I’ve created so many mind maps, I sometimes worry about whether I’ll continue having ideas to make more. And just when I think the well is running dry, a conversation pops up and gives me inspiration for the next mind map. Here’s how this week’s blog post came about.
I have a few Facebook editor friends. We found each other via some Facebook groups, and for the last few years, we’ve been chatting on Facebook messenger about editing, entrepreneurship, and all kinds of things. Although I’ve only met one of the people in the group in person, I consider all three of these folks my friends.
One of them is an editor and yoga teacher. We started talking about having separate resumés for separate work experiences, and I mentioned that I can take pretty much anything and make it relatable to another topic (hence why I’m a tad obsessed with mind maps).
For example, when I was applying for administrative work, I still mentioned my experience teaching swimming lessons—after all, I organized all aspects of a new swimming lessons program for adults, which involved many administrative functions. I always mention my military experience when I apply for any job: the discipline I learned while I was in the Navy is transferable and a definite asset for any position I take on. I could give so many examples. But today, we’re talking yoga and how we can relate it to other things. Check out the mind map below!
The discussion we were having that prompted this mind map was about whether yoga and corporate life were extremely different fields. While it can definitely be looked at that way, there are also ways to make connections.
The first thing that comes to mind are companies that encourage a healthy life and help their employees with work/life balance. Big names like Unilever, Nike and Twitter all offer yoga classes or yoga/meditation spaces for employees. Up-and-coming startups are looking to do the same, so if you’re a yoga teacher trying to inch into the corporate world, mentioning you have experience with teaching yoga may be a great asset on your resume.
Being a yoga practitioner also makes it seem like you’re a calm person who knows how to focus—another great asset in the corporate world.
What if you wanted to sell an article about yoga? You could certainly write about the different kind of yoga, but that’s been kind of done to death. How about finding a spin on it and writing about yoga from a different perspective?
Maybe you know someone who arrived at a diagnosis because of their yoga practice, or you can write from personal experience about how yoga has relieved some symptoms despite your reservations before trying it. Maybe all of these topics have been overdone too, but it doesn’t hurt to do some research and try.
You could write for a business magazine about how a yoga practice can clear your mind and help you work from a place of more focus, making your more productive.
You could write for a tech magazine about great apps for meditation and yoga.
You could write for a health and wellness magazine about the best gyms for trying out yoga in the country. You could write for a regional magazine about places in town that teach yoga and have free trial classes.
You could write for a parenting magazine about prenatal yoga or about doing yoga with baby. The list goes on.
To go back to that conversation about yoga and business and being able to tie the two together in a job application: yes, you can have it all on your resumé and use all your experiences to give you an edge during the application process. You just have to be a little creative.
But how do I fit it all onto my resumé?
The concern during our conversation was that if we were to put all of our varied experience onto our resumés, they’d be pages and pages long. Here’s an easy way to still mention your experience without lengthening the copy too much: add an “additional skills” section to the bottom of your resumé.
There, you can type something like “part-time yoga teacher for the last 15 years.” I’d be inclined to write the “part-time” so that they know it’s something you do on the side and there’s no confusion, but it’s really up to you.
Think about your previous work experiences. What skills did you learn that would be useful in any job? Make sure you include them on your next resumé.
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That’s so awesome that you came up with that based on that conversation.
Aw, thanks 🙂
I knew I should be a writer when I realized how many times in a day I say “I should write something about that.” lol