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Sample Resume: Older, Laid-Off Job Seeker
James Z. Carpenter (not his real name) has had a very successful career as a Public Relations Professional. When he wrote this resume in early 2011, he faced three problems, described below, each of which he resolved in his resume. Sample Resume for Older, Laid-Off Job Seeker (a new window or tab will open for all sample resume links).
About this sample resume:
- Problem #1: No Online Presence.
It wasn't until James started his job hunt that he realized he was way behind the times -- he was nowhere to be found online, where recruiters and employers would likely search for him. He had absolutely no presence online.
"Better late than never," he thought as he created his LinkedIn account and added the web address to his profile in the heading of his resume.
Then, he scurried to build up his LinkedIn profile by generating appropriate connections, joining Groups in his profession, and gathering some recommendations.
He wanted to be sure that when a recruiter or employer looks for him online (and through the LinkedIn web address he listed on his resume), he or she would be impressed with his LinkedIn profile and activities.
- Problem #2: Currently Unemployed
James was unexpectedly laid off from his last position. It wasn't his fault, of course, but being unemployed could put him at a slight disadvantage because some employers view an unemployed job seeker as less desirable than an employed applicant. And the longer James is unemployed, the less attractive he may be to a potential employer.
James wrote and sent out his resume immediately after his layoff in January 2012, when it was clear that his unemployment was very recent.
However, if James doesn't land a job by mid-February, he will need to list something current in his Experience section to demonstrate that he is very much alive in his career.
For this reason, he enrolled in a class at a local college, so that he can add the following as a current "job title" if necessary.
Present: Student, Hartford City College
- Problem #3: Age Discrimination
If James listed all his public relations jobs on his resume he might risk age discrimination in his job search. To avoid this problem, here's what he did:
- Even though his career started in 1983, the earliest date on his resume is for a Marketing Representative position he held in 1998.
- Under Education, he listed his MBA in Marketing but did not say when he got it. Also, he placed his Education section near the end of the resume so as not to draw attention to the missing date.
With only 13 years of experience showing on James's resume, an employer will deduce that James is at least 35 years old (see my dates-on-resume formula for more details), which James thinks will appeal to his potential employer. Once in the job interview, James can make his pitch for the job as well - if not better than - his younger counterpart.
This resume was created using Susan Ireland's Ready-Made Resumes (a Job-Hunt Sponsor).
© Copyright Susan Ireland, 2011-2012. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About this author:
Susan Ireland is the author of four job search books including The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume, now in its 5th edition. For more information about writing your resume, read Susan's books or visit Susan's Website SusanIreland.com. For immediate help with your resume and cover letter, check out Susan's Ready Made Resumes and Cover Letters, an online resume builder to help job seekers quickly create an effective resume. Follow Susan on Twitter @SusanIreland, visit her JobLounge blog, and interact with her on the LinkedIn's JOBS Group (Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections!) in her ** Let's Talk Resumes ** featured discussion.