What we’re reading: First aid for resume gaps, non-pest networking, and more

Year-round advice to keep the job hunt current, accounting for gaps in your employment history, the right moves post-interview, lessons from nonprofit leaders of color, confidence-building practices, the new way to network, and a multimedia look at office life – plus more – in this jobseeker edition of “What we’re reading.”

Jobseeking
The Seattle Times: 6 things I learned about job hunting from a year of giving career advice
A succinct list of items to put on your perpetual to-do list when thinking about your next job – whether actively or passively. “Taking a few hours every couple of months to chip away at these items can make your next job search a bit easier.” 

The Motley Fool: This factor makes you 45% less likely to land a job interview
Though resume gaps are fairly common, they can really count against you with hiring managers. Here’s some simple ways to address your employment-free periods, both in your cover letter and your resumem, and a tactic for avoiding gaps in the future.

Forbes: 3 things you should do when waiting to hear back after an interview
A brief rundown of your best moves following your job interview, and a few to avoid. Case in point: “Nothing annoys a hiring manager more than a ‘just checking in’ email that’s sent prior to the date they’ve said a decision would be made by.”

Networking
Vice: How to ask someone for career advice without being annoying
Because it’s easier than ever to access the professionals you admire, they likely have more networking requests than they can handle. This piece explores the situation, with advice for switching up your methods. (Short on time? Skip to the “Update your tactics” section.)

Career advancement
Harvard Business Review: Dear HBR: Nonprofit workplaces
This episode of HBR’s career advice podcast is specifically for nonprofit professionals, featuring the author of Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership: Because Nonprofits are Necessary. You’ll find both the 30-minute audio and the full transcript at the above link.

Chronicle of Philanthropy: Advice for young nonprofit professionals of color – from people who have been there
Veteran leaders of color expand on nine different lessons for people of color starting out in the sector. Among their recommendations: Build a board of directors, embrace hard conversations, value your perspective, and know you can leave.

Well and Good: 6 confidence tips and tricks career experts practice themselves
Confidence isn’t inborn: it’s learned. Here’s some practical exercises for cultivating confidence, overcoming imposter syndrome, and setting yourself up to be your most impactful. 

Office life
The New York Times: The office: An in-depth analysis of workplace user behavior
An informative, fun, multimedia package exploring a range of workplace trends, including young workers’ solutions to entrenched office issues, unintended consequences of company social time and personality tests, the “art of office chitchat,” and more.

Marc Schultz is communications editor at Work for Good.