Get ready for next year: evaluate and update

As your summer job finishes up, now is the time to evaluate your experience and update your resume.

1. Evaluate: Think about what you liked and didn't like about your experience. Are there questions you can add to the list of questions you keep for interviews that will help you avoid what you didn't like in the future? Any questions that can help you find a good position?
2. Plan: What sort of position do you want to focus on next year? Are you ready for a change or did you like what you did this time? Do you want to work in a different part of the country?
3. Update: Add this season's employer to your resume and add to your skills list. Update your objective to reflect what you will focus on next season. Tweak your resume to support your new objective.

It's important to do this while it is fresh in your mind. You can always make changes to your resume later on if you decide to focus on something different. Also, if you are a WorkamperPlus subscriber, be sure to post a Rate Your Experience about his employer. See Workamper.com.

Take advantage of what you've learned to fine tune your job hunting process and get an even better position next year! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on resumes and preparing for interviews, see Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road at RVBookstore.com.

Furbabies - NO! Keep your resume professional

In forums, Workampers often refer to their dogs as "furbabies." It's a cute expression. I've also seen it in cover letters and resumes. That's a no-no.

Your resume and cover letter should be professional. That means don't use slang like furbabies, DH (Instant Messenger for dear husband), or my better half.

If you are applying to work at an RV park where your dogs will be living on site, you should definitely mention that you have a dog or dogs. You could include their photo and even letters of recommendation for them, assuring the employer that your dogs are well-behaved pets. Just don't call them furbabies! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

Working with a gossip

How do you handle working with a gossip? Obviously you can only control your own behavior, not someone else's. Here are some ideas:

1. Don't add your comments.
2. Don't repeat what you heard to others.
3. Depending on the location, you might be able to leave or excuse yourself.
4. Try to change the subject. Think about some questions or topics in advance that you could use. Some examples: How do you cook X? Have you Workamped in Texas? How do you like your Winnebago or Ford?
   
5. If you do say something, don't attack the behavior. Instead you might ask for help in keeping the conversation away from negative gossip.

A recent survey found that 69.7 percent of managers would be wiling to fire an employee for bad office manners. Excessive workplace gossip was one of the bad manners cited in the survey.

Gossip can be harmful, not only to individuals but affect the workplace atmosphere and the ability to get the job done. Even if your manager isn't on the ball in stopping gossip, you can do you part by not participating. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

Keep good records

When you are Workamping, keep track of your hours and check them against your pay stub. Have some sort of calendar or spread sheet where you write your hours each day. If you work a regular 40 hour week, note the days worked and jot down any overtime. When you get your check, be sure it is correct. If you weren't paid for overtime that was due, let your supervisor know the next time you see him/her.

Keep your pay stubs and records even after the job is finished. You'll want to compare your W-2 with the total you actually received and make sure it is accurate. One Workamper was due $300 which she had trouble getting. The company kept saying they'd send it. When she got her W-2 it showed she had been paid the $300 even though she had never received it. The state couldn't help her but the IRS did. They were able to help because she had such detailed records.

If you do find an error, you can talk to your supervisor or the person in charge of payroll but follow it up with an e-mail or written note unless it is addressed right away. Save copies. You never know when those records will prove essential. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Interviewing tip

If you are asked a question in an interview about what you did in a job, give a full answer. Don't just say, "I worked in the office" or "I worked in maintenance."

For example, if you worked in the office at an RV park, explain what your duties were - answer the phone, take reservations, check people in, answer questions about the area, etc. - and what skills you used. Skills in this case could include using a certain reservation system, processing credit cards electronically, handling complaints, stocking products, opening and closing the cash register and office.

In maintenance, your duties might include things like cleaning restrooms and community areas, repairs to plumbing, mowing lawns and weedeating, filling propane. Your skills could include choosing proper cleaning supplies and methods, maintaining lawnmower and weedeater, certified to fill propane tanks, testing swimming pool and adding chemicals as needed, use a snake to unstop a sewage line.

