my license number, for example) so I'm pondering such things myself.

I'm starting to see it as a focus thing. It reminds me of the resume work I've done before, where it's been emphasized that I should narrow my focus and tailor the resume to the job I want as much as possible. Employers only want to see what they want to see, I suppose. They're very position-driven. Perhaps potential clients are the same way.

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. I write my poetry under my LJ name and I don't really mention it at work because it is weird, and then people will start asking me to read some, and asking you for tarot readings, and both of us will be seen as non-serious contenders.

I recently interviewed a guy whose hobby was driving around the UK taking photos of every league and non-league football and cricket ground, and posting them on a website. I found that very strange!

I think you made a good decision there. There's still a requirement to be vanilla in the office.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I grew up understanding that some things are not for general public consumption, and I am fine with being sensitive to the comfort boundaries of others, but I am continually frustrated by the fact that several of the things which are most important to me fall under the Do Not Discuss in General (or Professional) Company.

I wonder if this is more of a struggle for those of us who deeply desire full authenticity (both in ourselves and in others) than for people who prefer to wear masks (and see others wear masks).

I'm glad you were able to get useful feedback. I wish there wasn't such a need to mask the important parts of yourselves, but I suppose it's one of those unpleasant realities of life.

[qos.livejournal.com]

I wonder if this is more of a struggle for those of us who deeply desire full authenticity (both in ourselves and in others) than for people who prefer to wear masks (and see others wear masks).

I think that's it exactly.

[qos.livejournal.com]

I was fortunate at FormerMyCo because after being there for several years and proving myself, people were open to learning more about the non-vanilla aspects of myself. At least the Paganism and tarot. I didn't talk about my kink, nor my polyamory, although in retrospect I probably could have been discreetly open about the latter. I did sometimes talk about gaming (D&D and etc.).

But this is not stuff that I would lead with in a job interview.