Quite simply, the résumé is a snapshot of your background and previous
experience. The content reflects your knowledge, skills, and abilities gained
through your entire life experience – not just experience gained through
previous employment history!
Often, job seekers find themselves at a
loss when seeking new opportunity or changing careers. Challenges appear when obtaining
a new degree, discovering an interest in new ventures through volunteer work,
or transitioning their skill set into another industry. Even more
challenging, is when employers indicate they require candidates to possess
experience (anywhere from 1-10 years in a particular field) or prefer
candidates with academic education in the form of a degree.
“I have a degree, but no
experience…..”
“I know I can do this job, I did
the same thing as a volunteer for ten
years….”
“I have no formal training, but
learned all about XYZ while observing intricate daily operations of this organization
for the last decade…”
“I learned how to write articles
from years of reading publications of renowned authors…”
“I
have no high school diploma, no degree, and no official certifications, yet am
qualified. After 20 years of career progression in the same company, I know the
job inside and out. I cannot compete with someone that has the education or a
degree…”
Employers want to know that you can do the job. They want to know what
you bring to the table, not just in aspects of formal education but also the experience
gained through hands-on application of
concepts and acquired knowledge. If you can convey the right
message, demonstrate that you possess the required skills and can, in fact, perform the job in the way that
aligns with the employer’s expectations, new doors will open.
The Merriam-Webster Definition of Experience:
*direct observation of or
participation in events as a basis of knowledge
*the fact or state of having been
affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation
*practical knowledge, skill, or practice
derived from direct observation of or participation in events or a particular activity
*the length of such participation
ten
years' experience in the
job>
*the conscious events that make
up an individual life
*the events that make up the conscious
past of a community or nation or humankind generally
*something personally
encountered, undergone, or lived through
*the act or process of directly
perceiving events or reality
For now, forget about the traditional résumé. Online application programs
and talent management systems offer candidates plenty of space to describe
their previous skill set. Résumés created through online application programs
sometimes well exceed the size of the traditional, one-two page résumé. In
fact, there are explicit guidelines for including volunteer work and experience
gained through multiple forums when seeking opportunity in government
assignments. Use space to your advantage.
Rather than focusing on just employment entries, include time spent in
volunteer assignments, time spent pursuing advanced education, or formal
degrees, time spent in culturally diverse atmospheres, and the time spent
pursuing personal interests. The bonus of
this strategy is that you will generate credit for experience through automated
screening programs, and these entries
will help you cover gaps when removed from the traditional workforce.
Once you have a solid foundation of online résumé data, you can
strategically pull information to develop the targeted snapshot, or traditional
résumé typically
used for interviews and networking.
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