Please Help Me Get a Real Job, Life, etc.

[2A Batterie]

I need a real job. I've done the disposable job route by working in retail and at Starbucks, while moonlighting as a musician. I certainly haven't given up on my musical pursuits, but I need to put some money on the table so that I can continue to engage in such activities as paying student loans and eating at least once a day. This is all somewhat foreign to me, which is why I am seeking guidance on two specific topics: Resume writing and job hunting.

I do have a resume, but would like to create a more professional one that I feel confident in. There seems to be a million resume advice sites on the internet; does anyone recommend a specific one? Is there a helpful book out there? Should I enlist a resume writing service? Are there any templates that I can use that don't actually look like a template (I'm sure many employers see the same two resume templates from Word everyday)? Is there any advice in general that anyone would like to offer up?

After I put together a decent resume, I need to find a decent job. I have extensive experience in many areas within the music business, and also have gained a healthy dose of experience in marketing (ie, executing and managing promotional events). Obviously I'd like to try and land a job that utilizes the multiple disciplines I've developed as a music professional (performing/creative aspects, producing, stage managing, recording, etc.) and/or as a promotional event manager... though I'd settle for anything that pays the bills. Where should I look? Craig's List is ok, but hardly anything good pops up there. Are Monster.com or jobseeker.com good resources? Any suggestions as to web sites or services I should check out?

I'm really heading into uncharted waters. Macrumors is essentially the only forum that I regularly visit and trust, so I'm turning to all of you! Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Fiveos22]

Not knowing what your particular skillz are, I would say if going back to school for further education is not an option (or desire), I know several close friends who have climbed up the corporate ladder from the bottom rung.

Starting as a coffee barista and becoming a regional manager (not an overnight thing, but also not impossible). If you are OK with your current situation ask the next person above you (manager, etc.) how to go about advancing. I know that tactic is particularly well recieved at Whole Foods grocery stores.

If you really are just a leaf in the wind right now, why not just open up the classifieds and pick out six or eight ads that sound interesting...contacting them...get rejected but while doing so ask if they know anyone else who may be looking for people in the same area. Life tends to provide to the tenacious....


That said, you must decide what you want and pursue it.

 

[strider42]

As for resume advice, I can't point you to a specific website that can really help you. I just went through the job search thing a few months back after getting laid off from the job I had for 6 years prior, and learned a lot from it.

First thing I learned was that the way I was taught to do a resume when I first entered the job market is considered outdated now. It used to be just a list of responsibilities. But this is format is pretty generic and weak. More modern and powerful is an accomplishment based resume. Go through your previous positions at each company you may have worked for, and list specific accomplishments. Best are ones that have quantifiable measures to them. Like, if you increased sales by a certain %, put that down. Mention a project you were a part of that made a serious impact to the bottom line or the way business was done. Companies want to see what you've actually done, not a job description. Plus, it gives them something to ask you about (how did you accomplish that, etc) and you something to say. It focuses things and is much more powerful. So for example, if you want to work as an event manager and have done some independent work in the past, put down that you've done independent event management and talk about some of your biggest successes, or events that improved under your management of them. talk about the specific creative ideas you had that made it a success.

People used to put an objective on the top of resumes. Don't do it. its lame and usually very generic. Put a summary instead. This would be a short paragraph listing your skills and attributes that are backed up by the other information in your resume.

If you got promoted at a company, make an sub entry for each position. It shows how you moved up the ranks and again, gives you something to talk about in an interview.

Maybe the most important thing you can do is customize your resume. Different jobs, different companies, may require a different emphasis in your resume, maybe a different set of accomplishments. Take the time to make these minor changes before you send it out.

A really important thing is your cover letter. Again, this should not be a form letter. Tell them where you saw the ad, and why it interested you. If applicable, tell them why you want to work for the company (such as you found it listed as a great place to work in a magazine, or that you love their products). Then list your skills that are applicable to the job, making a point to frame them against the skills the ad mentions they are looking for. If they want someone with computer skills and you have them, tell them that. then they can reference your resume and see how you used those skills.

The next step is job seeking. The best way to find a job is networking. If you know someone who works for a company you want to work at, ask them if there are openings. And if there aren't, maybe they know someone else in the industry they can put you in contact with. Never impose yourself or make someone feel obligated, just ask them for advice, if there are any openings they are aware of, etc.

Regardless of that, maybe the most important thing is focus. Figure out what kind of job you want. Then identify the companies in yoru area that offer that kind of work, then research them, then see if they have any openings listed, then apply. Its a lot more effective to apply to a smaller number of companies you really want to work for with tailored information rather than sending out resumes to every job you see. And you'll be happier with the results.

Personally, I found monster.com to be a waste of time, filled with people seeking high level executives and scamming type "jobs" that are pretty dicy in my opinion. Craigslist and hotjobs.com were a lot better. there's also dice.com, and linkedin.com, both of which I like. Trade groups for an industry you want to work in can also be a great resource for job listings. As I said before, networking is probably the most effective way if its at all possible. The kind of jobs you listed as things you might like to do sound like things that will take some legwork. You might not find them listed on websites that often because they are often filled by people the hiring manager is familiar with or connected to somehow. you got to get out there and go after them. And be willing to work your way up (which is great since again, it gives you something to talk about in the interview, since they are inevitably going to ask where you see yourself in the future)

I went through a lot of different drafts of my resume. I spent a lot of time researching where I wanted to work and the kind of job I wanted. In the end, I got exactly the type of job I was trying to get, despite having no experience in the industry or job type. It was tough, but its doable. Good luck to you.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I am going to assume you have a degree other wise you are going to be stuck in the lower level jobs.
2nd take to the career center at the college you went to. Most have a policy that they will help you out as long as you where a student there.
Texas Tech Career Center Policy is they will help you out for life as long as you have taken at least 6 hours at Texas Tech. Most career centers are like that.

Those are some of your best resources for help

 

[2A Batterie]

Thanks for the input so far. I found the information about out-dated concepts of resume very helpful. Does anyone out there use a specific guide (ie book, website) or is a resume best as a truly custom creation? I certainly want to be able to tailor it to each job I apply for, but I also don't want to have to reinvent the wheel every time I submit a resume.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Custom is the way to go. I used a formate a friend of mine used and modified it to cover my needs but over all it was my resume.

now for you my formate would be rather useless since it was a college resume and I have a job now. I need to start updating it soon not because I going to job hunt but because the company uses it to get jobs.

 

[2A Batterie]

Custom is the way to go. I used a formate a friend of mine used and modified it to cover my needs but over all it was my resume.

now for you my formate would be rather useless since it was a college resume and I have a job now. I need to start updating it soon not because I going to job hunt but because the company uses it to get jobs.

Yea, I want to avoid having the resume that looks like I made it for some sort of college class that was to prepare me to get a real job.

Are there any general guidelines for creating a "custom" resume?