I don't normally write that much about my daughter but I couldn't stop myself today. She's 14; so yeah, it's starting to get interesting. Although I have thus far seemingly won the war on boys (as in thinking of dating them) and I have managed to keep her in tank tops under crop tops (and in a Catholic school they can't change once they get there because it would be inappropriate); today, she sent me a copy of this: "I like this" she wrote.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=bella+swimmie&rlz=1C9BKJA_enCA693CA693&hl=en-US&prmd=imvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj87d_R_svNAhUP-mMKHSt-B10Q_AUIBygB&biw=1024&bih=653#hl=en-US&tbm=isch&q=tipsy+gypsy%2C+bella+swimmie&imgrc=ycetUOEzVITQIM%3A
I wouldn't be the first mum to freak out a little at the thought of her daughter going out in that. "Not until you're 25!!" I replied. Just when I thought I enough on my plate, my daughter has to go and discover her sexuality.
Now maybe I sound like a prude (I can be) and maybe I'm over-reacting (doubt it) but the thought of allowing my daughter to wear that makes me physically ill. I knew this day would come (unlike many fathers I suppose) but I'm not impressed that it's arrived. Nor am I thrilled that this is the VERY beginning (because that's all it is).
I will take deep breaths. I will continue to monitor, warden-like, my daughter's wardrobe. But holy hell, I do believe this snuck up on me. I remember my cousin (Trace!) came to stay with us when I was about 13 (oh no). She picked me up from school in a black trans am. She was quite possibly wearing her zippered bikini (the memory is fuzzy but I know she had one and I know I wanted one). Perhaps because all the boys who saw her pick me up knocked heads in delirium. Perhaps because how can that not look really cool (to junior high students, and every guy who saw Tracie, in the early 90's)?!
Ugh. Now I have to do it. I will admit I lucked out though. I only have one daughter and she's a first born so every rule and every fear applies to her. I will make it. I will make it. I will make it...
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
The Circle of Life
Disclaimer: The title is wayyyyy deeper than the content.
I'm not exactly sure when I was given my first record player. It was red and white. I like to think it was a step up from Fisher Price, but it might have been exactly that. I do remember getting my first record (maybe it was at the same time) and it was Sesame Street. "C is for Cookie" was on it; likely a billboard number one for the six and under set at the time.
My mom loved music and she loved her vinyl. I may have grown up in the eighties and nineties but my music was 70's Rock (and Sesame Street). My first "grown up" record was Micheal Jackson. Then Corey Hart. And then we moved to cassettes and I am one hundred percent certain that I have never purchased an actual record.
Yesterday, my fourteen year old daughter sent me a photo, of a record player. "I want this" she wrote. I laughed. "Hahahahaha". "Why?" She asked, "what's wrong with it?" I took some time to think about my answer. There's nothing wrong with it, per se. I don't currently have a record player but I did buy my mom one for Christmas a couple of years ago; because she has records still.
I mean, really, she doesn't own a CD let alone a record. She downloads music from iTunes. When they want to watch a video they don't have to sit restlessly waiting to see if Video Hits will, by chance, play the one video they're waiting to see; they go to YouTube. Heck, even I go to YouTube.
I attach a cord to my phone that is connected to my car and I can play my own playlist. I turn on Galaxy or whatever is on my satellite channels. I can still use my phone. I can stream radio if I have an internet signal. What on earth does she need a record player for? "There's nothing wrong with it," I wrote back, "but it's not like vinyl is easy to come by nowadays." For some reason I thought that might be the end of it but it wasn't. "What's vinyl?" She asked. I rest my case.
I'm not exactly sure when I was given my first record player. It was red and white. I like to think it was a step up from Fisher Price, but it might have been exactly that. I do remember getting my first record (maybe it was at the same time) and it was Sesame Street. "C is for Cookie" was on it; likely a billboard number one for the six and under set at the time.
My mom loved music and she loved her vinyl. I may have grown up in the eighties and nineties but my music was 70's Rock (and Sesame Street). My first "grown up" record was Micheal Jackson. Then Corey Hart. And then we moved to cassettes and I am one hundred percent certain that I have never purchased an actual record.
