This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Dan writes:
I am an architect in my late 50s who is finding it exceedingly difficult even with an exceptional work history to get any response to resumes sent to executive-search firms. This even when (1) it would seem my background would match perfectly with senior management position requirements advertised, (2) I state my salary is negotiable, and (3) when asked, I respond that I am open to relocating if necessary. In a youth-oriented profession such as architecture, is there a certain approach that should be following in submitting in seeking a position or in the job-hunting process in general?
As baby boomers continue to get older, I think we will see many changes in how older job-seekers are viewed — and we’re already seeing some of those changes — but perceptions are slow to change (and vary by industry and profession).
Are you focusing all your energies on executive recruiters? And if so, why? Recruiters can be one source of job leads — but should only be one source. Remember that headhunters work for the employers — and not job-seekers — so you need to be just as aggressive in following-up with these recruiters as you would employers.
Have you been networking? I know long-time readers of my blog are probably tired of me constantly beating the networking drum, but all studies point to the importance and power of networking when job-hunting. And many professional organizations also often have career and job postings on their Websites and at conferences. Investigate all the possibilities.
One of the other things I’ve discovered about older job-seekers, especially those who have been out of job-hunting for many years, is that they are often weak on job-search techniques and tools. What does your resume look like? Have you taken dates off your degrees and limited your list of experience to no more than 20 years of work? Is your resume centered around accomplishments and achievements?
Finally, what about the resources of your alma mater? Contact the college where you received your architecture degree and see how the career services and alumni offices can help you with your job search.
Get more help with your resume by reading numerous articles and reviewing samples in the Resume Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Laura writes: Since moving to Daytona Beach 5 years ago, I have worked for 10 employers and also tried self-employment. (Four of the jobs were temporary.) Only one of those employers was a good match for me, but unfortunately, they went out of business nine months after I started working for them. I am a highly qualified accountant/bookkeeper, but it seems this town is unwilling to pay a decent salary to someone with my skills and more than 25 years of experience. My age (over 50) may also have something to do with my inability to get a good job offer. I have been on several interviews, but I seem to come in second or third choice.
I think now is the time to reinforce the whole concept of a job search as a marketing campaign. Your cover letter and resume are the key marketing promotion documents and the job interview is the critical sales call. If you then look at yourself as a product, it puts job-hunting in a much different light.
You have a number of issues/problems/concerns that need to be addressed. First, I let me preface the rest of this answer with the depressing news that the Central Florida job market is one of the weakest and low-paying that I have ever researched. So, as you’ve discovered, job-seekers need to keep their expectations tempered.
Your resume. There are a number of issues you need to deal with here. First, you need to remove older job experience and take older dates off your experience and education so that employers can’t easily guess your age. Next, you need to do something with all the jobs; 10 jobs in five years is a huge red flag. I would consider lumping all your temporary work into one grouping in a traditional resume — or consider experimenting with some sort of chrono-functional resume, in which skills are emphasized and employment history is secondary. Next, are you current with your training/technology skills — and if so, does it come across on your resume? So much of accounting and bookkeeping practices have changed, even in the last 10 years, that employers may assume older job-seekers still do it the “old” way and may be resistant to change. Your task is to not let them assume that!
In the interview. Your resume can only do so much for you — which is basically get you to the interview. Now you need to sell yourself to the employer. Don’t go into interviews, as some older workers do, with anything but a positive attitude — focused on how you can make an immediate contribution to the company (rather than relying on all your years of solid experience). Attitude, especially with older workers, is critical.
I strongly recommend that you read some of the articles and other resources in this section of Quintessential Careers: Job Resources for Mature and Older Jobseekers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Julie writes: I have been unemployed for a little over a year, but I have been doing all the paper work for my husband’s business he has on the side. I also live on a farm. So I really haven’t been employed. How would I add this in my resume? If I leave it off they will think I haven’t been working.
