With the start of the new year and the economy in the shape it’s in, I’ve resigned myself to looking for clerical/secretarial work as well as programming. The problem is, right now, my resume’s heavily oriented towards programming, to the point where it doesn’t really suit that sort of work.
So, any advice on how I should scale it back, or even if I should do so? Right now, it starts with a list of software I’ve worked with, then goes on to a chronological list of employers with detailed information about specific programming jobs I’ve done, followed by education, and finishing up with honors, etc. I can send anyone who’s interested a copy of it in Word format. I have done a lot of clerical and data entry work in the past, and I plan on adding that to the resume and jettisoning some of the more technical details about what I’ve done. I also plan on including more information about documentation I’ve done. I also plan on talking to my former HR person about this.
I hate scaling back like this, but I have to face reality, including the fact that most employers are looking for a B.S. in computer science while I only have an A.S. (I do have a B.A. in Japanese). My unemployment benefits are also due to run out soon.
I am no resume expert, but being a theatre graduate, who now works in e-commerce, I do have some knowledge in the area of tweaking a resume.
I am of the mind that anytime you hand out a resume, it should be updated and geared towards the job you are applying for. So include some of your more important programming jobs (perhaps the longest duration to show dedication and commitment), and point up any details that would impress someone hiring for clerical work.
Definitely use your clerical and data entry experience as the bulk of your resume. But the Japanese stuff is probably really good too, as a second language is always valuable.
Another idea, if you do want to include everything, is something like a C.V. (curriculum vitae, I believe). In the theatre world, these are used to list all experience with theatre. For example, I have 3 sections to my C.V., Directing/Producing Experience, Acting Experience, Stage Hand Experience. This is generally a list of all shows I have been involved with, inlcuding the dates of the show, the directors I worked with, and any other relevant information. I generally only provide a prospective employer with this if I am applying for a theatre job.
Damn, I’m longwinded. I’ll stop here. Hope that helps you out some.
CJ, have you thought about instead of doing a regular resume, try going for the functional resume. I was out of work for 6 months, writing targeted resumes, kick ass cover letters and still I had nothing. I wrote a functional resume and in less than a week I got a job teaching in my field. Granted the pay sucked and I was only an adjunct teacher at a small liberal arts school, but with-in a year I was on staff. I’ve been there 8 years now, and have had my masters paid for by the school I work at.
Check out a functional format here , or here . Good luck!
The functional resume is definitely the way to go and I’ve seen a boom in them within the past five years.
Used to be, a functional resume was a tip-off of a spotty work history. No more. These days, the FR often gives a competitive advantage, and is common among senior executives and high-techies, as well as those with complex/different skill sets.
Think about it: a resume is an advertisement of your skill sets. As most hiring officials quickly scan resumes, you must grab their attention fast–and this is the strength of the FR format, and the weakness of the chronological format. The FR is optimized for rapid scanning, it’s super-organized (dividing skill sets into neat subject headings), more intuitive, and can be made very pleasing visually.
Perhaps the best solution is the “hybrid resume.” Start with the functional format, and include a brief work chonology at the bottom. That should satisfy even old-school HR types.
I’d definitely agree with the hybrid resume suggestion. I find those a lot easier to read than a straight-up chronological resume, but it’ll satisfy the people who want that information.
Tailor your resume for the jobs you are seeking. For clerical work, totally remove the software stuff and stress the sort of administrative experience you had in your past.
Also, consider putting your experience in reverse chronological order.
I agree with the functional format, describing experience as “Relevant Experience.” Has always worked very well for me. However, I suggest carrying a more complete resume to the interview in case there are questions.
Thanks for the advice, folks. Like I said, I’ll also be running anything I do by my ex-HR person. The functional format looks like it’s got a lot going for it, especially since I’ve done all sorts of odd things, even without throwing in the years in Japanese tourism. I’ll mostly be sending this out to temp agencies, since I haven’t quite given up hope of the economy rebounding. I’ll also be taking a look at the ads in Sunday’s papers and using them to do a bit of custom tailoring.
“Relevant experience”? This is the wrong way to go.
Again, the purpose of the FR–or any resume–is to quickly sell yourself to the hiring official/HR screener. Shoehorning your skills into a general category does nothing to help you.
Instead, consider a well-organized and visually inviting skill-set heading named “achievements” with the following indented subheads: sales experience, project management skills, communication skills, budgeting, HR-related, managerial/administrative, computer skills, etc.
Using a few bulleted items below each subcategory, focus on achievements, not responsibilities. Additional sections below this achievements section might include “expertise,” “education,” “key words,” “awards,” and the all-important “chronology.”
You are probably already doing this, but try submitting your resume even if the posting says that the CS degree is required. My current employer specifies that in all their IT job announcements, but I managed to squeak in without one. (I’m like you, I have a lot of non-technical higher education). It’s true that at the time I got this job, the economy was in a much, much better state than it is now. Having worked for many years in IT, I can assure you that experience with the type hardware and software actually used in a shop usually is a much better predictor of how fast you will be up to speed than whether you have a BSCS or not.
Having said that, I nevertheless regret that I didn’t major in CS and hope to have the chance to remedy that one day.
Mrs. Nott’s a CPA, and not long ago she applied for a job as a comptroller for a small manufacturer. The ad didn’t specify a CPA, and she left that out of her resume for fear she’d be overqualified. After the interview and the 2nd interview, she was very optimistic. They hired somebody else, who was a CPA.