Yesterday, my fourteen year old daughter sent me a photo, of a record player. "I want this" she wrote. I laughed. "Hahahahaha". "Why?" She asked, "what's wrong with it?" I took some time to think about my answer. There's nothing wrong with it, per se. I don't currently have a record player but I did buy my mom one for Christmas a couple of years ago; because she has records still.
I mean, really, she doesn't own a CD let alone a record. She downloads music from iTunes. When they want to watch a video they don't have to sit restlessly waiting to see if Video Hits will, by chance, play the one video they're waiting to see; they go to YouTube. Heck, even I go to YouTube.
I attach a cord to my phone that is connected to my car and I can play my own playlist. I turn on Galaxy or whatever is on my satellite channels. I can still use my phone. I can stream radio if I have an internet signal. What on earth does she need a record player for? "There's nothing wrong with it," I wrote back, "but it's not like vinyl is easy to come by nowadays." For some reason I thought that might be the end of it but it wasn't. "What's vinyl?" She asked. I rest my case.
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Unemployment: Interviews
I have to say that I've been on a few interviews over the past year. One was for a position I really wanted but was three and half hours from where I lived. Another was for a career practitioner at the local high school and even though I didn't get it, I realized how easy it was to interview for when I was truly interested in the work. That helped inform my decision to make a career change by the way.
The third position I interviewed for was for the job I'd had for the past year. One would think that should have been a slam-dunk. It was not. I realized after I was told I was unsuccessful in my bid for it that I had focused on what the position could be, not what it was. Lessons learned.
Now it's not often the case that you get a chance to really prepare for an interview to the full extent (like I could have for my own job...) but I was pretty lucky. Having spent the past week learning about what work was performed at the agency as well as having two full days of interview prep the week previously, I was in pretty good shape; right after I corrected a grave mistake.
I stopped in to see the manager the day before the interview (because it feels like I'm part of the team already) and when she mentioned my resume I asked to see it. When I asked to volunteer, she had asked me to forward a copy of my updated resume. I had sent her one that I had used to apply somewhere else (because it was just for informational purposes, I thought). The cover letter was attached! I told her I would send her an updated resume (and cover letter) that night. Yeesh - I can't believe that almost happened!
I remembered one of the other recommendations to prep for an interview: it's not all about you. Why do you want to work there? What do you know about what their company does? I did my research on the company and also what information I could get about the new program as it had been running in another area and there was information on the website. I had my great examples to answer behavioural questions... I was ready.
IT WENT FABULOUSLY. I knew the answers, I used the STAR (situation, task, actions, result) method to answer the behavioural questions. I talked about the previous week. I asked about how easy it would be to make changes to some of the presentation material because a couple of issues had been identified with the new group. They were open and happy I'd mentioned it. I also told them that I love to be in the classroom providing workshops and they said they had the flexibility to allow me to do both. Seriously? I was thrilled! Flexibility, creativity.... And in my interest area??
Oh, and I also found out that there are actually two positions; one is full-time and one is part-time. Since I didn't realize there was a full-time position, I made plans around the possibility of part-time. Full-time would be so much easier, and I have a plan if I get that too.
I stopped by later that week to talk about a schedule for volunteering the following week. I wasn't going to ask about the interview because that's probably not fair. The manager mentioned that my interview had gone really well so that's good news. She figures I will hear something early next week so my fingers are crossed.
The third position I interviewed for was for the job I'd had for the past year. One would think that should have been a slam-dunk. It was not. I realized after I was told I was unsuccessful in my bid for it that I had focused on what the position could be, not what it was. Lessons learned.
Now it's not often the case that you get a chance to really prepare for an interview to the full extent (like I could have for my own job...) but I was pretty lucky. Having spent the past week learning about what work was performed at the agency as well as having two full days of interview prep the week previously, I was in pretty good shape; right after I corrected a grave mistake.
I stopped in to see the manager the day before the interview (because it feels like I'm part of the team already) and when she mentioned my resume I asked to see it. When I asked to volunteer, she had asked me to forward a copy of my updated resume. I had sent her one that I had used to apply somewhere else (because it was just for informational purposes, I thought). The cover letter was attached! I told her I would send her an updated resume (and cover letter) that night. Yeesh - I can't believe that almost happened!
