Chan with a Plan

How to overcome the dreaded resume gap and get back into the workforce with confidence

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Mimi Moss, Director of Strategic Partnerships at reacHIRE, an organization that works with professionals to return to corporate America after being out of the workforce for an extended period of time. The discussion focuses on various resume gaps, how to address them and strategies you can utilize so you can stay positive, keep your eye on the prize and get back into the workforce as soon as possible. 
QUOTES
”Talking to people and talking to people who know you, who are friends of friends, the more people who know you’re looking the better, don’t be ashamed of [the work gap], just go right out there and talk to as many people as you can and any personal connection, can make a difference [in your job search].” - Mimi Moss [13:01]
“I think [recruiters] will continue to be less stringent [on work gaps], I think that they’re seeing that people can come back from a gap, be really productive and that is already happening, and now they’re realizing that this is ok, this can work.”  - Mimi Moss [18:21]
“Keep surrounding yourself with people that know you, that support you, that believe in you, so you don’t lose that confidence [when you are struggling to stay positive in your job search].”  - Mimi Moss [41:06]
TIMESTAMPS
[1:08] Meet Mimi Moss
[3:44] Explaining a resume gap properly if you got fired or laid off 
[4:59] Quitting a job before you have another one in hand 
[6:36] When should you put a work gap on your resume and when not to include it
[8:01] Chronological resumes vs functional resumes when you have a long career gap
[9:02] What recruiters really think of work gaps
[10:36] Addressing your work gap in your cover letter and LinkedIn profile
[12:28] Overcoming a work gap through networking
[14:14] Types of work gaps reacHIRE has dealt with when working with professionals
[15:30] Recruiter’s perception of entrepreneurs wanting to get back into a corporate role after they finished their venture
[16:40] Recruiter’s perception of professionals taking a sabbatical and wanting to get back into a corporate role once they are done their break
[18:08] Recruiters being less stringent on resume gaps as we move to a new normal of work
[20:45] The proper way to address your resume gap or what happened at your last job
[23:06] Overview of what a returnship is and how to get one
[29:29] If professionals get paid lower than market rate if they have a long work gap and should they negotiate for more money 
[30:09] Advice on how to make a good first impression in your first role back from a long work gap
[31:17] Discussing whether upskilling is necessary if you have a long work gap
[33:42] Thoughts on putting the work experience lower on your resume if you’ve been out of work for awhile
[34:40] Obstacles people have about their work gaps and how to own it and move their career forward
[36:05] Starting in a new field after a work gap or stick with what you know
[38:07] A major career roadblock that Mimi had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
[41:16] Contacting Mimi
[42:15] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
reacHIRE
Mimi Moss on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan Facebook Community

Why I quit my 1st job in order to grow my career

EPISODE SUMMARY
Max shares his story on why he quit the only company he's ever worked for in order to grow his career to where it is today based on this past week's episode with Jennifer Hocutt on how to quit your unsatisfying job and do something you'll love. 
TIMESTAMPS
[0:59] Why Max left his 1st job at the only company he's ever worked for
[2:39] Thoughts on counter offers and why Max knew not to take their counter offer if they offered him one
[3:34] Overview of Max's exit strategy and successfully pivoting from agency to big corporate 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

How to quit your unsatisfying job and do something you‘ll love

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Jennifer Hocutt, founder of J. Hocutt Group LLC, focusing on helping professionals become the CEOs in their career. We discuss the common reasons why professionals leave their job, and help you craft an exit strategy to not only leave your unsatisfying job, but to find a new opportunity that gives you fulfillment and satisfaction, as we all should be able to find happiness in the work we do. 
QUOTES
”No matter where you are in your career, whether you love your company or not you should always be open to opportunities, at least hearing them out because opportunities don't come knocking very often, you don’t want to miss out just because you’re in a good space at that time. ” - Jennifer Hocutt [14:15]
“When you clearly define what your non-negotiables are [in a job offer] and you stick to those, then you’re not compromising, you’re not trying to make the job fit for you.”  - Jennifer Hocutt [23:28]
“Your ultimate goal in life, it really should be happiness, nothing else matters and happiness is an inside job that you have complete control over.”  - Jennifer Hocutt [49:20]
TIMESTAMPS
[1:16] Meet Jennifer 
[3:24] The influx of employee attrition never seen before in recent memory
[5:47] Common reasons why people want to leave their jobs
[10:20] Why moving up the corporate ladder is not always the path to happiness
[13:37] Crafting your exit strategy to successfully leave your current job 
[21:03] Thoughts on job hopping and the wrong way to job hop
[23:12] Evaluating a job offer properly
[24:53] If you should try to repair your current working relationship before trying to leave the company 
[30:27] Thoughts on counter offers and if you should consider taking it
[34:53] How to balance looking for a new job, while still giving enough effort at your current job to not make it obvious you checked out
[39:19] Scheduling interviews effectively without raising red flags at your current company
[43:56] Quitting a job without another one lined up 
[47:47] Additional job search tips
[51:02] A major career roadblock that Jennifer had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
[55:38] Contacting Jennifer
[54:42] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
J. Hocutt Group
The Career Clarity Exercise
J. Hocutt on Facebook
J. Hocutt on Instagram
Jennifer Hocutt on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan Facebook Group

3 career lessons I wish I knew in my early 20s

EPISODE SUMMARY
Max provides 3 career lessons he wish he knew in his early 20s based on the question he asked Amy Marden on this past week's episode about changing careers in your 30s to fulfill your life's purpose.
TIMESTAMPS
[0:55] Why you should stop caring what people think
[1:58] Academics shouldn't be the only thing you focus on during university/college
[2:48] Be open to opportunities outside your field of focus 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