So many job-seekers are in a similar situations as yours. Perhaps they worked for a family business, perhaps it was volunteer work, or perhaps it was taking a year off to go back to school…But what you and all these other job-seekers don’t understand is that all these things add up to your specific mix of skills and abilities. Employers are more interested in job-seekers that have been doing something during a hiatus from full-time, paid employment than job-seekers who appear to have been doing nothing,
What’s the answer? Don’t discount any of the year that you’ve been working on the farm and helping your husband’s business. Instead, embrace that experience. Find experience, skills, and accomplishments that you can pull from the past year’s work. If you find the experience doesn’t quite fit into a neat career path, then consider experimenting by supplementing your conventional chronological resume with a chrono-functional style. What’s the difference? Chronological resumes focus on your job history while chrono-functional resumes focus on specific (transferable) skills sets you’ve mastered. Read more in these articles published on Quintessential Careers: Should You Consider a Functional Resume? and Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Skills is a Vital Job-search Technique.
You can also find many more resume-related articles and tutorials in the Resume Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Orlando writes:
I have recently moved to New York City. I have 4 solid years of web development/programming and design experience. I have also worked 2 years, out of the 4 years, as a web-development consultant. On top of my experiences and skills, I am still pursuing my first bachelor’s degree in computer information systems.
For some reason, I am experiencing difficulties in finding a job in New York. I have been
sending resumes for more than a month now and generated only one interview, but another candidate was selected. I was wondering if this is because I don’t have my degree yet or is it my resume? How long does it usually take, on average, for someone to hear from companies?
Please help me. I would really appreciate any suggestions you can give me on how to get interviews with companies.
I don’t know what method you are using to find job leads, but if you are relying only on job ads — either job postings on Web sites or in help wanted ads in New York area newspapers — you need to move your job search up quite a few gears. Have you joined any professional or social organizations since you moved to New York? Do you have friends or family in New York? I ask because networking is the best method to find strong job leads.
Learn more about networking by going to Quintessential Careers: The Art of Networking.
Don’t get discouraged, but don’t sit at home waiting for a phone call. Pound the pavement. Make your own opportunities.
Finally, one other great source for understanding the importance of marketing in job-hunting is my article: Using Key Marketing Tools to Position Yourself on the Job Market.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Karen writes:
I am a “non-traditional” recent college graduate. My work experience does not coincide with my degree at all. I have followed all the cover-letter and resume tips and guidelines from multiple sources and sent out close to 100 resumes. I can’t even get an interview! I know I have a lot to offer these companies but they don’t even give me a chance. Can you help????
Karen, what you need to do is build a resume around your recent degree and the transferable skills you have from your previous experiences (work and school).
I assume you want to enter the field that relates to your degree. If this assumption is correct, then you need to examine the skills that employers in that field are looking for in job candidates and see if you used many of those skills in your previous jobs —regardless of the field. You can read more about how to do this analysis by going to Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Skills is a Vital Job-search Technique. Then you need to rebuild your resume around those skills, possibly experimenting with a chrono-functional resume. You can find the best sources of information at Quintessential Careers: Resume Resources.
Now onto a possible second problem with your situation: Are you doing anything besides sending out resumes? Are you calling these companies where you sent your resumes and asking for an interview? You cannot wait by the phone expecting these employers to call you — you need to be proactive and call them! Are you taking advantage of your network of friends, colleagues, and family by trying to get job leads from them? Are you using the career services office of your college? The alumni network of your college? Are you looking online for jobs?
I think if you redo your resume to focus on your transferable skills, become more proactive in your job search, and take advantage of networking opportunities, you should find your job searching much more productive.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Kris writes:
Should I have a cover letter to accompany my resume when I go for an interview on Tuesday?
If you can assist me in any way I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your time.
The Career Doctor responds:
The main purpose of a cover letter is to entice a prospective employer to review your resume in consideration for a job interview, and since you have cut through the process and already have an interview, a cover letter seems unnecessary at this point.
Do make sure your resume is sharp in appearance and directed specifically at the job you are seeking. Just as you would write a different cover letter for each position, so too should you tweak your resume for each position.