I remembered one of the other recommendations to prep for an interview: it's not all about you. Why do you want to work there? What do you know about what their company does? I did my research on the company and also what information I could get about the new program as it had been running in another area and there was information on the website. I had my great examples to answer behavioural questions... I was ready.
IT WENT FABULOUSLY. I knew the answers, I used the STAR (situation, task, actions, result) method to answer the behavioural questions. I talked about the previous week. I asked about how easy it would be to make changes to some of the presentation material because a couple of issues had been identified with the new group. They were open and happy I'd mentioned it. I also told them that I love to be in the classroom providing workshops and they said they had the flexibility to allow me to do both. Seriously? I was thrilled! Flexibility, creativity.... And in my interest area??
Oh, and I also found out that there are actually two positions; one is full-time and one is part-time. Since I didn't realize there was a full-time position, I made plans around the possibility of part-time. Full-time would be so much easier, and I have a plan if I get that too.
I stopped by later that week to talk about a schedule for volunteering the following week. I wasn't going to ask about the interview because that's probably not fair. The manager mentioned that my interview had gone really well so that's good news. She figures I will hear something early next week so my fingers are crossed.
Unemployment: Interviews
I have to say that I've been on a few interviews over the past year. One was for a position I really wanted but was three and half hours from where I lived. Another was for a career practitioner at the local high school and even though I didn't get it, I realized how easy it was to interview for when I was truly interested in the work. That helped inform my decision to make a career change by the way.
The third position I interviewed for was for the job I'd had for the past year. One would think that should have been a slam-dunk. It was not. I realized after I was told I was unsuccessful in my bid for it that I had focused on what the position could be, not what it was. Lessons learned.
Now it's not often the case that you get a chance to really prepare for an interview to the full extent (like I could have for my own job...) but I was pretty lucky. Having spent the past week learning about what work was performed at the agency as well as having two full days of interview prep the week previously, I was in pretty good shape; right after I corrected a grave mistake.
I stopped in to see the manager the day before the interview (because it feels like I'm part of the team already) and when she mentioned my resume I asked to see it. When I asked to volunteer, she had asked me to forward a copy of my updated resume. I had sent her one that I had used to apply somewhere else (because it was just for informational purposes, I thought). The cover letter was attached! I told her I would send her an updated resume (and cover letter) that night. Yeesh - I can't believe that almost happened!
I remembered one of the other recommendations to prep for an interview: it's not all about you. Why do you want to work there? What do you know about what their company does? I did my research on the company and also what information I could get about the new program as it had been running in another area and there was information on the website. I had my great examples to answer behavioural questions... I was ready.
IT WENT FABULOUSLY. I knew the answers, I used the STAR (situation, task, actions, result) method to answer the behavioural questions. I talked about the previous week. I asked about how easy it would be to make changes to some of the presentation material because a couple of issues had been identified with the new group. They were open and happy I'd mentioned it. I also told them that I love to be in the classroom providing workshops and they said they had the flexibility to allow me to do both. Seriously? I was thrilled! Flexibility, creativity.... And in my interest area??
Oh, and I also found out that there are actually two positions; one is full-time and one is part-time. Since I didn't realize there was a full-time position, I made plans around the possibility of part-time. Full-time would be so much easier, and I have a plan if I get that too.
I stopped by later that week to talk about a schedule for volunteering the following week. I wasn't going to ask about the interview because that's probably not fair. The manager mentioned that my interview had gone really well so that's good news. She figures I will hear something early next week so my fingers are crossed.
The third position I interviewed for was for the job I'd had for the past year. One would think that should have been a slam-dunk. It was not. I realized after I was told I was unsuccessful in my bid for it that I had focused on what the position could be, not what it was. Lessons learned.
Now it's not often the case that you get a chance to really prepare for an interview to the full extent (like I could have for my own job...) but I was pretty lucky. Having spent the past week learning about what work was performed at the agency as well as having two full days of interview prep the week previously, I was in pretty good shape; right after I corrected a grave mistake.
