Question:
Due to some personal problems in my life, my employment history is not
very good. I've had a lot of short-term jobs and quit many of them without
notice. Now that I'm about to graduate, I'm concerned that I won't be able
to find a good career position. What should I do?
Answer:
Your situation is NOT hopeless! There are several things to keep in mind
here:
- Remember that, if you are a new graduate and still in your early 20s,
most employers will consider you a blank slate that they can mold in their
image. If you look at it this way, your lack of experience can actually
help you! Just be sure to put the Education section of your resume third,
right after your Objective (where you state the kind of job you're after)
and a Profile section (where you can describe your 2-3 most marketable
skills).
- Try to group different jobs under a single heading. Example: if you held
three jobs in less than one year in the same field, say as a Secretary,
Office Administrator and Administrative Assistant, you can group your jobs
together like this:
Office Administration: Chicago firms (1998-1999).
Notice that there are no months when listing the dates for your jobs. This
will cover up any that were particularly short.
- Feel free to include volunteer experience or other non-traditional jobs
that are related to the work you want to do. And be sure to detail how much
of your college education you paid for yourself. If you worked during
school to finance 100% of your tuition, say so! Many employers will be as
impressed by this as they would be by a high grade-point average.
Best of luck to you!
-- Kevin Donlin, Guaranteed Resumes