Instead of the cover letter, if you have a portfolio of samples of your work experience, bring it along to the interview. And be sure to bring multiple copies of your resume.
And before the interview, be sure to brush up on the types of questions you are expecting in the interview. You don’t want to memorize your answers, but you do want to have a basic story prepared so that you will showcase your experience and fit.
Let me just add a final comment about cover letters. First, when you are applying for any position — unless the employer specifically requests you not send one — you should always send a cover letter and resume as part of your job-search package. Your cover letter should be brief and specifically address why you are the perfect candidate for the position. Cover letters should be no longer than 3-5 short paragraphs — and never longer than one page.
You can read more about special cover letter formats that grab employers’ attention, as well as find lots more articles and tools in the cover letter section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Sharnjit writes: Hello! I need to apply for a position as a staff accountant, but many firms are looking for applicants with prior experience. I have very little experience. About 6 months is max.
Also, what is the best way to write a general cover letter?
The Career Doctor responds: A two-part question, so let me answer in two parts.
First, the experience issue. One solution may involve using transferable skills from your past jobs and education to show that you indeed have the critical experience. Read: Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Skills is a Vital Job-search Technique. Another solution is get the experience now through volunteering your accounting services to local non-profit organizations; you help a worthy organization and gain the experience you need to move to a better job.
Second, the cover letter issue. I know you didn’t mean it, but your question is one of the biggest problems we see with cover letters. There is NO such thing as a general cover letter; well, there is, but we call it a BAD cover letter. Cover letters are all about specifics — about showcasing how you can make a difference to the company. You really need to read Cover Letter Success is All About Specifics, written by my partner, Katharine Hansen.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Shawn writes:
I have worked for Wal-Mart for the past three years. Last year I was promoted to
department manager. Around that time I also started college studying software programming.
About nine months after I started the department-manager position, I voluntarily stepped down
to concentrate more on my school work. The thing is, I have a job interview coming up in my
desired field that I have been going to school for. What I was wondering was, if they ask
why I stepped down, what should I say? I don’t want it to seem as if I am not willing to “go
up the corporate ladder” within the company. I am willing to do so, it just wasn’t in my
career path to be a manager in a retail company.
The Career Doctor responds:
It’s funny, because I don’t see it as much of a problem for the interview as I do on your resume. If you already have at least one interview lined up, then I assume you’ve handled it properly on your resume.
In normal situations, a step backward could easily be perceived by prospective employers as being a major red flag. Many might see your situation and assume you are either lacking the skills or the drive to be successful.
However, you can totally spin your situation into a win-win. Here’s what you have going for you: First, you highlight your time-management skills by showcasing how you managed to work full-time and attend college. Second, you can showcase your loyalty to the company by voluntarily stepping down from the manager position for their best interest — since you knew you could not do the job justice and attend college. Third, you can discuss how retail was simply a tool to help pay for college (while also gaining valuable experience) and that what you are studying in college is preparing you for your future career.
Just don’t go negative. Don’t trash retail or the company. Instead, talk about some of your key accomplishments, as well as the transferable skills you have developed while working there. Show how the combination of your experience and education make you the ideal candidate for the position.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Stephanie writes:
I am currently employed, full-time, with a sales agency. I have been employed with this company for five years. Recently, I obtained a part-time position with a reputable salon and day spa in the area, while my husband finishes his degree. I am putting my resume together to pursue other avenues and am wondering if I should include my part-time position on my resume. AND in what order I should place my experience. I do not want to seem overworked; however, I know that the salon and day spa will give me an excellent referral. If you could offer any advice, I would certainly appreciate it. Thank you.
The Career Doctor responds:
You might be surprised to learn that there are a large number of folks doing the same thing you are doing — working one job and moonlighting at another.
People have all sorts of reasons for taking a second job. Some do it as the beginning of a career-change move, gaining experience in a new career field before making the full switch. Others work multiple jobs to simply meet living expenses. Still others do it (usually on a temporary basis) to earn extra money. Finally, others do it because they simply enjoy the second job.