I stopped in to see the manager the day before the interview (because it feels like I'm part of the team already) and when she mentioned my resume I asked to see it. When I asked to volunteer, she had asked me to forward a copy of my updated resume. I had sent her one that I had used to apply somewhere else (because it was just for informational purposes, I thought). The cover letter was attached! I told her I would send her an updated resume (and cover letter) that night. Yeesh - I can't believe that almost happened!
I remembered one of the other recommendations to prep for an interview: it's not all about you. Why do you want to work there? What do you know about what their company does? I did my research on the company and also what information I could get about the new program as it had been running in another area and there was information on the website. I had my great examples to answer behavioural questions... I was ready.
IT WENT FABULOUSLY. I knew the answers, I used the STAR (situation, task, actions, result) method to answer the behavioural questions. I talked about the previous week. I asked about how easy it would be to make changes to some of the presentation material because a couple of issues had been identified with the new group. They were open and happy I'd mentioned it. I also told them that I love to be in the classroom providing workshops and they said they had the flexibility to allow me to do both. Seriously? I was thrilled! Flexibility, creativity.... And in my interest area??
Oh, and I also found out that there are actually two positions; one is full-time and one is part-time. Since I didn't realize there was a full-time position, I made plans around the possibility of part-time. Full-time would be so much easier, and I have a plan if I get that too.
I stopped by later that week to talk about a schedule for volunteering the following week. I wasn't going to ask about the interview because that's probably not fair. The manager mentioned that my interview had gone really well so that's good news. She figures I will hear something early next week so my fingers are crossed.
Unemployment: Interviews
I have to say that I've been on a few interviews over the past year. One was for a position I really wanted but was three and half hours from where I lived. Another was for a career practitioner at the local high school and even though I didn't get it, I realized how easy it was to interview for when I was truly interested in the work. That helped inform my decision to make a career change by the way.
The third position I interviewed for was for the job I'd had for the past year. One would think that should have been a slam-dunk. It was not. I realized after I was told I was unsuccessful in my bid for it that I had focused on what the position could be, not what it was. Lessons learned.
Now it's not often the case that you get a chance to really prepare for an interview to the full extent (like I could have for my own job...) but I was pretty lucky. Having spent the past week learning about what work was performed at the agency as well as having two full days of interview prep the week previously, I was in pretty good shape; right after I corrected a grave mistake.
I stopped in to see the manager the day before the interview (because it feels like I'm part of the team already) and when she mentioned my resume I asked to see it. When I asked to volunteer, she had asked me to forward a copy of my updated resume. I had sent her one that I had used to apply somewhere else (because it was just for informational purposes, I thought). The cover letter was attached! I told her I would send her an updated resume (and cover letter) that night. Yeesh - I can't believe that almost happened!
I remembered one of the other recommendations to prep for an interview: it's not all about you. Why do you want to work there? What do you know about what their company does? I did my research on the company and also what information I could get about the new program as it had been running in another area and there was information on the website. I had my great examples to answer behavioural questions... I was ready.
IT WENT FABULOUSLY. I knew the answers, I used the STAR (situation, task, actions, result) method to answer the behavioural questions. I talked about the previous week. I asked about how easy it would be to make changes to some of the presentation material because a couple of issues had been identified with the new group. They were open and happy I'd mentioned it. I also told them that I love to be in the classroom providing workshops and they said they had the flexibility to allow me to do both. Seriously? I was thrilled! Flexibility, creativity.... And in my interest area??
Oh, and I also found out that there are actually two positions; one is full-time and one is part-time. Since I didn't realize there was a full-time position, I made plans around the possibility of part-time. Full-time would be so much easier, and I have a plan if I get that too.
I stopped by later that week to talk about a schedule for volunteering the following week. I wasn't going to ask about the interview because that's probably not fair. The manager mentioned that my interview had gone really well so that's good news. She figures I will hear something early next week so my fingers are crossed.
