HELP!!!! First Resume in Years.....

[liya]

As you all know 2 years ago i graduated from college and im working through law school(took a pause on that till Ari was 1 yr old). My husband just got laid off again(he always seems to pick the companies that are near bankrupcy) so i need go work. We need the extra money in this house BAD!!... Since i decided to go to law school full time i never made a resume after i graduated nor did i ever attend what you might call a "formal interview"...LOL i was in colllege i took collegy jobs..The interviews were never intimidating.

I have a major in Marketing and 2 minors in Finance and Accounting. So right now im looking through the want ads for positions i would qualify for...I am actually a tad scared as they would be my first BIG INTERVIEWS and im FREAKED....I have no clue what to write in my resume since i have NONE of the formal backround experience they require(employment wise), but i also dont want to seem like a lazy geek who never worked because thats not true...Im looking for fancy names and descriptions to actually elaborate on my duties and my position editing out the ones that really WONT make me look good and also writting a cover letter. But YIKES this is tough....

What should i do....?? I mean i know how to prepare for the interviews (backround checks of the company, prepare for questions, prepare to ask questions that leave the interviewer with a possitive opinion about you, staying calm, being yourself...etc etc) but how do i present a good resume that would be considered for an interview when you have just "recently" graduated??

[Momof3Labs]

Have you contacted your college's job placement office? They will often work with recent grads!

[egoldber]

Lori's advice to talk to the placement office is great. They should be able to help you out.

I'll just give you my perspective, as someone who has waded through resumes as a prospective employer including for entry level jobs for new grads. I don't think that there's any way to "hide" that you haven't had a "real" job. And frankly, I wouldn't worry about it. If you had any sort of leadership roles or were on any employee teams, you might emphasize that, but otherwise don't worry.

It is usually VERY obvious from a resume when someone is looking for their first real job in their field. And there's nothing wrong with that, everyone has to start somewhere. An employer who doesn't want that will screen you out and someone who doesn't mind won't discard your resume for that reason.

As an employer, for me, it was MUCH more important how the resume looked. Did it look professional? Was all the grammer and spelling correct? Was it laid out in a clear and neat way? Did it seem like the person had made an effort to present themselves in a professional way? Was it 3 pages long when 1 page would surely do? Include a cover letter that explains just a bit about yourself and what you are looking for.

One thing to think about. While they CANNOT ask you about this in an interview, as a prospective employer I might be concerned about your commitment. For example, if you say that you are taking a job due to financial difficulties, how likely would it be that you would quit when your finances turn around. As an employer, it is rather expensive to invest the money hiring and training an employee to have them leave within a year. So I am NOT saying this is what you would do or plan to do (and its your own business of course). But as a prospective employer, frankly it would be on my mind. So during an interview it may be something you might want to address in an indirect way if possible.

Just some thoughts,

[pritchettzoo]

I third Lori's suggestion. If your college won't help, maybe your law school will? Both my undergraduate and law schools offered resume reviewing and practice interviews. If those are both busts, try google searching. There's probably a ton of colleges that have their career placement info online.

Good luck on your job hunt!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[liya]

Oh yes i completely agree about the turnover ratio.......If i get a job now i would obviously try to keep it for as long as possible. I really think its time i get out in the world as i think im getting close to achieving the goals i want to achieve and having no job experiece(real ones though) will kill me once im out in the market again.

I was contacted by college officials but i cant take the jobs offered. They requiered me to travel and keep way to long of hours and honestly that is something im not looking for. I was part of many many extra curricular activ. and also graduated top of my class but i also dont want to seem like a pushy snob mentioning that...I really dont think that graduating top of the class makes you more eligible for an opportunity or more marketable( ive met many individuals who have not been top of their class and who have strived even further than their fellow top classmates) so maybe thats whats stopping me from actually pointing it out. Although it does say i was dedicated to my studies and responsible but i dont know it just seems really snoty to me for some reason...Should i write that in the resume?? Would it seem snotty??

Should i put NO WORK EXPERIENCE AT ALL...??

[Momof3Labs]

Linda,

Your college's placement office should also help you put a resume together (or review what you've assembled); they may also offer mock interviews, so you can practice interviewing before doing the real thing.

And rather than putting "no work experience", list your job or life experiences that allow you to learn (or practice) skills that apply to the job you want. They may have come from college (leadership roles in extracurricular activities, for example) or from outside school.

And, I would make some reference to the level you graduated at (e.g. magna cum laude or summa cum laude) but not a specific GPA or class ranking - I agree that it isn't everything, but you should indicate that you didn't just squeak by.

[farsk]

Linda,

The majority of my job is to write resumes for my clients and the people who frequent our center (been on this job the last six years!) If you'd like to e-mail me some info, I'd be glad to take a crack at it! It would also be helpful to see the description of some of the jobs you are applying for. In grant writing, we're taught to use "mirror language"...the same words and phrases as the employer (grant provider) has used, so when they read your resume, they'll say..."hummmm, that sounds just like what we want!"

Feel free to e-mail me! I'm at [email protected]

Good Luck!

[SeekerMage]

You definitly want to put that you were top of the class and any awards that you recieved....among other things it fills in where the lack of work experience is and shows how dedicated you are....some companys are really impressed others could care less.

Also include those collegy jobs...they want to see any kind of work experience....even if its not related it does show work ethic etc and that is important.

As for your lack of experience and gap in employment all you have to say is you took personal time to be with your family after graduation.

As for job description....you try and fit things around the type of job you are applying for....for example if you worked at a coffee shop and were looking into a job with human resources or customer service....you would emphasis your customer service skills, dealing with people on a daily basis, handling problems etc. Even if it was only taking customer orders its still dealing with people....see what I mean? you just have to find a way to make the job fit slightly to the position.

One thing that you want to consider is that your resume should ideally be one page long....two if necessary...you dont want it too wordy but you want some good job descriptions, and if anything place awards etc up front since that is more important then say your job duties.

I used to run background checks and one thing we really looked at was resumees....and long resumes get lost in the shuffle, they just get overlooked because they are too complicated etc even if the person could be perfect for the job. You also want it to look organized, experience, school, etc clearly marked including the companys worked for etc in bold. Also include a good statement at the top of what you are looking for in a job etc, but make it only about a good long sentance, not a whole paragraph, short and to the point. A cover letter is sometimes not even necessary, you only write them if you are sending to a specific person for a specific job, just stating you are interested in the job and would like them to consider you for the position etc...if just sending a resume or going to an interview already set up its not needed. Its really a formality to use when mailing etc.

I agree with everyone to contact your school to ask for help with writing the resume....there are also tons of books at the library that can help...including REsumes for Dummies! They can be confusing but they atleast do have specific types of resumes for specific types of jobs to copy after. Im sure it will all be fine!

[KGoes]

I got my first job out of law school with an international firm with "truck stop waitress" on my resume. . . . we all have to start somewhere. I don't know what market you are in, but have you looked into contract legal work? Lots of times it's document review or other work on a massive case, but it can come with benefits and I have seen it lead to full-time employment. Having conducted countless interviews for legal positions, I have to say that maturity and attitude go a long way towards distinguishing an interviewee not matter what's on the resume.

Just a few thoughts!
Good luck!
Kelley
DD born 7/03