What’s your reason for moonlighting? Your answer will affect whether you should bother putting the salon on your resume.
For example, if you are attempting to move out of sales into customer service, then the salon job could showcase your customer-service skills.
But if you worked at the salon simply because you needed extra money or something to fill your day/week, then I would probably leave it off your resume.
Even though more and more job-seekers are moonlighting, there are also more employers who are implementing or considering implementing guidelines for when (and where) employees can work second jobs - and as a job-seeker, you don’t want to hurt your chances of getting an interview based on a unimportant job listed on your resume.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Dan writes:
I am an architect in my late 50s who is finding it exceedingly difficult even with an exceptional work history to get any response to resumes sent to executive-search firms. This even when (1) it would seem my background would match perfectly with senior management position requirements advertised, (2) I state my salary is negotiable, and (3) when asked, I respond that I am open to relocating if necessary. In a youth-oriented profession such as architecture, is there a certain approach that should be following in submitting in seeking a position or in the job-hunting process in general?
As baby boomers continue to get older, I think we will see many changes in how older job-seekers are viewed — and we’re already seeing some of those changes — but perceptions are slow to change (and vary by industry and profession).
Are you focusing all your energies on executive recruiters? And if so, why? Recruiters can be one source of job leads — but should only be one source. Remember that headhunters work for the employers — and not job-seekers — so you need to be just as aggressive in following-up with these recruiters as you would employers.
Have you been networking? I know long-time readers of my blog are probably tired of me constantly beating the networking drum, but all studies point to the importance and power of networking when job-hunting. And many professional organizations also often have career and job postings on their Websites and at conferences. Investigate all the possibilities.
One of the other things I’ve discovered about older job-seekers, especially those who have been out of job-hunting for many years, is that they are often weak on job-search techniques and tools. What does your resume look like? Have you taken dates off your degrees and limited your list of experience to no more than 20 years of work? Is your resume centered around accomplishments and achievements?
Finally, what about the resources of your alma mater? Contact the college where you received your architecture degree and see how the career services and alumni offices can help you with your job search.
Get more help with your resume by reading numerous articles and reviewing samples in the Resume Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Laura writes: Since moving to Daytona Beach 5 years ago, I have worked for 10 employers and also tried self-employment. (Four of the jobs were temporary.) Only one of those employers was a good match for me, but unfortunately, they went out of business nine months after I started working for them. I am a highly qualified accountant/bookkeeper, but it seems this town is unwilling to pay a decent salary to someone with my skills and more than 25 years of experience. My age (over 50) may also have something to do with my inability to get a good job offer. I have been on several interviews, but I seem to come in second or third choice.
I think now is the time to reinforce the whole concept of a job search as a marketing campaign. Your cover letter and resume are the key marketing promotion documents and the job interview is the critical sales call. If you then look at yourself as a product, it puts job-hunting in a much different light.
You have a number of issues/problems/concerns that need to be addressed. First, I let me preface the rest of this answer with the depressing news that the Central Florida job market is one of the weakest and low-paying that I have ever researched. So, as you’ve discovered, job-seekers need to keep their expectations tempered.
Your resume. There are a number of issues you need to deal with here. First, you need to remove older job experience and take older dates off your experience and education so that employers can’t easily guess your age. Next, you need to do something with all the jobs; 10 jobs in five years is a huge red flag. I would consider lumping all your temporary work into one grouping in a traditional resume — or consider experimenting with some sort of chrono-functional resume, in which skills are emphasized and employment history is secondary. Next, are you current with your training/technology skills — and if so, does it come across on your resume? So much of accounting and bookkeeping practices have changed, even in the last 10 years, that employers may assume older job-seekers still do it the “old” way and may be resistant to change. Your task is to not let them assume that!
In the interview. Your resume can only do so much for you — which is basically get you to the interview. Now you need to sell yourself to the employer. Don’t go into interviews, as some older workers do, with anything but a positive attitude — focused on how you can make an immediate contribution to the company (rather than relying on all your years of solid experience). Attitude, especially with older workers, is critical.
