You’re a unique job candidate. Your resume may reflect a background that looks less than perfect, but it has shaped you into the amazing employee are you today. Maybe you’ve had some ups and downs in your work history, but through each one, you’ve learned, gained experience, and created a strong network. This type of work history can be hard to portray on a resume, somehow putting some of that on paper doesn’t always seem to look right. Here are some easy ways to reformat your resume, while remaining truthful, to highlight your strengths.
Job hopping.
This can be common for those who take contract positions. If you list each one, it can seem as though you were not committed to any job and kept moving around; in reality, maybe your field and zip code were hiring only temporary workers until the economy picked up. This is not your fault. Why not group these jobs together and highlight the main skills you learned from each?
Long gaps between jobs.
Reformat your resume to be skill-focused or project-focused, rather than chronological. Search for examples of this type of resume and change yours up. With this type of format, you can list where you worked and how you improved it, rather than a steady stream of employment. Be prepared to discuss the gaps honestly, but don’t focus on them; have a neutral response to the gaps, especially if they are negative. Stick to facts and move on.
Non-relevant college major.
This is more common than you might think. It is hard to know exactly what you want to do when you grow up, even while you’re in college. Try to dissect your college experience and knowledge to apply to the real world. Maybe some leadership within your field, a program you managed, an initiative you started, a club you improved; all these things can be attributed to you personally, not your college major.
Little or no experience.
Try to figure out where you have experience and translate that to the job you want. This means your leadership skills, problem-solving, team building, sales, and closing, and other soft skills that can be used in almost any field. With clear examples of your success, in any field, you’ll see hiring managers understand who you are, not just what you learned at another company.
Use your wide range of skills to your advantage. You have a lot to offer to the right company and when you connect the dots for them honestly and clearly, the hiring manager will see you as the person - not just your skill sets. For help putting together a great resume, contact WSi Healthcare Personnel today.