Kareem Rogers is a recruiter at BCU, resume writer, and the founder/ of HR Depot, LLC. The youngest out of 8 siblings, Kareem has always been around entrepreneurs and hard workers in his family and peers. Between his recruiting background and his own experience as a previous job seeker, Kareem helps job seekers maximize their chances of landing their dream job and getting higher salaries. He can be reached directly at info@hrdepotllc.com.

·       Can you tell our readers about your background?

I am the youngest out of 8 siblings, with some of them being entrepreneurs and others renowned for being hard workers at their job. I also received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am currently a full-time recruiter for BCU, one of the biggest credit unions in the country. Previously, I did freelance recruiting for a furniture moving company and a real estate company so which gives me experience in different industries.

·       What inspired you to start your business?

It really started with my mentor, who worked in the career center at my alma mater. Every time I was looking to apply for a job, I went to him for help with my resume. He’s the reason I became a recruiter because during my senior year, I didn’t know what to do after graduation. Since I visited my mentor a lot my senior year, he got to know me and recommended that I look into Human Resources.

After much thought, I decided to enroll in the graduate HR program. After graduation, the pandemic hit me hard as a lot of companies weren’t looking to hire graduating students for HR jobs. After dealing with several rejections, I started learning about writing more effective resumes and strategies increase my chances of being hired. Eventually, I realized that I enjoyed resume writing and  many people don’t optimize their resumes so I decided to start a business in resume writing.

·       Where is your business based?

My business is based in Chicago, IL

·       How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

First, I learned the skills. I learned about resume writing from my mentor and I took certification courses in organizations like the National Resume Writers Association. Afterwards, I got a coach who’s a successful resume writer and she really helped me start my business, price my services, and automate my process to make it easier for me to run my business while working full-time.

·       What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Advertisement. People need to know that you have a business and need to showcase a sample of your work. While social media is effective, tailoring your advertisement to a specific target audience helps dramatically.

·       What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Running a business while working a full-time job is the biggest challenge because both require a lot of time and energy. There are times where I have to work on my business early in the morning or late and night to compensate for working a regular full-time job. Thankfully, I overcome it by planning my tasks during the weekend so I can schedule things according and make sure I don’t let anything fall through the cracks.

·       How do you stay focused?

I do a lot of things to stay focused. I do 5 minutes of meditation daily as it’s helpful for keeping me focused on the moment and it allows me to take a breather. Another thing I do is listen to music. According to studies, ambient music is effective to concentrate so I usually listen to ambient music throughout the day. If I can’t focus at home, then I try to go somewhere quiet. Once, I rented out an Airbnb out of the city for the weekend to focus on my goals and complete some resumes.

·       How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Time is important. While the average recruiter tries to complete a resume in 7 – 10 days (or more), I finish my resumes in 3-5 days. It makes the process quicker and it helps candidates who need to apply for job asap.

·       What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Posting my expertise on social media has been very effective. When you know what you’re talking about and people see samples of your work, then they are more likely to use your service. I try to post tips on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn while answering questions from my audience. Doing workshop sessions also helps. I’ll do sessions with organizations for resume writing and LinkedIn optimization tips and that usually helps grow my business awareness as I’m able to showcase my expertise to a large group of people.

·       What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Work on your craft. People are afraid of messing up or not being good, so they are afraid to take chances. To me, I think that messing up and learning from your mistakes are the best way to get better. I made a lot of mistakes when I started my business, but I improved on them dramatically to where I am now. Also, get support. I’ve met so many helpful people in the resume writing industry that I’m usually asking my colleagues for tips on how to get better. I even have a coach and she helped me dramatically with my business. Finally, keep pushing forward at your own pace. Sometimes, you see what other entrepreneurs are doing and it makes you think you are not doing enough, but don’t compare yourself to others. Work at your own pace and keep moving forward.

·       What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

LinkedIn because I use it a lot to source candidates with my full-time job, I create my personal brand through my posts and profile, and it helped me get a job at where I’m currently working now. A lot of job seekers underutilize LinkedIn and it kills me when I see some LinkedIn profiles because they didn’t create their personal brand on their profile page. Another recent favorite app is Chess. I learned how to play chess on the app and I’m working to better myself in the game so I learn different strategies and play against people online. I’m not good yet, but I will be in the future through consistent improvement. My favorite book is David Goggin’s You Can’t Hurt Me. A lot of people may consider David Goggins crazy, but I love his drive, work-ethic, and individuality. David Goggins is himself and he does not care if you understand his work ethic or not. He’s one of the most motivational people I’ve ever seen.

·       What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Habitica is my favorite task management tool. Since I’m a gamer, I love how they implemented a gaming model into it while letting you set tasks to accomplish. I use Habitica daily to track my progress.

·       Who is your business role model? Why?  

I would definitely say my coach, Melanie L. Denny. She’s already successful in the resume writing industry, won many awards, and coaches other resume writers. She really helped me with my business when I first start and she still helps me now!

·       How do you balance work and life?

I set a strict time on when to start working. While I love what I do, I don’t ignore my family and loved ones so I make sure to make time for them. In addition, I make sure to schedule time to spend quality time with them at least once a week and I also make sure to plan activities for myself.

·       What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Playing video games. I’m a gamer, so I’ll play the game for a few minutes to take my mind away from the business. Currently, I have a PS4 and I’m playing Final Fantasy VII Remake so that’s one of my favorite ways to decompress. Another thing I do is read. I’m an avid reader so I read books on interesting topics to learn and take my mind off things. Currently, I’m reading Breathe by Rickson Gracie since I’m a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, so that it’s interesting learning about one of the greatest practitioners of all time. Finally, I workout. I am a huge gym rat so the gym is my way to decompress from stress and it allows me to focus on optimizing my health, athletic performance, and physique.

·       What do you have planned for the next six months?

I want to increase my awareness in my local community so I’m working on collaborating with schools and organizations in having sessions related to resume writing and career optimizing. I’m also trying to generate more sales so I’m looking at different ways to get more clients

·       How can our readers connect with you?

My email address is info@hrdepotllc.com and my website is hrdepotllc.com. My LinkedIn URL https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareemarogers/. My Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/hrdepotllc/?hl=en