Question:
I've got several resume's already, but... none that I feel apply to this
job that's come up. There's a job opening at a local ISP, Administrative
Assistant. I've had no official paid experience using computers and I'm
trying to figure out how to get it across that I -can- do the job despite
the fact that the only jobs I've had so far were food service. Does anyone
know of a good, text-only browser friendly, web page on resume writing for
ISP's and such? And maybe a page on how to format an ascii resume. BOC's
to all respondents
Answer:
- If you're close to a decent-sized bookstore there are several good
books on writing resumes. Most, at some point in them, address the
problem of completely changing jobs and how you can "translate" your
prior skills to a new situation. For example, if you've worked in fast
food places you certainly have "customer service" experience (will the
new job be dealing with the ISP's customers over the phone and/or in
person?). Stress your reliability, on-timeness, etc. Don't make your
resume an "obit" [read "obituary"]--i.e, a passive listing of your job
duties (which in general may not relate anyway to the new job you
want). Try to think of problems you solved on-the-job (i.e., working
with difficult customers) and clearing up problems. Employers DO NOT
WANT lists of your former job duties. They want something that shows
them what special qualities YOU bring to your work. Qualities that
will differentiate YOU from other job applicants. If you're actively
involved in the 'Net, using the Web, internet, e-mail, etc., that is
certainly relevant to the job, whether or not you've ever been paid
for it!
Arg-g-g-h! I wish I lived closer to where you do! I used to be an
employment manager, and have taught resume-writing to individuals and
groups before. It's a whale of a lot easier to do in person than
through e-mail! Most of the books (my personal favorite has been
"Knock 'Em Dead Resumes") are pretty good, give lots of good examples
and exercises to get your creative juices flowing. (By the way, the
companion book to "Knock 'Em Dead Resumes," "Knock 'Em Dead Job
Interviews," is also very good.)
I, for example, am completely self-taught in computer skills, but I
don't say that on my resume. I simply have a section marked "Skills"
and list every program I've ever worked on. They don't know I'm
self-taught, and usually don't even care, as long as I can demonstrate
that I DO HAVE those skills. Think of a resume as a "teaser." The
function of a resume (as I tell all of my students) is NOT to get you
the job. Its sole function is to get you the INTERVIEW. If it gets you
the interview, then it has worked. From that point on, it's up to you
in person to land the job!
Even your basic "life skills" can be made applicable to a "paid" job.
I've had "I'm-just-a-housewife" women tell me they dont' have "skills"
an employer would want. Bullshit. You have to budget your money don't
you? Tell your prospective employer you have budgeting skills--because
you do! You have to manage your own time effectively, don't you? Tell
the prospective employer you have time-management skills--because you
do! These are the kinds of "skills" (paid or not!) that easily
translate from job-to-job that you can populate your resume with.
Show that potential employer actual examples of your problem-solving
skills. E.g., "I converted the previous paper accounting system in the
office to a computerized one....", blah, blah, blah. It indicates
initiative, creative thinking, ability to make and reach goals, etc.
THAT's what employers want to see on resumes.
Don't try and proofread your own resume. I once received a resume from
a man graduating from a major college with an M.B.A. and a good grade
point average who wanted to work at the company I was with. His resume
was absolutely fascinating. Unfortunately, it was fascinating in the
way watching the Titanic sink might have been "fascinating." His
resume was 1-1/2 pages long, his format was OK, but in those short
pages, he had made a combined total of 88--count 'em--88 spelling,
grammatical and punctuation mistakes. (I counted them.) Needless to
say, he got one of our standard "Thanks, but no thanks" letters.
- More than once I've had to paw through a stack of
resumes, trying to decide who is worth
interviewing and perhaps hiring, knowing that for
better or worse I will have to work with this
person and that if he or she turns out to be a
turkey everybody will remember who picked the
loser. So here is my advice.
First of all, precise resume format, font, quality
of paper, etc. are completely irrelevant to my
decision. I am looking for other skills than
resume writing. This is not a magic incantation
that will yield a swell job if all rituals are
observed. It is just an initial exchange of my
requirements for your skills to lower the risk of
wasting each other's time before we proceed any
further. It's really an application to be
interviewed. Keeping in mind that I'll be
comparing your resume to my requirements and 50 -
60 other resumes, organize it for easy comparison
and evaluation. If what I'm looking for is buried
in freeform text I might miss it. (I particularly
dislike resumes from military careerists that are
20 pages long; I just don't have the time.)
Second, don't lose heart because you are short on
experience. The reason employers ask for
experience is that they think it reduces the risk
of hiring someone who can't do the job. There are
other ways of reducing that risk. I've leaerned
that I am better off with an employee who is
enthusiastic about our work, has the right mental
equipment for it and learns easily than I would be
with a gold-watch veteran looking for a
comfortable berth from which to retire.
Professional certification may help; it
demonstrates not only a skill but discipline and
learning ability. I want people who like to work,
who are excited about the kind of work we'll be
doing together, who I can trust to return my
training investment (I value my time far above my
organization's budget) by taking on a share of
responsibility for our success. I'm not
interested in how many merit badges you're
wearing; I want to know what you'll be like to
supervise and work with.
I've put in my time in food service, and it's a
good example of working as part of a team under
pressure to produce quality results. Don't
discard that experience. As for your computer
experience, it doesn't matter whether you got
paid, what matters is what you did and how well
you did it. Were you part of a team? What was
your role in the team? What did you learn during
the project? How did this lead you to the
realization that you want to make this a career?
If it's fun for you, that's good. If you're
figuring on making lots of money, I don't want to
talk to you. I'm interested in my needs, not in
your purchasing power.
I'll wrap this up with a few related though
somewhat disconnected observations. I have a
neighbor who owns a small software company. We
talked in his driveway last week and he related
how vulnerable he is to employee turn-over. "We
are so few, covering so many areas of expertise,
that we could survive if one person left on short
notice - but if two people did it, the company
would die." Put yourself in this employer's
position. You'd be mighty careful who you took
on, knowing that your future and that of all of
your other employees depends on making the right
choice. Sure there are larger companies better
able to withstand that risk, but they are made up
of departments, divisions and units that
ultimately aren't very different from the little
company and whose managers must manage the same
risks.
Another observation, disconnected but related. I
read an article on interviewing in Info World
which included the advice "Remember that the
interviewer hopes he can hire you. He wants to
fill that empty seat with someone who can handle
it so he can get back to his own job."
Finally, a suggestion. Go in as an intern.
Invest your own time in learning. Take dreadful
shifts and volunteer for nasty jobs. Learn the
ropes, be trustworthy and reliable, pull the
chestnuts out of the fire a few times, and you
will make yourself indispensable. You won't be an
intern for long.
