Carole writes:
I cannot find an answer in your information on the Career Doctor site. I have been job searching actively, for three years and cannot find a job because I have an unusual, diverse background that doesn’t fit into a slot. I cover all facets of job searching. When networking I am usually told no jobs, but set a meeting anyway. I have had some interviews from answering ads and basically try to show I am specialized, or tailor myself to the ad. I am usually overqualified, or underqualified because I didn’t work in the specific area all the time. How can I get someone to give me a chance, I do volunteer work and have also offered to work for free. Have you ever heard of this before?
The Career Doctor responds:
You are not alone in having this problem. Many job-seekers who have an eclectic mix of job experiences often have a hard time finding a job.
But yours is a valuable lesson for all job-seekers. Please remember that you are responsible for defining yourself as a job-seeker — and then providing the documentation to back it up. If you have no focus as a job-seeker, why would an employer want to hire you?
Take some time for self-assessment and find a career focus. At that point, you may need to do some temping or volunteering to get the experience to get your foot in the door, but your current background may be enough — as long as you learn how to present it in a focused manner.
Once you find your focus and next career direction, remember that a resume does not have to include every single job you have ever done — it should focus on the experiences and education you have for the job/career you are seeking. And a reminder for older job-seekers: please remember to remove all old work experience, even if in a relevant field — anything older than 15 years should be removed. (And take all dates off your education listing also.)
For more advice on improving your resume, read this article published on Quintessential Careers: Avoid These 10 Resume Mistakes.
