Readers:
Dr. Randall Hansen, a nationally recognized career expert, is the Career Doctor.
Discover more about Dr. Hansen, read about the purpose of this column,
and find previous issues of this column at the home of The Career Doctor.
If you have any college, career, or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could
provide valuable assistance with, please
feel free to email him at: careerdr@quintcareers.com.
Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis.
Ashley writes:
Dr. Hansen, I have gotten several different opinions on my resume, with some saying
it's good, and others saying I should have a functional resume. I have been to my
college’s career services and other professors. So I am not really sure which is
best for me. Should a new college grad have a functional resume? Should my
resume be limited to one page? Please let me know what you think.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Several things jump at me when I look at your resume. All job-seekers should
remember that a resume is a strategic marketing document that must have two
key elements: design and content.
First, let’s discuss design. Every design aspect must be consistent on your resume
-- same style of headings, same margins… a coherent and appealing look. One of
my pet peeves deals with margins… I hate unusually narrow margins. There's a rule
of thumb with resumes -- margins must be big enough for my thumbs to hold on
to it and not cover any content.
Resumes must also be designed with some flair, and job-seekers often accomplish this
through varying type style and size and font selection. Your name and major headings
should be larger, perhaps in a different font. And be sure to include as much contact
information as possible.
Second, let’s talk content. I would recommend you -- and all job-seekers -- use one
of the "hotter" elements in resume writing -- the "Qualifications Summary," also
sometimes referred to as "Summary of Accomplishments." This section is what I
like to refer to as the executive summary of your resume -- it may change depending
on what type of job you are seeking -- but it should be the key 3-5 accomplishments
that make you better than anyone else for the job you are seeking.
And as you write about your experience, remember to focus on accomplishments,
keywords, and action verbs. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments.
As for resume length, the current rule is a resume is as long as it needs to be based
on your experience, and college grads with lots of experience can have two-page resumes.
Sally writes:
I was hoping that you might give me some quick advice about how to approach
looking at a career change. I graduated with a degree in communications, and
have been working in public relations for the past two years.
In that time I have come to feel that I should have been a marketing major and that
I would be much happier with a career in marketing.
I have found a marketing assistant position that I would absolutely love to take on,
but it requires 1-2 years of marketing experience. Would my two years of PR
count toward that at all?
Finally, what steps do I need to take to start off in a marketing career?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Changing careers is always harder than changing jobs, but because marketing
and public relations are so related, I cannot imagine you will have too hard a time
making the transition. And from a truly technical standpoint, PR is a part of marketing.
Your first step is revamping your resume to move from a PR focus to a marketing
focus. Start by examining your past experiences and accomplishments and
how you can put more of a marketing spin on them. Because PR and marketing
use many of the same skills, I think you will not have to make too many changes
-- simply use more of the marketing jargon (keywords) instead of the PR lingo.
You can research this area by searching for marketing jobs and examining the
keywords used in the job descriptions and requirements.
If you feel as though you do not have enough marketing experience, go back
and examine the marketing classes and projects from your college days. If
you only took one or two classes, consider volunteering to gain new marketing
experience.
Your next step is expanding your network to include more marketing folks.
Consider joining a local chapter of the American Marketing Association, the
premier professional organization for marketers. Join an online marketing
discussion group.
Remember that changing careers requires more flexibility than simply searching
for a new job. And the marketing assistant job you mention would seem to be
an easy step for you into the marketing field. Just remember to show the
prospective employer that you have all the things they require.
For more information and guidance on changing careers, check out my article,
The 10-Step
Plan to Career Change, published on Quintessential Careers.
Q:
Trish writes:
I have a question regarding the appropriate thing to do in an interview. This is in
relation to Question# 17 (Having questions about the job or the company to ask
the interviewer), from the Quintessential
Careers Job Interviewing Quiz.
Is it appropriate to have a "written list" with me and pulling it out to
ask the questions?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Interview preparation is essential, and the more any job-seeker can
do to prepare, the better the chances for success.
One of the issues we stress is that job-seekers should always have a
few questions to ask the interviewer. Asking questions shows your interest
in the position and in the employer. It’s also critical that you know as
much as possible about the employer and the job so that you can make
a more informed decision if a job offer is made.
So, can you have a written list? I would prefer that you didn’t -- that you
have a mental list -- but I don’t believe most employers would take issue
with having some notes in front of you… but I would have the list out from
the beginning, not take it out at the end of the interview when the
employer asks you if you have any questions.
What might you ask? Here is just a small sample of the types of
questions you can ask:
Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position?
What is the top priority of the person who accepts this job?
What are the day-to-day expectations and responsibilities of this job?
How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? And by whom? How often?
Can you describe the company’s management style?
Can you discuss your take on the company’s corporate culture?
What are the company’s values?
How would you characterize the management philosophy of this organization? Of your department?
Finally, do not ask a question about an issue that has already been thoroughly
discussed in the interview.
Andrew writes:
I am having a problem getting a job. Right now I have 3 years of IT related
experience after finishing a college certificate course. I have worked on big
to small projects and as a desktop analyst. But when I put my resume on jobs
I have done before and know I can do I am always being told by companies
that I don’t have enough experience and need to get more. But how can I get
the experience if no one will hire me.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
The job market for professionals in the technology field has been pretty
dismal over the last few years, and while we’ve seen some recent increase
in hiring, it will still be a tough market for some time to come.
If you have been applying for jobs that only require as much experience as
you currently have – in other words, you are not applying for jobs that
require 10 years of experience -- then I would venture that these employers
are simply using lack of experience as an excuse for some other reason
they are not hiring you.
Are you even getting job interviews? If not, then you must take the time
to evaluate your job-search strategy and your job-search tools.
About your job-search strategy. Are you simply applying to jobs listed
on job boards? If so, you must expand your search strategies to include
using and expanding your networking, job fairs, and cold calling. If solid
experience is even somewhat of an issue, you should also attempt to
get temporary, freelancing, or volunteering work to build your portfolio.
About your job-search tools. Your resume is the critical tool to
getting invited to job interviews. Perhaps your resume lacks the
critical keywords and/or accomplishments from your experience.
I would strongly recommend you have a career professional evaluate
your resume to make sure you are maximizing your strengths and
experiences.