The third position I interviewed for was for the job I'd had for the past year. One would think that should have been a slam-dunk. It was not. I realized after I was told I was unsuccessful in my bid for it that I had focused on what the position could be, not what it was. Lessons learned.
Now it's not often the case that you get a chance to really prepare for an interview to the full extent (like I could have for my own job...) but I was pretty lucky. Having spent the past week learning about what work was performed at the agency as well as having two full days of interview prep the week previously, I was in pretty good shape; right after I corrected a grave mistake.
I stopped in to see the manager the day before the interview (because it feels like I'm part of the team already) and when she mentioned my resume I asked to see it. When I asked to volunteer, she had asked me to forward a copy of my updated resume. I had sent her one that I had used to apply somewhere else (because it was just for informational purposes, I thought). The cover letter was attached! I told her I would send her an updated resume (and cover letter) that night. Yeesh - I can't believe that almost happened!
I remembered one of the other recommendations to prep for an interview: it's not all about you. Why do you want to work there? What do you know about what their company does? I did my research on the company and also what information I could get about the new program as it had been running in another area and there was information on the website. I had my great examples to answer behavioural questions... I was ready.
IT WENT FABULOUSLY. I knew the answers, I used the STAR (situation, task, actions, result) method to answer the behavioural questions. I talked about the previous week. I asked about how easy it would be to make changes to some of the presentation material because a couple of issues had been identified with the new group. They were open and happy I'd mentioned it. I also told them that I love to be in the classroom providing workshops and they said they had the flexibility to allow me to do both. Seriously? I was thrilled! Flexibility, creativity.... And in my interest area??
Oh, and I also found out that there are actually two positions; one is full-time and one is part-time. Since I didn't realize there was a full-time position, I made plans around the possibility of part-time. Full-time would be so much easier, and I have a plan if I get that too.
I stopped by later that week to talk about a schedule for volunteering the following week. I wasn't going to ask about the interview because that's probably not fair. The manager mentioned that my interview had gone really well so that's good news. She figures I will hear something early next week so my fingers are crossed.
Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Unemployment: Cover Letters
Resumes weren't as difficult to redo as the cover letter, I found. Sure, I might add certain things to match a particular job posting but for the most part, it stayed the same. Cover letters are a different story.
In my opinion the cover letter is the only place that gives you the opportunity to be creative and try to show a potential employer who you really are. Unless otherwise specified, the cover letter is your opportunity to tell the employer why you are the best person for the job, aside from your skills and experience. For instance, you want to be able to answer questions an employer might have before they meet you.
If you're changing your career, why did you decide to do that? Why are you interested in this position? Why are you interested in this company? If you have a lengthy history of experience in a particular field and you're looking to continue in that field, you want to try to answer the question in this way: I want to bring my unique combination of skills and experience to Company because...
Because the cover letter has to be specific to each position with each company you apply for, and to do it properly you need to research each place, this can be a very big task. Again, it is easier if you are applying for a particular field or industry all of the time. (I addressed the "just looking for a job" seekers in a previous post, Unemployment: Resumes 2).
I've written some very difficult cover letters, mostly for federal government jobs. They specifically request that you outline in your cover letter how your experience meets the skill requirement of the posting. It reads about as interestingly as a resume. Adding to the difficulty is that you have to figure out how to make full sentences and proper paragraph structure out of each disjointed statement. Not my favourite.
In most cases, the cover letter is your chance to express your interest, your goals and show why you are the best candidate. Take advantage of that. "Cover Letter Magic" by Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark has an absolute array of examples, as do some Alberta government publications you can access on the ALIS website.
Be sure to read the posting closely. If they have a specific request, such as having a reliable vehicle or willing to travel up to 90% of the time, it's a good idea to address this in your cover letter. Obviously your resume won't mention whether you have a vehicle and don't expect that because your last three jobs required extensive travel that they'll assume you have one. Every little detail counts when demand for jobs is greater than the supply and it's sad to think your resume could get passed over for someone who did mention they had a vehicle.
Basic do's: cohesive formatting, spell check, coherent sentences, expressive of interest and passion.