Changing careers in your 30s to fulfill your life‘s purpose

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Amy Marden, author of The Parts We Lost and Mirror Mine, and founder of Afghan Refugee Resettlement Assistance DMV. We go through Amy’s journey from pivoting from a successful career in law to becoming a creative writer, writing stories based on experiences from her own life as a military spouse. From knowing when it was time to quit working in law, to her journey in writing and publishing her first book we hope her journey can provide some inspiration for you to make the move in pivoting to work that fulfill your life’s purpose. 
QUOTES
“I think the first thing would be before you make a leap do your research, it should be an educated leap into a new field, you shouldn’t just one day walk into your job and say I can’t take it anymore and quit and then go find something else, I think that’s not smart.” - Amy Marden [18:17]
“Be kind to yourself in that regard and know your value and have a little faith that all this work that you’ve put into it and all the leg work that you’ve put in ahead of time is going to pay off, regardless of the little voice in your head that saids maybe it’s not good enough.”  - Amy Marden [32:17]
“I think it’s a lie to say money can’t buy happiness cause in some respects it definitely can, but there is the internal need that I think we all have as humans to have passion, and I think it’s a rare thing if you can be passionate about the thing that you are also getting paid for, and I think that if you can say that about your life, you’ve really figured it out.”  - Amy Marden [41:45]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:49] Meet Amy 
[2:22] Amy’s journey on becoming a lawyer
[4:41] Advice for recent JD graduates on getting their first job as a lawyer
[6:31] Guidance on paying off law school debt quickly
[9:46] Moving to a new geographical area for work and how to properly adjust if you have children
[11:21] The trigger point in which Amy was done with law and decided to make a change and focus on pursuing a new career path in creative writing and how she got started in this new career path
[15:48] What family and friends thought of Amy quitting law to pursue creative writing
[18:10] Advice for professionals that want to pursue something completely different but are too scared to make the jump
[19:22] Career advice Amy wished she knew in her 20s 
[20:40] Delaying family to focus on building your career
[25:02] The process in writing and publishing Amy’s 1st book
[29:54] Marketing Amy’s 1st book and learning lessons along the way
[31:46] Amy’s lessons on writing and publishing her 1st book and next steps
[35:56] Discussing Amy’s Afghan refugee project
[39:32] The importance of volunteering and community outreach
[41:33] Why working prestigious jobs don’t actually make you happy and fulfilled compared to other creative pursuits
[43:17] A major career roadblock that Amy had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
[45:04] Contacting Amy
[54:42] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Amy Marden 
Lutheran Social Services
USAID Disaster Response for Afghanistan Crisis
Chan With A Plan
Career Advice with Chan With A Plan Facebook Group
Max Chan on LinkedIn

3 tips on how to advance your career and be a star player

EPISODE SUMMARY
Max provides insights on 3 key points based on this past week's episode with Mike Montague on how to work effectively in a multigenerational team and how those same teachings can help you advance your career. 
TIMESTAMPS
[0:48] Importance of adaptability 
[2:36] The value of taking risks in your career
[3:53] The danger of only ticking boxes at your job and why you need to be solution oriented to truly be a stand out employee at your current company
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn

How to work effectively with others in order to excel in your career

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Mike Montague, founder of Playful Humans, a community designed to help the burned-out and bored get re-energized and engaged with life. We discussed how to effectively work in a multigenerational team in order to excel in your career, from obstacles younger professionals face when trying to get promoted, presenting ideas and getting buy-in with an older executive team and how to successfully manage a multigenerational team. 
QUOTES
“[When it comes to preferred method of communication in the workplace] typically Baby Boomers prefer a phone call and they’ll pick up the phone and call, Gen Xers prefer Email, Millennials then will prefer a text message and Gen Zers are already using Slack and other direct messengers outside of that.” - Mike Montague [4:49]
“If you’re looking for a modern leader, somebody who’s collaborative, inspiring, looking to pull people along into a mission, I think you should look harder at Millennials and Gen Zers to lead more collaborative teams.”  - Mike Montague [16:52]
“If you bring solutions, you’re saving them trouble, you’re taking away problems off of their plate and offering a solution then they can then choose from, any leader of any age is going to appreciate that.” - Mike Montague [33:54]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:59] Meet Mike 
[4:22] Current common intergenerational conflicts in the workplace
[8:29] Aligning multiple generations to adapt and use the provided technology that the company has provided
[11:45] Ageism in the interview process
[14:41] Obstacles that millennials face in order to get promoted
[17:07] Guidance for older workers adapting to a work environment driven by younger leadership 
[20:20] What skills to develop to maintain your marketability 
[23:12] Balancing automation and job generation
[25:08] Tips for Gen Z on improving their face to face communication skills
[30:48] Presenting ideas as a young professional to an older executive team without conflict
[35:26] Advice for Gen Z on adapting and transitioning from an educational learning environment in college to a corporate work environment 
[41:15] Not taking work / business rejection personal 
[43:40] Managing a multigenerational team 
[46:08] Advice for Gen Z entering the workforce and collaborating effectively with other generations
[50:13] A major career roadblock that Mike had faced and what he did to overcome it to move his career forward
[52:49] Contacting Mike
[54:42] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Sandler Training
Playful Humans
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Facebook Community
Max Chan on LinkedIn

3 job search tips on how to successfully move to a new industry with no prior experience

EPISODE SUMMARY
Max provides insights on 3 key points based on this past week's episode with Sydney Magana on how to successfully pivot into tech with no prior industry experience.
TIMESTAMPS
[0:28] The importance of writing your resume with your target audience in mind
[1:51] Knowing that there's more than one avenue to do things when it comes to having a successful job search 
[3:19] Focus so well on selling your value proposition that the specific experience the company may think they really want, becomes irrelevant 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn