upworthy

competition

@bllshfrv/Reddit, Wikipedia

Nearly two years of learning a language…something's had to have stuck.

In the age of algorithms and keywords and incredibly steep competition, people have to be more strategic and creative than ever to secure a good job. Especially when it comes to drafting a resume that stands out amongst hundreds of others.

Recently, one job recruiter was so impressed by one job seeker’s clever idea of listing their 671-day Duolingo streak—alongside a fluency in English and limited American Sign Language —under the "languages" section in their resume that he decided to share it online.

duolingo, japanese, language learning, consistency Nearly two years of consistency says something, doesn't it? Giphy GIF by Atrium

According to Newsweek, the job recruiter, named Bilal Ashrafov, was pleasantly surprised, and had even considered including something similar on his own resume, “but wasn't sure if it would come across as professional.”

“Seeing someone take that first step made me reflect on its relevance,” he said, noting that “a long-standing Duolingo streak can demonstrate dedication and continuous learning,” even if the popular app only requires a minute of practice a day.

After sharing the resume onto Reddit, others seemed to agree, and commended the potential employee for their innovative approach.

from duolingo


"Imagine explaining that in an interview—'I'm not just consistent, I'm Duolingo consistent!'" one viewer quipped.

Another commented, "If I was hiring, I would definitely interview this person."

Still another said, "It got noticed, didn't it? Sounds like not too bad of an idea."

japanese, japanese language, learning japanese, language learning Is foreign language learning on Duolingo a resume-building skill?

Considering that there are a few ways folks can keep their Duolingo streak intact without truly getting proficient in a language, like continuing to purchase streak freezes, this idea might never take on as the new resume must-have. But, on a much broader scale, this story highlights the need to bring a bit of ourselves to our resumes. As the concept of portfolio careers, or a career that includes multiple income streams, rather than a single job title, becomes more and more mainstream, we’ve seen people find great success in listing what they uniquely bring to the table, professional or otherwise.

When it comes to adding resume items that pop, and offer a true reflection for who you really are, think about including:

Soft skills:

These are personal qualities that describe how you work and interact with others, such as conflict resolution or time management, and they are not only gaining importance across the workforce, but are highly transferable across different types of work.

soft skills, resume builders, what to put on a resume Soft skills like conflict resolution and bridge-building between people are valuable in a work environment.Photo credit: Canva

Personal projects:

Whether you got paid for these isn’t paramount here. If you led a community initiative your passionate about, or even have a long-standing blog about something that interests you, this could be included.

Technical skills beyond the job description:

Do you have a proficiency in certain programs, like coding languages, data visualization, project management, etc? Even if a job doesn’t specifically ask for these skills, they could be helpful additions.

technical skills, computer coding, resume builders Always tout your tech know-how on your resume.Photo credit: Canva

Creative or unique hobbies:

You never know what interesting conversations your oddball pastime might inspire, if anything else. So don’t be embarrassed if you’re a wiz a Photoshopping old-timey puppy portraits or engage in recreating Scandinavian folk tunes with GarageBand.

Community involvement:

This can be your volunteering roles, and mentorship programs you might have participated in, or even charities you have close ties to.

volunteer, charity work, community involvement Community service and charitable work helps to round out a resume.Photo credit: Canva

Academic achievements:

Include relevant published research papers or presentations, and awards or honors you received during your studies, or any significant contributions you might have made to a research project

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. Include a few, or perhaps your own impressive Duolingo streak, or something else. Just remember, sometimes it pays to think outside the box.

This article originally appeared in February

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SK-II

If you've ever felt as if life is one big beauty pageant you somehow wandered into, you wouldn't be wrong. It often seems as if society values a woman's looks more than it values her intelligence and ability. A 2017 Pew Research center poll on gender differences found that physical attractiveness was the top trait mentioned when asked what society values most in women. 35% of respondents said that beauty was the top quality for a woman to possess.


The constant pressure to fit into an arbitrary beauty standard is bad on its own, however many women also find themselves competing against each other, which is exacerbated by social media. It puts us in an unhealthy spot where we begin comparing ourselves to other women. However, the women we're comparing ourselves to are also comparing themselves to other women.

Simone Biles, the world's most decorated gymnast; LiuXiang, world-record holder swimmer; Ishikawa Kasumi, table tennis player and two-time Olympic medalist; Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo, badminton duo and Olympic gold medalists; Mahina Maeda, surfer; and Hinotori Nippon, Japan's volleyball team will all be competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - but they won't be competing with each other when it comes to their looks. These powerful athletes recently teamed up with global prestige skincare brand SK-II to take the competition out of beauty, sending the message that beauty is #NOCOMPETITION.

SK-II unveiled the #NOCOMPETITION campaign at the 2020 MAKERS Conference. "In today's society, if you want to be considered beautiful, you would have to look, act and feel a certain way. For example, on social media, to be beautiful is to have a certain type of physique, behave a certain way and portray to the world how happy and carefree you're feeling. More and more girls curate these 'perfect' social media profiles thinking this is the only way to be beautiful," Delphine Buttin, Global SK-II Olympic Games Program Leader, said. "But there should be no competing standards on how someone should look feel and act."

www.youtube.com

In a post to her Instagram account, Biles shared: "I've learned to put on a strong front and let most of it slide. But I'd be lying if I told you that what people say about my arms, my legs, my body ... of how I look like in a dress, leotard, bathing suit or even in casual pants hasn't gotten me down at times."

SK-II hopes that the #NOCOMPETITION campaign sparks conversations and inspires women to eschew toxic competitions when it comes to our beauty standards. "These toxic competitions dictate how we should look, feel and act, creating pressure that holds us back in our daily lives," SK-II said in a release. "It is the one competition that no one signed up for, but still everyone ends up in."

As part of SK-II's ongoing platform to #CHANGEDESTINY, they have declared beauty is #NOCOMPETITION. The heart of the SK-II brand philosophy celebrates how destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. Inspired by the stories of women from around the world, #CHANGEDESTINY sheds light on the pressures they have and the universal 'box' they are put in to be perfect in society's eyes. Award-winning #CHANGEDESTINY campaigns include 2016's "Marriage Market Takeover" that put a spotlight on the labels of "Sheng Nu" or "Leftover Women" in China, 2017's "The Expiry Date," 2018's "Meet Me Halfway," and 2019's "Timelines," a docu-series in partnership with Katie Couric about the evolving and controversial topic of marriage pressure and societal expectations women face globally.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Let's stop competing so we can start winning.

To find out more about #NOCOMPETITION and learn how you can support and lend your voice to the cause, please visit nocompetition.sk-ii.com


Playing youth sports is one of the best things about being a kid.

It's about making new friends, getting sweaty, and living your best life learning a game or activity you love. It's low-stakes fun that can build confidence, teach sportsmanship, and encourage teamwork.

High school girls play against middle school boys in a game of basketball in Newtok, Alaska. Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images.


But there's something that can take the fun out of youth sports: pushy parents.

Every parent wants their kid to do well and enjoy themselves, but the line between being a fan and being a fanatic is easy for anyone to cross.

In this video from I Love To Watch You Play, real youth athletes shared how they feel when their parents are hard on them or try to coach from the stands.

They may tense up...

All GIFs via ilovetowatchyouplay.com/YouTube.

... or get embarrassed ...

and feel the kind of stress no kid should.

While the enthusiasm often comes from a loving place, parents pushing their kids to be better, faster, and stronger could make their kids lose interest entirely. In fact, 70% of kids quit sports by age 13 because it's not enjoyable or fun anymore, The Washington Post reports.

"We have to ensure in our society that we don't forget that we're still working with young kids," Anthony Lipani, a former high school football coach told the Democrat & Chronicle. "I think lines are blurred at times because of the competition."

Here are some ideas from young athletes for what to say and do instead.

There's no shame in being excited and enthusiastic, but nonverbal affirmations can go a long way too.

The same goes for after the game, win or lose. Show them you care and love them no matter what.

There's nothing wrong with encouragement, but remember, it's supposed to be a hobby, not their profession. If you feel yourself getting stressed, take a beat and remember what a joy it is to watch your child do something they love.

Because at the end of the day, it really is only a game.

In the annals of badass retorts to men who tell women to smile, Simon Biles pretty much scored a perfect 10.

After a performance on "Dancing With the Stars," Biles faced off with judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who offered the gymnast some praise, along with some constructive criticism. Biles nodded politely through the critique.

It wasn't enough for host Tom Bergeron, who apparently preferred Biles perform a little more happiness, despite being a professional competitor trying to ... win a competition.


"I was waiting for you to smile at some of the compliments," host Tom Bergeron said. "You didn't."

"Smiling doesn't win you gold medals," Biles replied.

An artist was commissioned to create an interpretive rendering of the moment:

Here's the thing: The "Dancing With the Stars" host picked the wrong champion to chastise. Simone Biles smiles all the damn time — when she damn well wants to.

Here she is, choosing to smile, at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.

Photo by Jewel Samad/Getty Images.

Here she is freely smiling while destroying an entire world's worth of competition at the 2016 Olympics.

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.

Here she is smiling  — of her own free will — while performing on "Dancing With the Stars" about 40 seconds before Bergeron asked her why she wasn't smiling.

GIF via "Dancing With the Stars"/ABC.

Would you smile while someone was telling you your dancing is a little too robotic? I doubt it.

Furthermore, as Simone herself said, faking "joy" has nothing to do with her ability to kick ass.

Sure, she might pop a grin while mowing down competition in pretty much any arena of her choosing. But the smile is really just an accessory.

Most importantly, it's an accessory for her, and not for anyone else.