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I have a friend who just asked me for help to review his resume.
He informed me that he wants to get back into the industry that he worked in his past.
Now given that I personally know his current career and background, I need some advice from anyone of you specifically in Human Resources and/or hiring managers for government or any large industry.
My friends background, he received a bachelors degree in Occupational Health and Safety in 1995.
Although a unique major, his career path and resume looked very good in the first 13 years after his graduation.
His first job was with the government Office of State Programs - a state and local division of OSHA. He started out as an intern who later got hired fulltime after his graduation. He worked for them for about 4 years.
His 2nd job was with a local Construction Firm, he worked with a small team overseeing safety and OSHA regulations and workers comp. He was with them for less than 5 years.
His 3rd job was with a large manufacturer of paper products. He worked in their Safety department as the Assistant Safety Manager for about 3 years.
Now comes 2008 - the RECESSION. My friend got laid off!
He spent several months seeking and applying for any government, construction and manufacturing companies but at that time - No One in the industry were hiring Safety Staff (not even for entry level).
So, by the start of 2009 and with his severance package from his previous job gone, he had no other choice but to give up looking and started working at his parent's pizza restaurant.
Now here is where it gets a bit complicated with my friend's resume.
From 2009 to today, the local pizza shop that employs less than 10 people was where he worked for 9+ years. The good news is, he mastered all areas of the pizzeria business but it certainly is not a field that requires a BS degree in Occupational Health and Safety.
So, today my friend wants to get back in the industry and he forwards me his resume to review.
At the very top of his Experience, he writes:
L_____ Pizzeria, Safety Manager
2009 *-* Present
Manage the overall provision of Occupational Health and Safety
• Responsible for fire and safety programs and policies
• Develop and execute annual safety training and fire evacuation
• Manage workers compensation
• Handle employee injury relations; provide counseling and drug testing as needed
• Oversee compliance and regulatory concerns with OSHA and township Fire Marshall
As a human resources or a hiring manager seeking qualified applicants in their Safety Department, how would you reflect on this? Would you bother to call this applicant in for an interview?
My first reaction in seeing this EXPERIENCE at the top of his resume was (sadly) pity.
How does one advance and showcase their Safety experience on a resume from a mom-and-pop restaurant?
I'm not in HR or hiring -- but I do write resumes -- so disregard this if feel it's not helpful.....
1) I don't know that I'd put XXXX Pizzeria as the employer. What's the name of the COMPANY or LLC that owns the pizzeria? THAT is the employer/business name I'd use.
2) He DID and DOES do all those things -- which are health-and safety, insurance, regulation, and policy related
It's just for a small business. So maybe he sets his sights on medium sized businesses. Perhaps, but not necessarily, targeting the food/ beverage and restaurant industries, and perhaps even broader in hospitality.
For example, are there any local/regional fine dining restaurant groups or ... major regional fast food franchisers or major hotel groups. And that's just because dining and food/beverage is the most recent gig. But he's done much more than that.
His recession career shift doesn't -- in-and-of-itself -- have to seem like a step back at all. He just moved into another field.
Heck, his parents own the pizzeria is he an officer of the company? If so use that title, too.
3) Also, should he get an interview -- phone or in person -- HE has got to be able to sell HIMSELF -- and sell his resume (experience).
I've done resumes for people who were a little shy for my taste. I always tell them, I can make you look like the best thing since sliced bread -- on paper. YOU have got to know what's on the resume and back that up and sell it.
I'd target any and all positions he wants to go for -- in any industry or field. (unless there's some absolutely specific certifications he'd need.) He was in construction. He was in manufacturing. He was in government.
I'd:
-- throw all the spaghetti at the walls and see what sticks...
-- put all my fish hooks in the water and see what comes up....
I also would target each resume to each prospective employer and job announcement. Have a generic that's the template. But tweak each one you submit. That doesn't HAVE to be time consuming....could be just one or two lines need tweaking, or perhaps language is phrased one way on a given resume, and another way on another resume.
First, I would not be impressed or fooled by the resume trick your friend is considering. No pizzeria needs a dedicated safety compliance officer, which is how that resume tries to present itself. I understand that he wants to highlight the responsibilities, but doing those things for a small business are obviously fraction responsibilities.
I would be honest about the title, but include the responsibilities listed. I would also write a cover letter covering the points in your post.
On the other hand, safety compliance is in high demand right now. If he had been working in the field the entire time he could write his own ticket. With 10 year old experience, he will need to take a step back.
In his position I would slam through a couple of quick certifications. An OSHA training course, that type of thing. That will give him something current to sell himself on. I would also look at small school districts, towns and the like. They won’t pay as much, but they also won’t be getting the top notch talent applying either.
Everyone is going to see right through that for what it is. Ten years is too long to be out of the compliance field. Like the above posters suggest, get some current education in the field, and then cast a wide net. Review trade journals and renew organizational membership/s. Colleges and universities also have EHSOs.
His first mistake was quitting a government job. Right now he'd be close to a pension if he were still there (and most likely would be).
Second, employers will see through this. Especially if this is a single location.
Third, is this his real job title? If they called the pizzeria, will the owner tell them that was his job title? Probably not. He'd say he was a manager or assistant manager.
This is one of those sad realities of the US job market - a worker who had to take a survival job and now is stuck in it. He'd be counted as one of those in the underemployed section.
His first mistake was quitting a government job. Right now he'd be close to a pension if he were still there (and most likely would be).
Second, employers will see through this. Especially if this is a single location.
Third, is this his real job title? If they called the pizzeria, will the owner tell them that was his job title? Probably not. He'd say he was a manager or assistant manager.
This is one of those sad realities of the US job market - a worker who had to take a survival job and now is stuck in it. He'd be counted as one of those in the underemployed section.
He probably left the government job because it was the first job out of school. Now someone over 30 seeking employment would kill for a government job.
He probably left the government job because it was the first job out of school. Now someone over 30 seeking employment would kill for a government job.
Yup. People make dumb mistakes when they're young. They think they're invincible, and can leap tall buildings with a single bound. Then reality slaps them upside the head several times before they realize how things really work.
Criticizing a decision made almost 20 years ago, based on minimal, 2nd hand info isn’t terribly useful. OP asked about what could be done now, not what their friend should have done back in 1999.
Criticizing a decision made almost 20 years ago, based on minimal, 2nd hand info isn’t terribly useful. OP asked about what could be done now, not what their friend should have done back in 1999.
And if you bothered to read my initial post, I addressed that issue.
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