Question:

I am a 41 year old career changer working on an MBA. My background is in retail, but I do not want to work at the "store" or front line level. How do I get people to look past my resume and see me as a new MBA?

First Answer:

Before you start getting employers to look PAST your resume, re-fashion your resume so employers will look AT your resume and want to interview you based on how promising you look on paper. Here are some approaches to try with your resume and cover letter:

1. While most job-seekers with your level of experience might be expected to list Experience before Education, you could list Education first since your new MBA will be a big selling point. As with all resume items, you'll list your education in reverse chronological order, so the MBA will be listed first and really stand out. List your MBA like this:

   Master of Business Administration, name of university, city/state of university, graduation month and year. List it like this even if your grad date is in the future; since the date's in the future, the employer will know you don't have the degree yet.

2. Consider including a section called "Professional Profile" at the top of your resume. Use this section to showcase 3-5 bulleted top selling points, including your MBA. Your MBA bullet point could be something like this:

   * Enhanced strategic-planning skills and expertise through Master of Business Administration program; candidate for MBA degree, date. Focus your other selling points on skills from your MBA program and retail background that are transferable and applicable to the field you want to get into.

3. Consider a functional format for your resume that will enable you to showcase skills that are, again, transferable and applicable to the field you want to get into. A functional resume is organized around functional skills clusters. After listing 3-4 skills clusters and showing how you've demonstrated those skills, you would have a bare-bones work history at the bottom. In your case, the functional skills clusters might include such areas as Management, Marketing/Sales/Customer Service, and Strategic Planning. Consider including bullet points from your MBA program -- projects or papers you did that support your new expertise in areas outside retail.
4. Be sure your Objective statement positions you well for a job outside retail. Read more about Objective statements at: http://www.quintcareers.com/resume_objectives.html
5. Mention your MBA toward the top of your cover letter. One good sentence is: "My upcoming MBA bolsters my qualifications." See this sample for another good letter that highlights the MBA: http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_email_cover_letter.html

-- Katharine Hansen, former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for the Web site, Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters.

Second Answer:

If I understand your question correctly, you say you have a retailing background and you want to work in this industry, but you want to bypass the lower-level sales and management functions and go straight to the top of the management chain? If you have been working in the industry for nearly two decades, it's highly unlikely that you'll be asked to spend a great deal of time actually working the retail floor as you might if you were in a training program in your twenties. However, don't sell that experience short! You can't lead if you have isolated yourself from all of the workings of the business you're in. In most organizations, and definitely in retailing, even the most senior executives are expected to spend some time "in the trenches" so that they don't lose touch with the brand, people, philosophy and customers. Make sure that your resume reflects your prior experience, and that you apply for jobs where you are going to be expected to hit the ground running as a newly-minted MBA. Then, be willing to embrace whatever experiences come your way. Few companies are going to pay you top dollar to sit behind a sales counter for long-- that's what they hire salespeople for!

-- Alison Blackman Dunham, life & career expert, columnist, personal public relations consultant, half of THE ADVICE SISTERS®, and the author of the ASK ALISON career advice column.

Third Answer:

Focus on the role to which you aspire, and position your résumé, cover letter, and conversations around that role and your qualifications for it. It is your responsibility to help the prospective employer "see" you in the role you want, not the role you are trying to leave behind. Here are some tips:

1. An employer has to see your transferable skills from work that may be non-analogous to your desired role, so write an accomplishment-based résumé that shows how you've applied your analytical, financial, organizational, interpersonal, etc. skills to previous work and school assignments. Don't list all the tasks that you've done in your jobs: it just labels you as "retail material."
2. Leverage the work background you do have: first-hand knowledge of an industry is a marketable experience. If your job target is market analyst, play up your expert knowledge of the retail market you worked in, but be clear that you are not a candidate for store management.
3. Start your resume with a positioning statement (a section called a Profile, Strengths and Areas of Interest, Summary of Qualifications) such as "Graduate student in finance with experience in retail sporting goods industry. Knowledge of inventory control . . . . Strengths include quantitative analysis. . ."
4. Target jobs you want, and write an employer-focused cover letter that shows you've researched the company and why you think you're a good fit for the job. Say "My qualifications meet your requirements as follows" and list each specification and what in your background demonstrates how you meet each. This technique makes it easier for a prospective employer to "see the match," and also shows that you've devoted some effort and thought into this particular opportunity.

A new MBA is just an entry ticket to management jobs. You have more to sell. You want employers to see you as a whole person, with the maturity and experience of a 41-year-old. This should work to your advantage except in arenas that have a very specific "ideal candidate profile" and career path for 28-year-old MBAs, such as investment banking. The MBA will never hurt you, and will give you a distinct advantage over your peers who lack it. First see yourself in the role you want, and then sell yourself into it.

-- Carol Anderson, Career Development and Placement Office, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City.

Fourth Answer:

Before you ask that people "look past" your resume, try to improve the resume to incorporate your new business knowledge. Include a summary of qualifications that touches on your new skills at the beginning of your resume to put distance between your retail experience and your current objective. In your experience section, you may want to include details of projects within your MBA program that reflect your experiences in other industries. Also consider offering your retail experiences and new MBA to the corporate office of a major retail operation.

When one is seeking to break into a new career, it's best to bear in mind that it's going to take focus, enthusiasm, strategy, and persistence. So hang in there and good luck!

-- Tracy Laswell Williams, certified job and career transition coach, accredited resume writer and founder of CAREER-Magic.com.

Career Videos