A few days ago, I spoke to a gentleman who had reached out for advice on his job search. After sending out his resume to more than 1,000 job ads online, he had only received two responses.
It goes without saying that he was frustrated with his job search. By the time I spoke with him, he had analyzed his situation and decided the lack of calls was because he had issues with his credit and had a conviction 15 years ago.
I asked for a copy of his resume and while we were on the phone, I mentioned my concerns that he had crammed his entire work history onto one page. He had also listed his education on top of the resume and had his skills at the bottom.
Looking at his resume, I had no idea what type of job he was looking for. When I asked, he gave me a list of jobs he had no experience with but did not appear qualified for.
We talked about targeting his resume and having several versions, one for each type of job he wanted. We also talked about formatting the resume.
My biggest frustration after spending nearly an hour talking to him was that he had an objection to every suggestion I gave him. The reason I bring this up is because he is not unique.
We recently did a survey to ask people about additional services they needed and to find out if they were using all of the services we offer at Christian HELP. It amazed me how many people said they did not have a resume and did not feel they needed one.
There were also many people who said they had few computer skills, but did not need a class.
If you ask for advice from a professional or seek training or assistance, make a plan to follow through. If you don’t agree with the advice, get a second opinion. We don’t always like the advice, but if what you are doing isn’t working, it might be time to change direction.
For a free copy of creating your job search plan, please contact me at the e-mail below.
Please remember to feel free to e-mail or write me with your questions!
Take care and best wishes-
Please send any questions you have regarding employment to:
sandi@christianhelp.org
Fax: 407-260-2949
Mail: Ask Sandi C/O Christian HELP
450 Seminola Blvd, Casselberry, FL 32707
Our goal is to answer many of the questions you may have about your employment search, resumes, networking, promotion opportunities, and other employment related questions you may have.
Note to employers: If you e-mail your job leads to cfec@cfec.org, we will share your job openings with Christian HELP clients.
Until next time-
Sandi
Sandi Vidal is the Executive Director for Christian HELP and the Central Florida Employment Council. She has over 15 years of Recruiting and Human Resources Experience. Visit the website at www.cfec.org.