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Hi! I’m Peter, CEO of Kickresume, and these career-related stories caught my attention this month — and might catch yours too.

I enjoy Christmas. It’s that time of year when we gather with family, enjoy a few days off, and exchange presents. Oh, the presents. They’re omnipresent.

But I’m not complaining; I genuinely like giving gifts. Every year, I try to make sure my gifts bring real joy, including what we give our employees.

I'm not delusional though. I know that what brings the most joy to our (and dare I say all) employees is a good old-fashioned Christmas cash bonus.

We stick to that tradition every year.

But this year, I thought, why not add a little something extra? Something thoughtful to go along with the bonus.

Easy enough, right? Well, turns out finding a gift that’s “thoughtful” for a group of 25 very different people is... anything but.

So, I did what anyone would do: I googled. And let’s just say, the search results revealed that company gift-giving can get a lot more complicated than I expected.

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Let them eat cake … or ham!

I came across this Reddit thread about company Christmas gifts that, very quickly, taught me three things:

1. Not all companies are willing to pay their employees financial bonuses. (Of course, it’s not dictated by law, but if the company is doing well, c'mon …)

2. Some companies prefer to give their employees “thoughtful” and “memorable” presents instead (just not in a good way). 

3. Employees seem to hate both of these things.

Here are just a few gems from that thread:

I can understand that when a business is seriously struggling, a roll of ham is the best they can do. 

Also, it’s okay if a company doesn’t do Christmas bonuses (only 25% of US companies do) and communicates it as such. 

But the common denominator in the cases above? These weren’t struggling businesses. All of these companies were doing at least okay. And some people in these companies obviously did receive a Christmas bonus. 

So, what’s going on?

When the wrapper is better than the actual gift 

Fortunately for my gift-giving mission, it’s not the gifts themselves that seem to be the problem. 

Nobody’s mad about a thoughtful gesture during the holidays. Socks, mugs, or even the infamous ham could actually be kind of sweet … if they weren’t being used as a stand-in for what employees really want.

And CEOs do understand what you want. 

Cash bonuses, fair raises, or extra PTO to spend with family — these are the real presents employees hope to find under the proverbial tree.

But all of those things require effort. (And money.) And sometimes, uncomfortable conversations about whether the company is truly valuing its people. Christmas gifts, on the other hand, are the easy way out.

And that's why they get such a bad rep!

If you’ve been working hard, hitting targets, and doing your best to make the business thrive — and all you get as recognition is a can of Bud Light — you’re bound to feel some type of way about it.

The gifts themselves aren't inherently bad. But they only work their magic when they’re extra. When they’re piled on top of the things that show actual appreciation and respect — they’re great. When they’re handed out as a replacement for all that? Not so much.

At the end of the day, the very least employers can do is not create false expectations.

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Is that gift festive red … or a red flag?

You don't have to receive a literal roll of ham to see that your Christmas “bonus” stinks. 

But let's not put all of these “creative” gifts into one box. Sometimes, they really are just a reflection of your CEO’s (or HR’s) questionable taste and nothing more. 

So, how can you tell if that keychain you got is just a harmless misstep or a symptom of bigger issues?

Here’s how to tell the difference:

1. Is the company struggling financially but still trying to offer something? Respect. But if the gift feels like the crumbs from the leadership’s lobster dinner, that’s another story.

2. Is it replacing real rewards like cash bonuses or raises? That’s definitely not a result of festive generosity!

3. Did your boss hype up the gift as a grand gesture, only for it to be a massive let down?

4. Does the gift come with a side of guilt-tripping? If you’re being nudged to “be grateful” for whatever you got, it’s manipulation.

5. Did it actually make you feel appreciated? Did the gift make you smile, or did it leave you feeling annoyed? 

6. Did only some people at the company get a bonus? Well, so much for being part of a “family”. 

Sometimes, a ham is just a ham. But if that awkward “gift” feels more like a Band-Aid, it might be time to start asking some bigger questions.

And that brings me back to the issue of expectations. 

Presents aren’t important, Christmas bonus is

You see, in the end, I didn’t get my employees any extra presents this year. With all the craziness that comes with Christmas, there simply wasn’t enough time.

They’re only going to get the yearly cash bonus they came to expect.

(That, and the cozy Christmas party we threw just a few days ago, where we got together, talked, laughed, sang karaoke …)

The thing is — even if my employees read this newsletter, and find out about my plans of giving them an extra present, I’m 100% sure they won’t be too disappointed. 

Because, ultimately, the answer to my gift-giving conundrum seems to be a lot like Christmas itself — you have to focus on what’s really important. 

So if you celebrate Christmas, I want to use this opportunity to wish you a Christmas full of things that really matter: friends, family, solidarity… and yes, even that cash bonus. Because, obviously, not all presents in the world could save a holiday without those.

From all of us at Kickresume, Happy Holidays 🎄

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Random piece of career advice

Do you know how many skills you should list on your resume? 

On one hand, you need to list enough relevant skills to show hiring managers you can handle the job's responsibilities.

But, you also need to keep the number of listed skills reasonable and not sell yourself too short.

Depending on your career stage, you should include between 5-15 skills on your resume, balancing both hard and soft skills to present yourself as a well-rounded candidate. 

Based on your career stage, the number of skills on your resume should be as follows:

• Entry-level position. It’s recommended to focus on your core 5-10 skills. 

• Mid-level position. You should list around 8-15 skills on your resume. 

• Senior level position. List no less than 10-15 skills. 

However, these numbers can change in relation to specific job position and industry requirements. Read more here.

And how hypocritical would this newsletter be if I didn’t get a small Christmas present for you as well!  

Merry Chrysler and here’s a 20% discount code for Kickresume Premium. 

Peter