Brampton - As our economy spirals downward more and more folks are finding the need to brush up on their job hunting skills. For a great number it has been 10 – 15 or perhaps even 20 years or more since they applied for a job. This gap in job hunting open up a myriad of issues.
Of course, it goes without saying that to do a proper job search you need a resume. However, for some that is not as easy a task at for others. There are many issues to be faced in deciding what to put on a resume. Not the least of the issues to be confronted is the completion of the "experience" category on the resume. For some it is a matter of listing the various jobs and duties they have had over the past, say 10 years. For others it is a question of adding a bit to the title of the section and speaking to their experience and skills.
This second option opens up the document quite a bit. However, for still others it does little or nothing. Simply put they have had the same job for the last 10 – 15 or even 20 years or more. Of course, the answer here is to say "20 years experience as a……." right? Not so fast.
For some folks it is a matter of one year's experience 10, 15 or 20 times. Why? They have been doing the same tasks day after day, week after week and month after month for the past 20 years. Unfortunately this does not fill out a resume well when seeking employment elsewhere.
The good news is that for those in this situation and in the job market today, there is a solution. Take into consideration all those jobs or tasks done when volunteering in the community. Perhaps you served as treasurer of your club, well, add that budgeting and financial management skill set to your resume. Perhaps you were a club president; why not add leadership skills to your resume?
For those who are fortunate enough not to be seeking a job right now there are additional options. Ask for a temporary assignment at work. Seek out a community group and get involved in the leadership of a project or even the club itself. Another option is to seek out various learning opportunities be they night courses, part – time attendance at college or private training providers.
To quote Victor Frank, author of an excellent book, Man's Search for Meaning, "When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." The questions should not be whether to do something but rather what to do and then set in place a plan to get it done.
Copyright Gordon J. H. Newman, CPT 2008
Gordon J. H. Newman, CPT - Gordon is President of The Newman Learning Group Inc. an organization dedicated to providing value add learning and development solutions to improve the bottom line performance of organizations and individuals. Gordon may be reached at