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Just how "recent" of experience do employers want a potiential employee to have? Say, for instantance, your last job didn't relate to much to your previous career type positions that you've had in the past. You've been unemployed now for a few months and just can't seem to get an employer to call you for an interview. You know that your last job, you took just to have a job. You've been told that employers want "recent" experience that you really didn't have that much of on your last job. Two long-term jobs before that last one were totally related to your career. So......what do you do? Is your "career" gone now because of your last job? Will someone give you a break? You've read ads for your career type job that you know you could do, have applied but NO CALLS to you!
Just how "recent" of experience do employers want a potiential employee to have? Say, for instantance, your last job didn't relate to much to your previous career type positions that you've had in the past. You've been unemployed now for a few months and just can't seem to get an employer to call you for an interview. You know that your last job, you took just to have a job. You've been told that employers want "recent" experience that you really didn't have that much of on your last job. Two long-term jobs before that last one were totally related to your career. So......what do you do? Is your "career" gone now because of your last job? Will someone give you a break? You've read ads for your career type job that you know you could do, have applied but NO CALLS to you!
How about arranging your resume by relevance rather than reverse chronological order? So from top to bottom: Name, Education, etc then Most Relevant Job, Next Most Relevant Job, Third Most Relevant Job.....McJobs.
Say, for instantance, your last job didn't relate to much to your previous career type positions that you've had in the past. You've been unemployed now for a few months and just can't seem to get an employer to call you for an interview. You know that your last job, you took just to have a job. You've been told that employers want "recent" experience that you really didn't have that much of on your last job. Two long-term jobs before that last one were totally related to your career. So......what do you do? Is your "career" gone now because of your last job? Will someone give you a break? You've read ads for your career type job that you know you could do, have applied but NO CALLS to you!
Your description isn't all that helpful since you only describe 'how many jobs ago' your relevant experience was, not how many years ago it was.
So, how long did you hold your last irrelevant job? If you held that job for ten years, then yeah, I think it is pretty likely that you will have a hard time convincing an employer that you have the skills to hold down a job in that field again.
If you held that job for just a year, then I'd leave the most recent job off your resume entirely. If it isn't relevant to the job for which you are applying, then it shouldn't be on your resume.
Yes it will take forever. It would take forever even if that last job had been relevant to your job search. Because the economy is in the toilet and employers are reluctant to hire and they get thousands of applications for ever opening.
Just how "recent" of experience do employers want a potiential employee to have? Say, for instantance, your last job didn't relate to much to your previous career type positions that you've had in the past. You've been unemployed now for a few months and just can't seem to get an employer to call you for an interview. You know that your last job, you took just to have a job. You've been told that employers want "recent" experience that you really didn't have that much of on your last job. Two long-term jobs before that last one were totally related to your career. So......what do you do? Is your "career" gone now because of your last job? Will someone give you a break? You've read ads for your career type job that you know you could do, have applied but NO CALLS to you!
Wow, you nearly described my situation to a T--except I was unemployed only half that long! In any case, since I'm speaking from personal experience, I would agree with the previous posters' advice suggestions. Your resume should be tailored to the position you want: If your current/latest job doesn't relate to what you're aiming for, it might unqualify you for that job, because an employer may typecast you or not take your resume seriously. I had more success getting interviews when I left my unrelated job off my resume, and adding activities that related more closely to the job to enhance my resume. This way, an employer knows I'm remaining active, and s/he doesn't have to know I did ________before.
Since employers generally prefer chronological over a functional format, I suggest a combo resume--a combination of functional and chronological.That way, you put more focus on all the skills you learned (not just from work), and still putting your info in chronological order. It's a good compromise.
Had it for 2 yrs. 2 months. It was a small in-home business that just never really took off financially and wife/I shut it down. Most of the business was done over the Internet. One thing I don't want to show on my resume is that I've been out of work since Nov 2007! In running this business, I did a couple of things that related to my career, but not like I did at the job I had for 4 1/2 years before the in-home business. And, before the 4 1/2 year job, I spent 6 yrs working at another job that was in my career. So, I have plenty of experience in my career, except for the last couple of years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kodaka
Your description isn't all that helpful since you only describe 'how many jobs ago' your relevant experience was, not how many years ago it was.
So, how long did you hold your last irrelevant job? If you held that job for ten years, then yeah, I think it is pretty likely that you will have a hard time convincing an employer that you have the skills to hold down a job in that field again.
If you held that job for just a year, then I'd leave the most recent job off your resume entirely. If it isn't relevant to the job for which you are applying, then it shouldn't be on your resume.
Yes it will take forever. It would take forever even if that last job had been relevant to your job search. Because the economy is in the toilet and employers are reluctant to hire and they get thousands of applications for ever opening.
One thing I don't want to show on my resume is that I've been out of work since Nov 2007!
That isn't what it would show. Again, a resume is a marketing tool, and its purpose to advertise your abilities and suitability for the job to which you are applying. It is not your life story.
The place for explaining extraneous circumstances such as operating a start-up business or other detours in your career is your cover letter.
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Wow, you nearly described my situation to a T--except I was unemployed only half that long! In any case, since I'm speaking from personal experience, I would agree with the previous posters' advice suggestions. Your resume should be tailored to the position you want: If your current/latest job doesn't relate to what you're aiming for, it might unqualify you for that job, because an employer may typecast you or not take your resume seriously. I had more success getting interviews when I left my unrelated job off my resume, and adding activities that related more closely to the job to enhance my resume. This way, an employer knows I'm remaining active, and s/he doesn't have to know I did ________before.
