The temperature has seriously dropped in the Washington DC area...and yesterday something very interesting happened...it starting snowing - light flakes, but they were coming down consistently, then out of the blue it stopped, the skies cleared up and the sun came out like nothing ever happened.
Wouldn't it be great if the same thing could happen with our life hiccups or career blemishes? Sure, we would have to deal with it, but once the incident has passed, there would be little or no evidence that anything was ever wrong.
Reality check - that does not happen in life and any speedbumps or blemishes in our career will not simply vanish. However, we can find effective ways to deal with them and today, I will show you how to handle those some common career challenges on your professional/executive resume.
A) Highlighting relevant volunteer or community work experience
Paid or unpaid, industry experience is still valuable -- especially for career changers. If you have been involved in substantial volunteer or community work, use these resources to demonstrate leadership skills and experience relevant to your new goals. Take a look at how this unpaid marketing experience can boost a resume.
Before:
Volunteer, International Dance Group Inc.
After:
Marketing Department, International Dance Group Inc. (2002-2007)
Planned and executed advertising production, marketing materials, public relations programs and other special projects for start-up dance school. Contributed talents and expertise on unpaid basis.
B) Maximizing experience in an entrepreneurial or family-owned business
Whether you have gained leadership or industry experience through large corporations, working side by side with your parents or running your own enterprise, your level of expertise is what matters at the end of the day.
Avoid using lofty titles like "President and CEO" and instead, use a career title that is in line with other professionals with similar background and years of experience.
Consider whether a title like Vice President of Sales and Marketing, or Director of Sales and Marketing is more appropriate than President and Founder, Walter Creative Services?
C) Revising existing career experience for a different industry
If possible, keep your work experience in chronological order, but only emphasize the job responsibilities, achievements and experience that are directly relevant to the job you want.
It is quite acceptable to leave out unrelated tasks or responsibilities. For example, a senior federal employee looking to move into a HR position will only highlight his experience in that area:
Before:
2005-present: Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the Washington Division. Manage all Division administration, budget allocations and various high profile programs (i.e. recruitment, training and demand reduction).
After:
Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge, Washington, DC (2005 to present)
Directed budget allocations and oversee high-profile programs including recruitment, personnel training, demand reduction and division special projects for the Washington Division. Created first-ever executive mentoring and insight leadership program.
D) Minimizing effect of an employment gap
If you were laid off or the company you worked for went out of business and it took you some time to get a new position, simply insert a one-line sentence that summarizes your job search activities.
Address the employment gap briefly but directly – you do not want to leave employers and executive recruiters guessing about what you were doing in that time period.
Before:
Director of Sales, Rockville, MD (2008-Present)
Sr. Sales Manager, Chicago, IL (2002-2006)
After:
Director of Sales, Rockville, MD (2008-Present)
Actively pursued full-time employment following unexpected company restructuring/downsizing. (2007)
Sr. Sales Manager, Chicago, IL (2002-2006)
If you were involved in consulting projects or highly relevant volunteer work during your "gap," handle it as you would any paid work experience.
These quick-fix resume strategies don't guarantee that no-one will ask questions, but at least you can have career marketing document that minimizes the glare on your career challenges.
About Abby, Executive Career Architect, Job Search Expert, Master Resume Writer
Ask yourself these questions:
-- Does your executive resume accurately describe your management style and leadership capabilities?
-- Is your executive resume rich with compelling Challenge-Action-Results success stories that indicate your value contribution?
-- Does your executive resume convey enthusiasm or energy motivating employers to contact you?
-- Has your executive resume been generating a stream of employer responses for the right jobs?
If you have answered no to any of these questions, you should be talking to Abby Locke. She is an executive resume writer helps senior-level executives to achieve career success through cutting-edge, brand-focused career documents and proactive career management strategies.
Her distinctive executive resume samples have been published in 14 national career publications...click here to schedule a resume consultation.
Name: Justin Thompson CareerBuilder.com
Category: Business and Finance
Email: query-1sr3@helpareporter.net
Media Outlet: CareerBuilder.com
Deadline: 5:00 PM EST - 5 January
Query:
Looking for tips from job seekers or job experts on how they
should structure their day (whether employed or unemployed) for
job search.
Set times? Certain days? How do you dress?
Requirements:
Explain your job search process and how you juggle looking for a
job while employed or unemployed and tips for what people should
do to give their search more structure and milestones to mark
achievement.
