I suggest that you sit down for a few hours and assess what yo intersts are and skills are. Be realistic. Once you have done this, job options will become clearer. It hurts to be rejected from any situation, but such situations can be bright beginnings instead of a dark end. If you handle this properly, you will have money to hobby with as well as be doing work that you truly love.
I'm looking for some help from this community.I've been at my current job 20 plus years,but I can see the writing on the wall.I need to keep working so I can keep hobbying unless I hit the lottery.I've never filled out a resume before. I was hoping some of you could give me some suggestions and point me in the right direction.
Thanks
Have you tried looking at other résumés in your "field" on, say, Monster.com?
Does Monster.com still exist?
Also do a search on google for "resume writing" you will find many links to free resources and guides on creating resumes
Good luck!
JobStar Central....
http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/index.cfm
JobWeb.com....
http://www.jobweb.com/Resumes_Interviews/default.htm
Monster.com Resume Center....
http://resume.monster.com/
Resumes for Dummies....
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764554719/qid=1110674230/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-6262956-3032730
Good Luck....hope this isn't too much
-- Modified on 3/12/2005 4:46:37 PM
The right advice probably depends in large part on these factors.
Your best bet is to go get one of the books from a bookstore, depending on the field in which you work there are a variety of formats.
Good Luck
I suggest that you sit down for a few hours and assess what yo intersts are and skills are. Be realistic. Once you have done this, job options will become clearer. It hurts to be rejected from any situation, but such situations can be bright beginnings instead of a dark end. If you handle this properly, you will have money to hobby with as well as be doing work that you truly love.
As someone who gets resumes form - oh a couple of people a week trying to network! do the following, Take all of the advice you have received here - it is quite good.... then get a couple of manager type friends or CEO friends to READ your resume and listen to what they have to say about it.... NEVER send a resume out without someone having read and corrected it.... YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES - and those mistakes WILL cost you your next J.O.B.!
I think you need to get your priorities straight.. I'm not sure if it was a joke or not, so I apologize in advance if it was, but I think making sure you're financially solvent is more important than whether you continue to hobby; so I'd think looking for a new job should be about keeping the roof over your head rather than who you'll be visiting next...
That said...
Posting my resume on Monster.com found me my job in under two weeks. Now, that wasn't without a whole heck of alot of effort on my part. The first cut of my resume was dry, uninteresting, and rather lackluster overall. Then I remembered something..
Your resume isn't a list of your skills and experience. While that is the meat of what you're offering, what a resume really is is a marketing announcement.
It says, "Hey you! Yeah you! You know you want to hire someone who can XYZ! And you know what? I can do it, damn well, and probably better than that guy over there! Yep, you know you're interested. Let's schmooze!"
Your resume is the commercial, you are the product. It may seem crazy to think about it this way, but it works. In this day and age, getting a job is getting harder and harder as people get more and more competitive, and you need a reason to make sure your resume stays on the top of the pile. The manager has to remember your name above the other 743 resumes they read.
Start by making a list of your experience and jobs you've had; think seriously about your skills, and ask your friends what they think you're good at; think about the skills your hobbies have bestowed upon you (err.. except this one.. hehe); think about the kind of stuff that really gets your blood moving when you think about doing that kind of work.
Then tailor your resume accordingly. Use action words like "pioneered" and "spearheaded" when talking about projects you've gotten off the ground. Use evokative words like "motivated" and "energetic" when describing personal qualities.
But also remember to make sure your resume is solid on your actual skills, education, and experience to back up any personal claims you make - otherwise the reading manager will read it and think "just alot of fluff and no substance.. NEXT!" And if he doesn't, and you do happen to get an interview and you don't demonstrate the qualities you claimed you had, you'll not only not get the job, you'll also disqualify yourself from consideration from any OTHER possible open positions (or with say.. the manager's close friend who's looking to fill a position).
Edited to add:
***
Oh yeah, almost forgot about the cover letter.
You want a great cover letter to provide with your resume, for two reasons: First, it gives the reader a chance to become familiar with your style; two, it gives the reader more information about what you're looking for from the job, and what you think your important experience is.
The cover letter should have 3 basic paragraphs (and be no longer than 1 page): 1) Describe what job you're looking for and why you're good for it; in a general setting like Monster.com, you'd want to be general about what 'kind' of job you're looking for. 2) Describe one specific part of your experience that highlights what you're really good at, and make sure it's a skill applicable to the area you're applying for. 3) Mention your contact information, your availability, thank the reader for reading, and offer your time to the manager and say something about looking forward to an opportunity to talk more about your experience in an interview.
***
End edit
If anyone thinks I'm talking out my butt, or has anything to add.. I'm all ears. This is something I'm going to have to keep thinking about for the next 15 years until my career is firmly established, so I'm absolutely open to learning..
P.S. also check out the attached link to Monster.com's resume area.
-- Modified on 3/12/2005 10:13:38 PM
And old girlfriend of mine is a professional recruiter for silicon valley. She had allready made the contact to all those who hire whithin the organization while the inhouse recuiters were pulling down hundreds of resume's from monster etc. her people were allready getting interviewed and getting hired (really pissed off the company recruiters). She would not only coach the folks looking for jobs on there resume's but she would tell them the right things to say on the interview. The company pays her fee so the person looking never pays a dime. I have even seen her give kickbacks the person looking if there experience commands a large salary. (she gets a percentage of there annual). She even negotiated moving expenses.
Amazing,
Good luck
As far as format try microsoft works, there are a few good ones there.
As far as content the posts here give a lot of good suggestions/advice.
Thank you
I see many-many-many resumes per month. While monster.com is a bit generic but may work, it really depends upon what you do. In my mind, it helps signficantly if YOU do a bit of research regarding the prospective employer. In your letter to go with the resume, state specifically why YOU are interested in them and how YOU may be a perfect fit based upon your experiences and interests. In other words, an employer is struck intially by the simple fact that the resume is not:
Dear Sir/Madam
but Dear Mr Smith,
I would be delighted if you would consider my resume for a position with your (whatever). I am writing to you due to my longstanding interest in (property sales, microbiology, being a cog in the big machine)...
but you must be proactive. Follow up with calls (although do not be too pushy). Dress properly, look people in the eyes, be honest above all and see a provider the night before the interview!
When you have been in an industry for over 20 years, your inner circle of friends will make a difference. Having spent over 25 years in my industry, I too have had to suffer an unfortunate change in the wind. However, I never worried about the resume. I am sure you have significant skills that your friends recognize and are ready to take advantage of. Pick up the phone and dont worry so much about your resume...You will be pleasantly surprised...
I am an Executive Recruiter. BC me and we'll go from there