I strongly recommend that you read some of the articles and other resources in this section of Quintessential Careers: Job Resources for Mature and Older Jobseekers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Julie writes: I have been unemployed for a little over a year, but I have been doing all the paper work for my husband’s business he has on the side. I also live on a farm. So I really haven’t been employed. How would I add this in my resume? If I leave it off they will think I haven’t been working.
So many job-seekers are in a similar situations as yours. Perhaps they worked for a family business, perhaps it was volunteer work, or perhaps it was taking a year off to go back to school…But what you and all these other job-seekers don’t understand is that all these things add up to your specific mix of skills and abilities. Employers are more interested in job-seekers that have been doing something during a hiatus from full-time, paid employment than job-seekers who appear to have been doing nothing,
What’s the answer? Don’t discount any of the year that you’ve been working on the farm and helping your husband’s business. Instead, embrace that experience. Find experience, skills, and accomplishments that you can pull from the past year’s work. If you find the experience doesn’t quite fit into a neat career path, then consider experimenting by supplementing your conventional chronological resume with a chrono-functional style. What’s the difference? Chronological resumes focus on your job history while chrono-functional resumes focus on specific (transferable) skills sets you’ve mastered. Read more in these articles published on Quintessential Careers: Should You Consider a Functional Resume? and Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Skills is a Vital Job-search Technique.
You can also find many more resume-related articles and tutorials in the Resume Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Orlando writes:
I have recently moved to New York City. I have 4 solid years of web development/programming and design experience. I have also worked 2 years, out of the 4 years, as a web-development consultant. On top of my experiences and skills, I am still pursuing my first bachelor’s degree in computer information systems.
For some reason, I am experiencing difficulties in finding a job in New York. I have been
sending resumes for more than a month now and generated only one interview, but another candidate was selected. I was wondering if this is because I don’t have my degree yet or is it my resume? How long does it usually take, on average, for someone to hear from companies?
Please help me. I would really appreciate any suggestions you can give me on how to get interviews with companies.
I don’t know what method you are using to find job leads, but if you are relying only on job ads — either job postings on Web sites or in help wanted ads in New York area newspapers — you need to move your job search up quite a few gears. Have you joined any professional or social organizations since you moved to New York? Do you have friends or family in New York? I ask because networking is the best method to find strong job leads.
Learn more about networking by going to Quintessential Careers: The Art of Networking.
Don’t get discouraged, but don’t sit at home waiting for a phone call. Pound the pavement. Make your own opportunities.
Finally, one other great source for understanding the importance of marketing in job-hunting is my article: Using Key Marketing Tools to Position Yourself on the Job Market.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Kris writes:
Should I have a cover letter to accompany my resume when I go for an interview on Tuesday?
If you can assist me in any way I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your time.
The Career Doctor responds:
The main purpose of a cover letter is to entice a prospective employer to review your resume in consideration for a job interview, and since you have cut through the process and already have an interview, a cover letter seems unnecessary at this point.
Do make sure your resume is sharp in appearance and directed specifically at the job you are seeking. Just as you would write a different cover letter for each position, so too should you tweak your resume for each position.
Instead of the cover letter, if you have a portfolio of samples of your work experience, bring it along to the interview. And be sure to bring multiple copies of your resume.
And before the interview, be sure to brush up on the types of questions you are expecting in the interview. You don’t want to memorize your answers, but you do want to have a basic story prepared so that you will showcase your experience and fit.
Let me just add a final comment about cover letters. First, when you are applying for any position — unless the employer specifically requests you not send one — you should always send a cover letter and resume as part of your job-search package. Your cover letter should be brief and specifically address why you are the perfect candidate for the position. Cover letters should be no longer than 3-5 short paragraphs — and never longer than one page.
