Writing a resume?

[Khamsin]

What have you done while looking for work? Any self employment projects? Volunteer? Education? If you've just spent 2 years doing nothing but looking for work and have nothing else to show for it, it doesn't look great to me. That said, I'm not hiring Civil Engineers.

Watching TV, playing FFXI, going out, the usual. There's not really any volunteer work that would be applicable to my field, and I have all the education I need. Not like I could afford to take courses, anyways, while I'm unemployed. So yeah, 2 years unemployed doing nothing but looking for work. Trick now, is to find a way to increase my chance of being hired as time goes on, as that gap gets larger. Until I finally get hired.

It's either that, or get a job doing something else, but I do have a decade of experience, my professional license, and my BS degree in my career field.

[Zeb]

Do you really need a resume for a security guard job? Just fill out their job application forms.

[melew]

when im doing my resume I always go to cv-shop . com, they provide the best advice and services

[Cream Soda]

I second the previous post

[Myrrh_Quetz]

Do you really need a resume for a security guard job? Just fill out their job application forms.

Believe it or not shit now adays for security is pretty tight and everywhere I want to apply to is saying have a resume and a valid security license.

And try to remember my situation. I've been dying for 10 years so my work experience is zip all.

[Lucienne]

Watching TV, playing FFXI, going out, the usual. There's not really any volunteer work that would be applicable to my field, and I have all the education I need. Not like I could afford to take courses, anyways, while I'm unemployed. So yeah, 2 years unemployed doing nothing but looking for work. Trick now, is to find a way to increase my chance of being hired as time goes on, as that gap gets larger. Until I finally get hired.

It's either that, or get a job doing something else, but I do have a decade of experience, my professional license, and my BS degree in my career field.

Do you have kids? You could always write something like you saw your unemployment as an opportunity to be a stay at home dad and spend some time with your kids. Sounds better to me than playing ffxi.

[Ddz]

I just interviewed a guy the other day who took off 2 years to work on his 110-year old rental property. Good enough reason for me. The most common reasons I hear are taking time off for family member health issues, "on sabbatical" to re-evaluate career choice, or travel. All acceptable imo

[Khamsin]

So it would be better to have a "2010-Present: Time off for personal reasons" than simply starting with 2009 being the most recent experience, as if I hadn't updated my resume in 2 years?

[Gredival]

So it would be better to have a "2010-Present: Time off for personal reasons" than simply starting with 2009 being the most recent experience, as if I hadn't updated my resume in 2 years?

I think it depends on the position. Business/professional resumes place a lot of emphasis on style. Like putting "References Available Upon Request" or a "Career Objective" is stupid and will get you tossed into the bin at a lot of places because it's a mark that you are too inexperienced to work there if you believe they need to know that. So I feel that above a certain level employers will notice the gap but evaluate your resume without regards to it, and then ask you about it in the interview. Or if they need to know to determine the interview list, they will call/write for an explanation, so putting an explanation on the resume itself isn't necessary.

But on the other hand there are places that want to know if you have a reference list, that want to know your "Objective" and what not.

I don't know the standards for your field but considering it's a job that requires a degree, I would err towards professionalism and just leave it blank. Alternatively, you say volunteer work wasn't related to your job... but if you did some, list it under experience or a "Community Service" subsection. They will probably notice that's where your last few years were. Then you can say something about time off for personal reasons, but that you also spent the time engaged in the community (so it doesn't look like you were sitting around doing nothing)

[Aksannyi]

Do you have kids? You could always write something like you saw your unemployment as an opportunity to be a stay at home dad and spend some time with your kids. Sounds better to me than playing ffxi.

This is what I did on my most recent resume. I was out of work for five years while I went to college and raised my kids. I rephrased that and made it sound extremely positive instead of just having a five year black hole on my resume.

[Laugana]

I work in printing and one thing I have to say when we receive letters; use a decent paper! 120gsm and above will do, a nice, crisp white sheet and no shitty printing. Try to find a laser printer or a really good inkjet. If using an inkjet, you don't want the ink to spread so be careful.

[Myrrh_Quetz]

So, I managed to write a half decent resume and I have my first Job Interview today with a security firm called Paladin Security. I am rather excited.

[Ddz]

Woo hoo! Go get em looks like your resume did its job! Nice work.

[archibaldcrane]

dude you're gonna be a motherfuckin paladin

[Myrrh_Quetz]

Not gonna be. I am a motherfuckin Paladin! I got the job. First Interview and I got the job. Fuck, I'm awesome.

[XRaheemX]

You can google "Sample Resume" and there are tons of links on it. Most useful thing there is.

[archibaldcrane]

Not gonna be. I am a motherfuckin Paladin! I got the job. First Interview and I got the job. Fuck, I'm awesome.

make sure to abuse your authority early and often

and merit warcry

[Lucienne]

Not gonna be. I am a motherfuckin Paladin! I got the job. First Interview and I got the job. Fuck, I'm awesome.

Congratulations! That's awesome.

[Flarega]

Watching TV, playing FFXI, going out, the usual. There's not really any volunteer work that would be applicable to my field, and I have all the education I need. Not like I could afford to take courses, anyways, while I'm unemployed. So yeah, 2 years unemployed doing nothing but looking for work. Trick now, is to find a way to increase my chance of being hired as time goes on, as that gap gets larger. Until I finally get hired.

It's either that, or get a job doing something else, but I do have a decade of experience, my professional license, and my BS degree in my career field.

Poor Civils. Sucks when an educated member of society can't find work.

Edit: Congrats on the job captain lungs.

[Aksannyi]

Congrats! I also work for the security industry so welcome to the field.