Do not's: pictures, incorrect addressee, misspelt company name or addressee
Also, if you are using a job posting app, like Indeed, there is often a button at the bottom to view the job posting. I recommend looking at the original posting because I think Indeed might have a character limit and not everything appears as it was intended. Lastly, take your time (if you can).
Although it might feel better to send it and be done with it, I've had many occasions where I thought about it a day later and realized I didn't add something I should have. If you have time, write it up and leave it overnight, read the posting again in the morning and then your cover letter and resume. Try to think of it from the hiring manager's point of view. What would you want to see? Is it there? Then send it.
In my opinion the cover letter is the only place that gives you the opportunity to be creative and try to show a potential employer who you really are. Unless otherwise specified, the cover letter is your opportunity to tell the employer why you are the best person for the job, aside from your skills and experience. For instance, you want to be able to answer questions an employer might have before they meet you.
If you're changing your career, why did you decide to do that? Why are you interested in this position? Why are you interested in this company? If you have a lengthy history of experience in a particular field and you're looking to continue in that field, you want to try to answer the question in this way: I want to bring my unique combination of skills and experience to Company because...
Because the cover letter has to be specific to each position with each company you apply for, and to do it properly you need to research each place, this can be a very big task. Again, it is easier if you are applying for a particular field or industry all of the time. (I addressed the "just looking for a job" seekers in a previous post, Unemployment: Resumes 2).
I've written some very difficult cover letters, mostly for federal government jobs. They specifically request that you outline in your cover letter how your experience meets the skill requirement of the posting. It reads about as interestingly as a resume. Adding to the difficulty is that you have to figure out how to make full sentences and proper paragraph structure out of each disjointed statement. Not my favourite.
In most cases, the cover letter is your chance to express your interest, your goals and show why you are the best candidate. Take advantage of that. "Cover Letter Magic" by Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark has an absolute array of examples, as do some Alberta government publications you can access on the ALIS website.
Be sure to read the posting closely. If they have a specific request, such as having a reliable vehicle or willing to travel up to 90% of the time, it's a good idea to address this in your cover letter. Obviously your resume won't mention whether you have a vehicle and don't expect that because your last three jobs required extensive travel that they'll assume you have one. Every little detail counts when demand for jobs is greater than the supply and it's sad to think your resume could get passed over for someone who did mention they had a vehicle.
Basic do's: cohesive formatting, spell check, coherent sentences, expressive of interest and passion.
Do not's: pictures, incorrect addressee, misspelt company name or addressee
Also, if you are using a job posting app, like Indeed, there is often a button at the bottom to view the job posting. I recommend looking at the original posting because I think Indeed might have a character limit and not everything appears as it was intended. Lastly, take your time (if you can).
Although it might feel better to send it and be done with it, I've had many occasions where I thought about it a day later and realized I didn't add something I should have. If you have time, write it up and leave it overnight, read the posting again in the morning and then your cover letter and resume. Try to think of it from the hiring manager's point of view. What would you want to see? Is it there? Then send it.
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Unemployment: Resumes 2
I grew up with the chronological resume. I like it. When I was looking for work back in 2013 I used the e-resume service on ALIS more than once and they kept trying to get me to change to a skill-based resume. Not only did I not like it, I refused to use it (and I hate to think that's why I was only offered 5 interviews out of more than one hundred applications... That's not a guesstimate by the way).
Having been through the most recent workshop (twice) with my volunteer work, I have finally discovered the benefit of a skill-based resume (actually, there are a few).
#1: Where you worked is not the focus of your resume.
This makes sense if you are applying for work in a completely different industry. One of my other theories about why my resumes received so little attention in '13 is because my experience was very industry-heavy. Without it, I hadn't worked in 6 years but I could tell it wasn't doing me any favours. As one interviewer asked "coming from that background, do you think you have the ability to think creatively?" I was highly insulted. Then I worked for the organization again and I was like, oh, right, that's not exactly a strong point here...
#2: The skills you obtained/used and your accomplishments are the focus.
This resume allows you to highlight skills from any of the experience you use. One position, still on my resume but just hit a decade old, is at the end of my experience. Some of the things I did there are really important and if it's the last thing a hiring manager sees, it's definitely not highlighted. With a skill-based resume, you can highlight the specific skill/accomplishment up high, where it belongs.
