Resume Writing & Networking

Coming to you live from the Fishers Public library - it is not yet video game time so I have about an hour to do computer work before the video crowd gets here - it's the unemployed Wheeler.

Just to clarify for some of you who felt like I needed to tell my husband to share his computer with me to take me out of the Fishers Computer Lab underworld, he has a Mac and I am strictly a PC gal so I don't want to use his computer!  He is willing to share so no hard feelings to Dave.

More unemployment learning - today it is regarding resume writing and networking.

I have been in HR roles for the last 21 years, (I started when I was 18!!).  So I thought I was pretty much an expert on resumes.  WRONG!!!!  I sent my most recent resume to a Recruiter friend at Roche, (not to put her on the spot and mention her name - let's just call her KS).  She is usually a kind, gentle soul.  But when you show her a crappy resume - oh my goodness!  She e-mailed it back and let me know that it looked like something from the 80's.  I felt the 80's were good years for me so I was a little slow to get her point.  But she didn't stop there.  She sent me some example resumes to utilize and basically let me know I needed to start all over again.  Sometimes you have to practice tough love to help someone.  I learned that the resumes of today need to hi-lite skills, have an executive summary, list achievements versus just responsibilities and stick to two pages.  TWO PAGES - SERIOUSLY.  I am worth at least 4 pages!  But I took her advise and reworked the resume.  It's not perfect but it is getting noticed so she was 100% right.

I also have learned what power networking is like.  Envision speed dating but with the intent of making a match with the person you are networking with and a target company you want to work with.  I'm not a social butterfly.  More like a caterpillar preferring the cocoon.  So this has been a real stretch for me.  As one of the "Unemployed Club of Indy", (this is a club you DO NOT want to belong to) said the other day, "If I have to do one more coffee or lunch meeting to network, I'm going to scream.  I've gained 10 pounds trying to get contact names from networking!!".  She is so right.  The people at Starbuck's know me by name - kinda sad.  The good news is, if you show the puppy dog face and rummage around in your purse when the bill comes, most people will take the lunch or breakfast bill and pay for it since I'm unemployed.  So at least I'm cutting down on my grocery bills.

I received a call back from one of the companies at which I have had two rounds of interviews and multiple on-line assessments.  They want me to meet with their Industrial Psychologist next week.  My husband says it is because they have an inkling that I'm mentally insane.  I think they just have never had such an interesting and brilliant person apply and they seek to understand my brain and write clinical papers that will make them famous.  I could be wrong...