No Job Experience? You Can Still Write a Great Resume plus 1 more | Career Rocketeer
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Posted: 24 May 2011 03:30 AM PDT
  If you are a recent college graduate or have spent time as a stay-at-home parent, it’s very possible that you have a college degree but very little or no job experience. Although this could cause problems for those who are competing against candidates with education and experience, by writing a great resume, you could still get your foot in the door.Here are some tips to consider: #1: Utilize Life Experience and Volunteering Efforts While you may not have professional job experience in your corner, you probably have lived a full enough life to contribute to a job. For instance, if you have volunteered as treasurer of your church for the past 15 years, you not only have organizational skills but have likely kept up with technology to create databases for record keeping. Look to your personal life for the skills that you’ll need to mention when applying for a job—such as leadership, organization, technological proficiency, data management, customer/client relations, and more. You’ll be surprised by how many of these skills directly relate to professional jobs. #2: Add College Honors (Only When Useful) Another way to show your depth as an entry-level professional—even with little job experience—is by including your college honors in your resume. For instance, if you acquired skills in some classes and can produce physical results of your work (e.g., a public relations portfolio) then this could substitute for job experience. Also, you may have worked as director of your campus radio station for three years, wrote the news, and served as an on-air personality. This level of experience can be documented and should be noted if you’re applying at a commercial radio station. Keep in mind when adding this information that it works best if you’re a recent college grad. Even then, it’s a good idea to add this information only if it specifically proves you’re qualified for a job. #3: Shine In Your Cover Letter Although the resume is more of a cut-and-dried document to list skills and accomplishments, your cover letter is the place where you can really shine. Use this document to your advantage as you talk about your strong desire to work in the position you’re applying for and how your time as a college student or at-home parent has contributed largely to your ability to make a difference for the company. Speak with passion as you explore your past, which will likely be of interest to an employer who doesn’t see a long professional history. Try not to write a biography, however; simply use important points in your background to explain why you’re interested in moving forward professionally and how those experiences make you a great candidate. A one-page cover letter can definitely get this done. Sometimes it can feel intimidating to compete against individuals with more experience. But in the end, employers are looking for someone who can get the job done. Prove—in your resume, cover letter, and interview—that you can, and you may just score the position. Follow @GreatResume on twitter for quick job search, resume and cover letter tips that you can start using today. You can also find more helpful job search advice on our Web site at http://www.greatresumesfast.com. Author: Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187. |
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Posted: 23 May 2011 03:30 AM PDT
  This Wednesday, I will be a guest on Chris Perry's Career Studios teleseminar program. The purpose of the series is to allow people like you to hear from industry leading professionals their opinions on a wide array of topics. The topic I have been asked to speak on this week is resume writing.Last week I conducted a workshop for a group of 20 outsourced professionals who have been out of work a minimum of ten weeks each and generated less than 15 interviews between them. What I found out was that none of them had a professional resume or had sought out a professional careen coach. As the program went on I we discovered that these professionals all had either written their own resumes based on sources of information they gathered online or from a book, or had a friend help them write their resume. As I l kept talking I heard "gee I never thought about that," or "that makes so much sense," or "I wish my friend would have told me that" over and over from almost everyone in the crowd. My point is when it comes to resume writing there are a lot of people who are willing to offer you conjecture on what will work for you, but the opportunity to hear solid information from people in the know, especially for Free is very rare. So please join me and your hosts Chris Perry, founder of Career Rocketeer, and Dorothy Tannahill-Moran in their CAREER STUDIOS FREE Career Seminar Series on Wednesday, May 25th at 5:30pm PST / 8:30pm EST when I will be the teleseminar's special guest. Your resume is the most visible and active part of your job search, so you want it to be powerful and effective at getting the attention of hiring managers. However many of you don't always know if it does. Join us while we discuss what no longer works and what does work in writing a resume for today's job market. I will cover topics where you will learn:
All you need to participate is a phone. Register here and we will send the call-in number and access code to you via email prior to the call. Also, enrolled participants will receive a FREE MP3 downloadable recording of this session following the seminar. Plus, as a special gift you will receive a free resume critique and 15% discount from me on any resume or bio you hire me to write. Author: Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique. |
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