Add numbers too: 300-site campground, four restrooms, often had ten check-ins lined up in the afternoon.

One employer may not call a position the same as another employer but if she hears specific skills and duties, she can relate that to her position and know you have experience.

Giving meaty answers is a way to sell yourself. Your confidence and knowledge will show and raise your value as a candidate for the job. Even if most of this information is on your resume, hearing you expand on what you did and use the vocabulary that goes with it during the interview goes a long way in reassuring the employer that you know what you are talking about and can actually do the job. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For tips on interviewing and negotiating, see Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

So you want to be in pictures?

Have you ever wanted to be in the movies, perhaps as an extra? Gary Michael Smith has written a book telling you how. Movie Extra 101 - Your Shortcut to Stardom tells you how to get hired in the movies. He has also written an article giving a basic outline of how to get started.

Gary has been in films and worked in casting and has helped many people achieve their dream of being in the movies though his courses in New Orleans.

From his bio: "Gary Michael Smith is a background actor and featured extra in New Orleans. He has appeared in made-for-TV movies and miniseries with such actors as Melissa Gilbert, Gerald McRainey, Queen Latifa, LL Cool J, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Dylan Neal, Lucy Lawless, and Martin Lawrence. He also has appeared in feature films with Minnie Driver, Eddie Izzard, Josh Lucas, Jon Voight, Christopher Lloyd, Zooey Deschanel, Sean Penn, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, and Kate Winslet. Mr. Smith also has worked in extras casting for such films as Glory Road (Jerry Bruckheimer/Disney) and All the King’s Men (Sony Pictures)."

So, if this is on your lifetime list of goals, Gary will show you how to achieve it. Drop us a line if we can catch you in an upcoming film. Even if it's just the back of your head the first time, it could lead to bigger parts! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

Tax deductions for small businesses

According to my Wells Fargo Business Roundup newsletter, there are a number of tax deductions that businesses can take. It can be to an RVer's advantage to have a business, however unless it used strictly for business and you have another residence, only a percentage of some travel expenses and depreciation can be deducted. Still it can make a difference to your tax bill. Also, to qualify to deduct more than you take in, you have to show a profit most of the time. Otherwise your business is classified as a hobby business and you can only deduct expenses up to the amount earned.

Here are the top deductions:

• Auto expenses: actual expenses or standard mileage rate method
• Legal and professional fees including tax preparation
• Bad debts: only for goods, not services
• Travel
• New equipment
• Interest for loans used strictly for business purposes
• Software
• Charitable contributions
• Taxes: most but federal income tax can be deducted
• Advertising and promotion

It is worth consulting with a tax adviser. Some of these have restrictions and could depend on the type of business you have. All need proper record keeping.

In any case, a small business can be a good way to earn money as you travel. Don't miss out on tax deductions due to lack of knowledge. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

Can creativity pay the way?

Yes, it can. To earn a living, you will be most successful if you are established in your field before traveling and relying on selling your art for a living.

Franklin Einspruch, at age 40, is traveling the U.S. and Canada in a 1995 Fleetwood Flair with his wife and dogs and selling his art. He is currently in Edmonton for a one-man art show. Einspruch has work at several galleries and also does webcomics. This is one RVer who was already successful before he began traveling in an RV. You can read more about him.

Art, writing, photography and other creative works take talent and persistence to develop your craft. However, to make a living takes marketing. It may mean going to shows, approaching galleries, and developing a Web presence. It can mean spending as much time doing marketing as it does creating your art.

If you enjoy some type of creativity by all means make it part of your life. Be realistic, though, if you want to support your RV lifestyle. It takes time to build a reputation and a following so starting before you begin RV travel is smart. Or, on the road, ease into it by continuing to earn money in other ways until your income builds and you can rely on selling enough to meet your needs. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For information on Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.