Confidence Shaken
My resume is pretty spotty. I am confident in my interviews and have been told I interview really well, but it takes forever for me to actually get an interview. By the time I am offered a position, I'm so financially desperate that I take the first one offered but not one I necessarily want. I know when I send my resume out that employers are looking at my short terms of employment and probably think I'm a joke. The truth is I am very dedicated and hard-working with a lot of experience and great skills in many facets of the administrative world. I've never been a manager or supervisor and I don't have a degree which adds to the shaken confidence. For obvious reasons, I don't feel that employers are taking my resume seriously so when I do interview, as hard as I try for it not to, the desperation shines through. I know you don't know me and may have your own opinions as to why my resume is so spotty. I have tried hard to work through any challenges I have faced in all of my positions. My last position just ended last Wednesday and was supposed to be a temp to perm position. But I was dismissed by the company when I contacted the staffing service and had them negotiate my permanent status when it was time. I was given no explanation and the staffing service said they weren't either. I am really frustrated and tired of feeling that other people hold my fate in their hands. I have bills to pay, a child to feed and a $500 deductible to pay for car repairs that had to be claimed on my insurance because of someone who hit me and then fled the scene. I can't afford to go two or three months unemployed as I have in the past. It has all caught up to me. How do I sell myself in my cover letters and then maintain my confidence when I get an interview? How do I make getting a new job happen NOW?? The staffing service is supposed to be helping me but I don't have any faith left in staffing services. I have sent my resume to over 20 or 30 companies and have only received 2 callbacks. Not looking very promising, is it? Can anyone offer any advice?
No worries. This is totally fixable. 1. Get a job. The most important thing is to get a job and start working so you have an income. 2. Look for your dream job. Use all your points of contact - Job Boards, staffing services, Newspapers and referrals. Depending on the type of work your interested in I suggest going to the business and asking for 5 minutes to talk to the manager. Explain to them you are in the market and was wondering if they have any openings...if not, ask who you should contact in the future. This does not work for many professional settings but if targeted correctly it should open a few doors. 3. Buy a good job search book -What Color Is Your Parachute and Job Searching for Dummies are very informative and will answer all your questions. Good Luck! Pink Lady, Let' s break it down: 1. Confidence. The fact that you have had jobs is in your favor. BUT you said it yourself. You interview well can perform once your hired and in the admin world you should be able to get a job. Right now, Whether its toastmasters, a networking group or volunteering, you need to connect with other people in a non work environment that can make you feel like, YEAH, I' m pretty good, accepted by others, and can help make things happen.... 2. Unfortunately your right, a series of short gigs does not help a potential employer look favorably at you. So it will take you longer to get your foot in the door. But I would suggest really focusing in on the skills you bring to the table. Perhaps it is a skills focused resume rather than chronological. Again, hook up with your local unemployment center (One Stop as they are often called) because they typically offer classes workshops, computer acess and template for developng resumes and sometimes 1-1 counseling. 3. There is no shortcut to the money problem. You know the drill. No more starbucks, rent videos instead of paying $9 to go to the movies, eat lots of tofu instead of eating out.... Talk to your creditors and work out temporary payment plans, consider taking on a roommate if you can... 4. Start networking as a job strategy. 5. Instead of sending out resumes and relying on temp services you ought to be thinking about building a career starting now rather than sending out 30 resumes target 3-5 companies and start researching. I recently was talking to an admin support who told me that she was intentional about working with our agency because it offered stability, regular hours, good insurance and good retirement. She said she did everything she could to learn about the company and kept working at it for 9 months before getting a job here. She has been here 5 yrs. 6. Finally you said, "I am really frustrated and tired of feeling that other people hold my fate in their hands." If that is really the case consider 1) going back to school (loans and grants can help) or 2) consider going into business for yourself. Real estate, Insurance, your local small business council can help if you are serious about taking your career in the direction of self employment.
One final thought, it doesn' t matter if you are an admin with no school or a sr manager with two master' s degrees. Losing your job shakes everyone' s confidence. your okay and normal. I agree this is fixable. Easier said than done. I was/am in the same position resume and degree wise, but I don't have a child or a car and I do feel for your situation, don't take this the wrong way there are organizations out there that can help if you really need it. I didn't look for a good job for years because of my spotty resume for 3 years, because I projected what potential employers would think. Sure my resume is spotty very very spotty. I thought it was better to not finish the degree. I call it young and dumb years. I too had to take jobs and pay I was offered out of desperation,(and it showed) and I never felt "good enough". One of those spotty times is that I took care of my father for who was terminally ill, I don't care what a potential employer thinks, it is what it is, if they ask I will tell them if they don't they just let a good person walk away. Until now. I have a job where my needs are met. It seems different this go around being in the interview for the job I want not the one I need. I may not get it, and that is a bruise to my ego, but at least I know a company is interested in me. One will come, and someone will see that in you,I promise. I apply to at least 2- jobs daily on Monster. Not saying you haven't already but. post your resume Public on Monster!!! Do they have other staffing companies in your area? What about the unemployment service, we have a place called CareerLink through them that is for anyone. My local newspaper has their classifieds online. I have collected all the local banks and major companies in my area and have gone to their job websites and have applied to positions that way. I have #### folder on my desk labeled with potentials, dates etc. I have even printed out my monster confirmations. Keep your head up, keep smiling, and keep trudging the happy road of destiny!!!! Somethings gotta give First I think maybe looking at your resume in a different light might help. Are all your past gigs Temp? If so then you should start looking at them as contract gigs and not "jobs" this will help you put a different spin on your resume and how you present to a potential employer. Something like this; "I have been working contracts in the past to gain the skills that I need. This has worked well for me and will be a benefit for you. Now I am ready to commit to a full time position." If there are other reasons for the spottiness then you will need to take a hard look at these and not only understand them for yourself but also be able to explain them to others. You may also need to rewrite your resume so that the spottiness is not so apparent at first glance. Sometimes it is all in how you spin. I would also suggest to you that you might be better off right now working with several temp agencies while you look. I know that you aren't feeling great about the experience but many companies use them for their admin support which means that they have the keys to the kingdom. | |
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Career Tips
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