This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Will writes:
I have a whole lot of experience, but not a tremendous amount of in any one area. How could I narrow down my choices so I know what kind of job to pursue? Also, what would be the best way to lay out my resume?
There’s good news and bad news here. As employers continue to downsize and have employees multitask by combining job functions, there is certainly a need for job-seekers who have multiple talents and abilities. On the other hand, job-seekers without a specific focus will rarely ever get a second look from employers.
So, as you mention, your task is to find a way to parlay your years of varied job experiences into some cohesive strategy that plays itself out on your resume. You don’t want to be seen as someone who does not know what you want to do, or one who gets easily bored.
What is it you want to do next? If you truly have no clue, take the time to conduct some self-assessment. First, spend some time reviewing all your experiences (work, hobby, etc.) and make two lists — one with activities you enjoy and one with activities you never want to do again. You could also consider taking one or more assessment tests, many of which you can find online.
Once you have a better picture of your likes and interests, the next step is researching careers that closely match your profile. Take the time to do this important career exploration. There are a lot of online and print resources that can help you in this process. My favorite is the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Once you’ve identified a career path (or paths), the next step is finding employers in that field — and developing a strategy for breaking into it. In any job market, but especially in this job market, your key to success is building a new network for your new career. Find and join professional organizations in your new career field, use alumni networks to find people in your new career field.
Use the Career Exploration Resources section of Quintessential Careers to help you.
And learn more about networking in the The Art of Networking section of Quintessential Careers.
And all sorts of great resume-writing tools can be found 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:
Anonymous writes: Quick question: How do you handle and resume that is now 2 pages… no way around the second page…have to turn in Friday and I am stumped!!
There is nothing wrong with established job-seekers having a two-page resume. Even some exceptional recent college grads may need two pages to showcase all their accomplishments, skills, education/training, and talents and abilities.
In fact, it’s much better to have a two-page resume with normal margins and font size than to try and condense all your information onto one page using narrow margins and tiny type, virtually guaranteeing that no employer is going to even bother trying to read it.
Here are some rules about writing a two-page resume. First, if you need to go to a second page, do so. Just be sure that the second page is at least half full; anything less, and you should find a way to cut/condense to make the information fit on one page. Second, be careful not to divide elements from page one to page two; in other words, do not start a section on page one that carries over to page two. Third, be sure to include a header at the top of the second page identifying it as page two of your resume. Fourth, do not even consider going to a third page.
Some other general rules of resume-writing: focus (and quantify whenever possible) on accomplishments rather than job duties or responsibilities; showcase transferable skills when your work experience has been outside the traditional path; consider a functional style over a (traditional) chronological format when changing careers; consider leaving dates off college degrees to avoid age discrimination.
Find lots more information, articles, tutorials, and resources in the Resume and CV 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:
Will writes:
I have a whole lot of experience, but not a tremendous amount of in any one area. How could I narrow down my choices so I know what kind of job to pursue? Also, what would be the best way to lay out my resume?
There’s good news and bad news here. As employers continue to downsize and have employees multitask by combining job functions, there is certainly a need for job-seekers who have multiple talents and abilities. On the other hand, job-seekers without a specific focus will rarely ever get a second look from employers.
So, as you mention, your task is to find a way to parlay your years of varied job experiences into some cohesive strategy that plays itself out on your resume. You don’t want to be seen as someone who does not know what you want to do, or one who gets easily bored.
What is it you want to do next? If you truly have no clue, take the time to conduct some self-assessment. First, spend some time reviewing all your experiences (work, hobby, etc.) and make two lists — one with activities you enjoy and one with activities you never want to do again. You could also consider taking one or more assessment tests, many of which you can find online.
Once you have a better picture of your likes and interests, the next step is researching careers that closely match your profile. Take the time to do this important career exploration. There are a lot of online and print resources that can help you in this process. My favorite is the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Once you’ve identified a career path (or paths), the next step is finding employers in that field — and developing a strategy for breaking into it. In any job market, but especially in this job market, your key to success is building a new network for your new career. Find and join professional organizations in your new career field, use alumni networks to find people in your new career field.
Use the Career Exploration Resources section of Quintessential Careers to help you.
And learn more about networking in the The Art of Networking section of Quintessential Careers.
And all sorts of great resume-writing tools can be found 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:
Anonymous writes: Quick question: How do you handle and resume that is now 2 pages… no way around the second page…have to turn in Friday and I am stumped!!
There is nothing wrong with established job-seekers having a two-page resume. Even some exceptional recent college grads may need two pages to showcase all their accomplishments, skills, education/training, and talents and abilities.
In fact, it’s much better to have a two-page resume with normal margins and font size than to try and condense all your information onto one page using narrow margins and tiny type, virtually guaranteeing that no employer is going to even bother trying to read it.
Here are some rules about writing a two-page resume. First, if you need to go to a second page, do so. Just be sure that the second page is at least half full; anything less, and you should find a way to cut/condense to make the information fit on one page. Second, be careful not to divide elements from page one to page two; in other words, do not start a section on page one that carries over to page two. Third, be sure to include a header at the top of the second page identifying it as page two of your resume. Fourth, do not even consider going to a third page.
Some other general rules of resume-writing: focus (and quantify whenever possible) on accomplishments rather than job duties or responsibilities; showcase transferable skills when your work experience has been outside the traditional path; consider a functional style over a (traditional) chronological format when changing careers; consider leaving dates off college degrees to avoid age discrimination.
Find lots more information, articles, tutorials, and resources in the Resume and CV 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.
Including a leadership/personal brand statement is one of the trends executive resume and branding expert Meg Guiseppi writes about in her article for Quint Careers, Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes. Guiseppi advises: Begin to build a vibrant message highlighting your vitality, pivotal leadership strengths, and unique value proposition by answering questions like this:
- What jazzes you about your work each and every day? What are you most passionate about getting to and accomplishing at work?
- What talents and characteristics do you possess that represent the best in your field?
- How did you achieve the career successes that most benefitted your companies? What specific actions did you take?
- What critical contributions did you make to past companies that wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t there?
You will further support your brand statement if you weave key brand attributes throughout 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.
Including a leadership/personal brand statement is one of the trends executive resume and branding expert Meg Guiseppi writes about in her article for Quint Careers, Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes. Guiseppi advises: Begin to build a vibrant message highlighting your vitality, pivotal leadership strengths, and unique value proposition by answering questions like this:
- What jazzes you about your work each and every day? What are you most passionate about getting to and accomplishing at work?
- What talents and characteristics do you possess that represent the best in your field?
- How did you achieve the career successes that most benefitted your companies? What specific actions did you take?
- What critical contributions did you make to past companies that wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t there?
You will further support your brand statement if you weave key brand attributes throughout 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.
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