These days, many people who are staying home raising children, caring for family, or keeping a house are being forced to seek work to make ends meet. Here are several job search and marketing tips to support your work with these clients:
Tips for Those Entering the Workforce
#1: How to Use Transferable Skills on a Resume?
Be willing to transfer relevant job qualifications (e.g., skills, knowledge, experiences, connections, qualities) from non-traditional sources, such as
- family responsibilities,
- daily life,
- household management,
- community involvement,
- volunteerism,
- natural abilities,
- and hobbies.
Present these qualifications so employers can see and appreciate them by lifting them out of the specific situation in which they were gained, and using general business terms or even industry/employer-specific language. For example, ‘Helped new Sunday School teachers” becomes, “Trained 14 volunteers serving more than 100 students in the use of select curriculum and group facilitation techniques.”
Use the rules in ‘A New Take on Transferable Skills’ in The 6 Reasons You’ll Get the Job:
For example: “I would be great for the position of Service Navigator/Family Advocate … because I myself am the mother of a severely disabled child who is in the system, so I know what families go through.” becomes “… in my family there is a child who benefits from these services, and I understand this system from both sides.”
#2: How Do We Change the Resume After A Long Absence?
For the chronology on the resume, rather than “Employment, Professional, Work History, or Background,” use the term “Experience.” This allows the inclusion of non-employment experience.
For example: Nina is the young, single mother of a three-year-old. She got pregnant as a freshman in high school, and was pulled out of school by her family, and went to live with and care for her grandmother until she passed away.
Long story short, her career goal is to become a nurse, beginning as a clerical worker in a convalescent facility or as an elder companion. Her only “job” was a 2.5 month stint working as a cashier and translator (English/Spanish) at her aunt’s convenience store. We crafted a combination resume highlighting the skills for the targeted job, and stated:
“Experience”
Elder Companion, Private Home, Los Angeles, CA, 2009-2012
Translator/Cashier, Loma’s Tienda, Los Angeles, CA, 2008
In the same spirit … volunteer coordinator for the PTA can become “Volunteer Coordinator, JJBE PTA”, Greeter at church becomes “Greeter, SHBC,” high school reunion committee chair becomes “Event Coordinator, FVHS”, etc.
If all of the candidate’s experience is relevant to the job target, use “Relevant Experience” for the chronology. This is especially helpful if the candidate has only had one job or if there are gaps in employment, because employers are likely to assume the gaps are attributable to unrelated employment, rather than unemployment.
#3: How Do We Explain a Gap in A Resume?
On the resume, consider stating the client’s experience using the duration rather than the dates. This eliminates gaps (including a current gap) and allows you to use only that which markets the candidate, including a useful job they had more than 10 years ago without dating them, minimizes the fact that they are over-qualified (i.e., ‘1999-2011’ becomes ‘5+ years’), and arranges their experience in the most compelling order.
For example: Job Target – Housing Coordinator, Human Services
Work History
Real Estate Agent, Southeast Coast Realty 2005-2009
Sales Manager/Trainer, Rx Telecomm 2001-2005
Sales Rep Rx Telecomm 1996-2001
Service Coordinator, ILM Housing Authority 1988-1990
Bartender, Monty’s Steakhouse 1987-1988
Case Manager, USF Homeless Services 1983-1985
To this:
Experience
Service Coordinator, ILM Housing Authority 2.5 years
Real Estate Agent, Southeast Coast Realty 4 years
Case Manager, USF Homeless Services 3 years
This article is based on a portion of the curriculum of the ‘Certified Tough Transitions Career Coach Program’ developed and delivered by Elisabeth Sanders-Park. To understand how "No One is Unemployable" and three steps for overcoming any job barrier, check out this in-depth guide.
