Getting Ready to Look for a Job

Making a career change is scary. It was easier for me to go to my job every day doing the same thing. I loved my job and looked forward to going to work. It wasn't my choice to leave, but now I have a chance to explore other options as I move forward with my life. I feel pretty fortunate to have this opportunity to make changes and I pray I trust God's guidance as I move ahead.


I'm currently working on my resume and it's taken me a couple weeks to really get it to where I want it.  Coming up with accomplishments and skills was the easy part, but formatting it in the correct way was a challenge.

Here are a few key points:

• Keep a file of all accomplishments- including awards, emails of gratitude, certificates from classes... anything noteworthy.  They help inspire great things for the resume.
• Use a template from Microsoft Word or search on-line. There are many types and styles out there, so make sure to choose the right one. Since I worked for the same company for 22 years, I used a functional format rather than a chronological format so I could highlight the various roles and accomplishments from over the years. 
• Don't use a border around the page or unique shapes for bullet points unless handing a hard copy of the resume to someone.  When sending the resume electronically, there are some software programs that distort anything that's not a circle.
• If no longer working, write the resume in past tense.
• Come up with measures. Write the number of people supervised; write the size of the budget managed; write about interactions with upper management. This adds a little sparkle to the resume and gives the reader an idea of capabilities.
• Share the resume with people to get their feedback. I shared mine with some past coworkers and they pointed out some trainings I missed. I also shared it with a consultant who also gave me some good suggestions.

I'm feeling pretty good about what I came up with.  I think it's a thorough look at my skills and qualifications as well as the many accomplishments over the years. It's nice to see it all down on paper and I feel it adds value to me and my self-esteem.  We all need to feel good about ourselves and sometimes our accomplishments will give us the boost we need.

Until next time.
Sue