You can read more about special cover letter formats that grab employers’ attention, as well as find lots more articles and tools in the cover letter section of Quintessential Careers.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Karen writes:
I am a “non-traditional” recent college graduate. My work experience does not coincide with my degree at all. I have followed all the cover-letter and resume tips and guidelines from multiple sources and sent out close to 100 resumes. I can’t even get an interview! I know I have a lot to offer these companies but they don’t even give me a chance. Can you help????
Karen, what you need to do is build a resume around your recent degree and the transferable skills you have from your previous experiences (work and school).
I assume you want to enter the field that relates to your degree. If this assumption is correct, then you need to examine the skills that employers in that field are looking for in job candidates and see if you used many of those skills in your previous jobs —regardless of the field. You can read more about how to do this analysis by going to Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Skills is a Vital Job-search Technique. Then you need to rebuild your resume around those skills, possibly experimenting with a chrono-functional resume. You can find the best sources of information at Quintessential Careers: Resume Resources.
Now onto a possible second problem with your situation: Are you doing anything besides sending out resumes? Are you calling these companies where you sent your resumes and asking for an interview? You cannot wait by the phone expecting these employers to call you — you need to be proactive and call them! Are you taking advantage of your network of friends, colleagues, and family by trying to get job leads from them? Are you using the career services office of your college? The alumni network of your college? Are you looking online for jobs?
I think if you redo your resume to focus on your transferable skills, become more proactive in your job search, and take advantage of networking opportunities, you should find your job searching much more productive.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Ruth writes:
I’m seeking an administrative assistant position and I’m confused as to whether my current job title falls into the category. My current position is operations coordinator, which focuses in the area of fleet services, warehousing and other duties. I possess the skills of the administrative assistant, but wasn’t quite sure if these two titles could be interchangeable. Thanks for your help.
The Career Doctor responds: I think job-seekers sometimes get too carried away with job titles.
It really doesn’t matter what your current job title is — as long as you have the skills necessary to succeed in the job you are seeking, in this case, as an administrative assistant. Employers do look at your past job titles, but what counts is not the title, but the experience and the accomplishments.
My advice is for you to get the job listings/descriptions of administrative assistants from a couple of different employers. Examine the qualifications they seek from prospective employees and be sure your background, accomplishments, and skills are a good fit.
Next, develop a solid cover letter and reputation that showcase the unique set of skills, accomplishments, and experiences that make you an ideal administrative assistant.
Then, when applying for these jobs, be sure to speak to the specific requirements of each employer, showing how you meet or exceed each requirement. You should be well on your way to an administrative assistant position.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Sharnjit writes: Hello! I need to apply for a position as a staff accountant, but many firms are looking for applicants with prior experience. I have very little experience. About 6 months is max.
Also, what is the best way to write a general cover letter?
The Career Doctor responds: A two-part question, so let me answer in two parts.
First, the experience issue. One solution may involve using transferable skills from your past jobs and education to show that you indeed have the critical experience. Read: Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Skills is a Vital Job-search Technique. Another solution is get the experience now through volunteering your accounting services to local non-profit organizations; you help a worthy organization and gain the experience you need to move to a better job.
Second, the cover-letter issue. I know you didn’t mean it, but your question is one of the biggest problems we see with cover letters. There is NO such thing as a general cover letter; well, there is, but we call it a BAD cover letter. Cover letters are all about specifics — about showcasing how you can make a difference to the company. You really need to read Cover Letter Success is All About Specifics, written by my partner, Katharine Hansen.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Many job-seekers ask, “What goes first on my resume
— education or experience? The answer:
- It depends on whether your degree or your experience is your best selling point. Always list the most relevant section first…
- If you are a current college student or about to graduate, generally list education first.
