Link Roundup #63: 10 Things to Know This Week
Accelerate your personal finance knowledge with this regular feature on Ringgit Oh Ringgit – the Link Roundup! I promise you’ll find these 10 links informational 🙂
1. 5 resume tips to keep in mind (and mistakes to avoid!) – Silent Confessions by Syaza
A LOT of people have lost their jobs lately, so I think this article from Syaza is very very timely. In the spirit of ‘give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe’, please spend time polishing your resume before you send it out.
All of the tips great tips (I LOVE TIP 4!), and also appreciate how Syaza personalised her CV and tailored them to each job application.
I mean, when someone does this, you KNOW they know what they’re talking about.
2. 9 Types of Toxic Co-workers to Beware of and How You Can Deal with Them – Mashable
The solutions provided are too brief to be useful, but I thought the categorisations are spot-on.
(Also – explore the possibility that *you* are one of the toxic co-workers. Self-awareness baby)
3. 6 steps I followed to get hundreds of new clients — without spending a dime on advertising or marketing – Business Insider
The steps are:
- Build your personal brand
- Do your own PR
- Provide free value
- Tap into social media
- Keep industry friends close
- Create superfan customers
That all looks standard enough, right? Wait wait everything is contextual. Her business is – get this – professional bridesmaid services. I love how she gave specific examples of how she implemented each step. For example, under 5 – keep industry friends close, she did this:
I sent cold emails to other wedding vendors and introduced myself and my services. I met at least five industry professionals for coffee every month to network. I sent them business, and they sent me business.
This was a great way of building relationships with people who interact with my audience but aren’t my direct competitor, and create a connection to gain new customers on a regular basis.
Isn’t it amazing to see how things work in practice! I love it!
4. When to Give Money to Your Parents (and When Not To) – Bloomberg
‘First, make sure you can afford to be generous’
Okay this article hits close to home, especially as the typical Asian kid raised with the expectation of filial piety. Currently, I contribute ~RM1000 per month to my parents.
Can I afford it? I tell myself – even to the point of convincing myself – that yes, I can, just earn more instead, and also that’s what savings are for.
I don’t know. How do you go about this? How do you even bring it up?
5. I am tired of feeling shame for financially relying on my partner – Fast Co
I love the honesty and transparency behind this piece. I also love how it ended with no particular solution, just an acknowledgement of how things are and the ongoing process of acceptance, if it even comes.
Yes, there is a lot of shame and guilt behind anything women do for herself. It doesn’t matter what it is: decide on having a career, not having a career, be a working mother, be a stay-at-home-mother – everything is scrutinised, everything isn’t good enough.
..we’re socialized to feel shame about everything. Inadequacy seems to be a common side effect of living in a patriarchal society, no matter how you choose to live your life.
In my own life, I feel a lot of guilt for not being a doting, stay-at-home daughter. I moved out early, and travelled as much as I could. But if I didn’t, I’d feel resentful and trapped.
So, my own take on it is… I give up. If I’m going to feel guilt anyway, might as well do things that contribute to my self-development and happiness, however I interpret it.
6. How Our Careers Affect Our Children – Harvard Business Review
Another big source of guilt and shame? Children vs work. This burden is mostly imposed on women, but times are changing and now men feel it too.
I read the article, and I like what I’m reading. It’s the number of quality time, not quantity (yay I can devote myself to work, then make sure to switch off completely when its kids/spouse time!). ‘Mothers spending time on themselves — on relaxation and self-care — and not so much on housework, was associated with positive outcomes for children.’ – YES.
Read the article, if you always feel guilty of ‘not being there enough’ for your kids. Work on areas that need work, and celebrate knowing how you’ve been doing good anyway.
7. The Art of Blooming Late – Harvard Business Review
This one is for all of you who are still ‘figuring it out’ and feeling bad over other people’s achievements (I swear every year they get younger and younger).
You’re doing okay. Don’t beat yourself too hard. The exploration process *IS* the process you need to go through.
Rich Karlgaard, the publisher of Forbes magazine and author of Late Bloomers, argues that our culture’s obsession with early achievement dissuades us from pursuing our passions.
Instead of having varied interests, studying widely, and taking our time—essentials for self-discovery—we’re encouraged to ace tests, become specialists right away, and pursue safe, stable, and lucrative careers.
As a result, most of us end up choosing professional excellence over personal fulfillment, and often we lose ourselves in the process.
8. 30 Things I’ve Learned in 30 Years – Victim Focus Blog
Dr Jessica Taylor, author of Why Women Are Blamed for Everything: Exposing the Culture of Victim Blaming recently turned 30. To celebrate, she wrote this self-reflective post.
And let me tell you. It was genuinely one of the more insightful personal entries I’ve read in a long, long time. Her growth mentality excites and inspires me.
9. Subscriptions, subscriptions and subscriptions – The Purple Cotton
Lyn of The Purple Cotton spends RM2182 a year on subscriptions, but everything adds value in her life, so she doesn’t quite know which ones to cut!
I had so much fun going through her list and checking which subscriptions she decides was worth her money haha. Some of it I’ve never heard of before! Definitely a fun read 🙂
10. [Business Idea]: Starting a Shoplot Car Wash Business in Malaysia – Balkoni Hijau
Major LOVE to Helmi for researching and writing this article in a straightforward way! Woah, it’s not a bad business to be in, huh? And omg what! I didn’t know they sell car wash starter packs on Shopee! (p/s – not advised to get)
Click on the article for estimation of start up cost, possible risks and ROI.
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That’s it for this round, catch you next time! Want to submit a link you thought was great? Reach out to me on FB or Twitter.
To read past link roundups, please click here.