#3: WHEN you worked is no longer the focus.
If you have gaps in your resume, a chronological resume highlights this. Again, the information is still there but it is at the bottom of your resume. The skills you have are important, not when you started getting them.
#4: Even if you don't use a skill-based resume (it's not right for everyone, in my opinion) write one up.
The reason for this is that I had a fabulous "a-ha" moment when I did mine: Interviews. If you've been asked the dreaded "behavioural" questions, you know it takes planning to answer them well. I chose three headings for my skill-based resume; Problem Solving, Marketing and Business Development. Just to put that into perspective, the three most recent job titles on my resume are, "Stakeholder Engagement Advisor", "Program Advisor" and "Sales Manager" (the latter I also switch out with "Meeting and Event Coordinator" though the former was my official title).
When you have unintelligible titles, it's difficult for people to see the relevance from your previous work to the work they want you to perform. That's the other reason why you should look to see what else may be a better description. But back to the interview. By writing my resume up this way, I found that I instantly had three examples under each heading that I could use to answer a targeted interview question
I'd also like to explain why I don't believe this format is best for everyone. My ex is a chef and before I ever had any formal knowledge of these things I remember looking at his very lengthy resume and saying, really? He told me that in his industry it was very important WHERE you had worked. So if that is the case for you, don't change it up on my account.
Also, if your most recent experience is especially relevant (you currently work for the organization or it's a similar position somewhere else), I think it should be the focus. Additionally, if your resume shows progressive experience well, I think chronological is better. Again, just my opinion, do what's right for you.
Having been through the most recent workshop (twice) with my volunteer work, I have finally discovered the benefit of a skill-based resume (actually, there are a few).
#1: Where you worked is not the focus of your resume.
This makes sense if you are applying for work in a completely different industry. One of my other theories about why my resumes received so little attention in '13 is because my experience was very industry-heavy. Without it, I hadn't worked in 6 years but I could tell it wasn't doing me any favours. As one interviewer asked "coming from that background, do you think you have the ability to think creatively?" I was highly insulted. Then I worked for the organization again and I was like, oh, right, that's not exactly a strong point here...
#2: The skills you obtained/used and your accomplishments are the focus.
This resume allows you to highlight skills from any of the experience you use. One position, still on my resume but just hit a decade old, is at the end of my experience. Some of the things I did there are really important and if it's the last thing a hiring manager sees, it's definitely not highlighted. With a skill-based resume, you can highlight the specific skill/accomplishment up high, where it belongs.
#3: WHEN you worked is no longer the focus.
If you have gaps in your resume, a chronological resume highlights this. Again, the information is still there but it is at the bottom of your resume. The skills you have are important, not when you started getting them.
#4: Even if you don't use a skill-based resume (it's not right for everyone, in my opinion) write one up.
The reason for this is that I had a fabulous "a-ha" moment when I did mine: Interviews. If you've been asked the dreaded "behavioural" questions, you know it takes planning to answer them well. I chose three headings for my skill-based resume; Problem Solving, Marketing and Business Development. Just to put that into perspective, the three most recent job titles on my resume are, "Stakeholder Engagement Advisor", "Program Advisor" and "Sales Manager" (the latter I also switch out with "Meeting and Event Coordinator" though the former was my official title).
When you have unintelligible titles, it's difficult for people to see the relevance from your previous work to the work they want you to perform. That's the other reason why you should look to see what else may be a better description. But back to the interview. By writing my resume up this way, I found that I instantly had three examples under each heading that I could use to answer a targeted interview question
I'd also like to explain why I don't believe this format is best for everyone. My ex is a chef and before I ever had any formal knowledge of these things I remember looking at his very lengthy resume and saying, really? He told me that in his industry it was very important WHERE you had worked. So if that is the case for you, don't change it up on my account.
Also, if your most recent experience is especially relevant (you currently work for the organization or it's a similar position somewhere else), I think it should be the focus. Additionally, if your resume shows progressive experience well, I think chronological is better. Again, just my opinion, do what's right for you.
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