- If you are currently working, generally list experience first. A good cutoff point for moving your Experience section to the forefront of your resume is a year to 18 months after graduation.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
In her article for Quint Careers, Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills?, Peggy Klaus tells this story: One hiring manager — who echoed the sentiments of many others — says she can spot what she calls a soft-skills impostor in seconds. “In our executive-level job postings, we purposely ask candidates to explain how their experience will translate into helping grow our organization. You would not believe the number of responses we get from very senior executives who fail to address our question, much less even mention the name of our organization in their letter!” Translation: The job candidate is taking the “throw spaghetti against the wall and see if it sticks” approach by using one-size-fits-all- communication. As for those applicants who don’t follow the instructions in her postings, “If they ignore me, I ignore them.” The hiring manager also noted, “Would you want this person leading your organization and presenting to clients? Communicating, listening, critical thinking — even at the most basic level — these are all very important soft skills.” A loud message is sent when an applicant fails to highlight details most relevant to the position, follow simple directions, or show signs of having bothered to visit the company’s website.
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Make sure your examples in your resume and cover letter “are relevant to the position for which you are applying, advises Peggy Klaus in her article for Quint Careers, Are You Up To Snuff When It Comes To Soft Skills? For instance, what would be more relevant to a non-profit charitable organization — that you raised a substantial amount of money for a do-good cause, motivating hundreds in your company to participate, or that you sold more widgets in China than any other division? As one HR director remarked, “I hate it when the candidate assumes we will connect the dots for them. Instead of writing a cover letter that brings the relevant experience forward, critical points remain buried in the resume. Connecting the dots is their job, not ours.”
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Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume is too long. While there is no consensus among employers and recruiters about resume length, most feel one page is too short. Maureen Crawford Hentz, manager of talent acquisition, development and compliance at Osram Sylvania, Boston MA, particularly disdains “abbreviated or ‘teaser’ resumes” that urge the recruiter, “for more information, call me.” Many recruiters believe that two pages is about the right length; for some, three pages is the outside limit that they will read. “If the resume is longer than two pages, it needs to be well worth it,” noted Hentz’s colleague at Osram Sylvania, Harlynn Goolsby. Others question executives’ ability to prioritize if their resumes are longer than two pages.
Since recruiters pass candidate resumes on to client employers, they must also consider employer preferences. “Most of my clients profess that they are too busy to read anything lengthier — thus, I deliver what they require,” said Chris Dutton, director at Intelligent Recruitment Services and Owner, Intelligent IT Recruitment, Manchester, UK. Recruiter opinions about resume length have been colored in recent years by the growing practice of reading resumes on a computer screen rather than printing them. Resumes that might seem too long in print are acceptable on screen.
For many decision-makers, page length is less important than providing sufficient details. “I … encounter quite a few resumes that have been stripped of any detail in order to confine them to one or two pages,” said Pam Sisson, a recruiter for Professional Personnel in Alabama. “My immediate response is to ask for a more detailed resume. A resume that’s three or four pages but actually shows the qualifications and experience necessary for a position is much preferred, in my opinion, to one that has cut out all the substance to meet some passe idea of a one-page resume.” John Kennedy, senior IT recruiter at Belcan, agreed: “Resume length is of very little importance so long as the information is accurate, verifiable, and pertinent to the position. If a candidate has 20 years of experience directly relating to the position being applied for and that experience is verifiable, it should be listed even if the resume goes four-plus pages.”
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
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If you have stated a skill in the summary portion of your resume, you need to support it through an example of your related accomplishment in the experience portion of your resume, whether you are using a functional or chronological resume format, writes Sherri Edwards in her article for Quint Careers,Ten Resume Tips.
Describing a specific incident, event, work experience, or project will show evidence or “prove” you have a specific skill. Fancy language may appear engaging, but for the discerning decision maker, it does not take the place of facts. Facts sell. Using concrete examples in your resume will also prepare you for your interview. Using vague statements may get you in the door, but at some point, you will have to come up with specifics to make it real. Better to do it now than assume you will be able to produce supporting details on cue during and interview without preparation.
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What is a resume? It’s a document that tells prospective employers all about you — and why you would make a great employee — so you want to focus it on your strengths and accomplishments, as well as your education and work experiences. It is designed to help get your foot in the door, to help you get the job interview. Teen job-seekers do not need to have a resume when job-hunting, but if you want to stand out from the crowd, then developing your resume will do so. Think you know how to write a great resume? Take our quiz and find out!
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