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Resume/Previous Work Experience Question

So, I didn't get a teaching job. Again. I'm over teaching and going through the emotions that come each fall when other people start school and I don't. I need to find something else. My question is: how many previous job positions do I need to fill out? For instance, I am applying for mostly administrative/secretarial positions. My most recent experience is teaching, but I did admin work during college 30 hours a week. I want to put that on my applications, but it was five years (and four jobs ago---so my admin job would be job number five on the resume/application). Does that look shady? I know that my teaching experience would be very beneficial in an office setting (organization, planning ahead, making the most of small budget, working under time constraints, etc). How do I show that without looking like I only have teaching experience? 
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Re: Resume/Previous Work Experience Question

  • It doesn't seem shady to me at all. If there is room to include it, I totally would do it. I usually include as much previous work history as I can; you never know what might stand out to someone.

    BTW, I'm really sorry to hear you didn't get the teaching job.

    image
  • imageChymes:

    BTW, I'm really sorry to hear you didn't get the teaching job.

    Thanks. I have to be realistic at this point. One job I applied for sent me a letter saying they received 240 resumes for one position. 240!!!!!

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  • I'm sorry that you are having difficulty. Seems like a lot of teachers are in the same boat. :-( I totally would include that on your resume. It is nice to provide a timeline from college to now (and, I always look more favorably at candidates who worked when they were in college). You don't need to go into super long detail, but dates and job title and location go a long way.
  • I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get the job.  I would definitely include the admin job on your resume - it's not like it was that long ago, and the skill set is directly applicable to the jobs you're applying for.  Also, if you're applying to jobs where you need a cover letter, I'd highlight the organizational skills, planning skills, etc, that you use in teaching in your cover letter.

    Good luck in your job search!

  • Sorry to hear that you didn't get a teaching job.  That stinks.

    On your resume, I would break your previous work experience into two sections -- "Relevant Work Experience" (which would include the administrative positions and anything else where you gained relevant skills/experience for the positions that you're applying for) and "Additional Experience" (where you'd list your other jobs that aren't as applicable). 

    Disclaimer: I do not make any claims to knowing what I'm talking about when it comes to resumes due to the fact that I've received zero job offers in the past 4.5 years. 

  • DH's (headhunter) opinion: 

     

    "The best way I have seen anyone address this is by putting 2 work experience headings: 1) Relevant Experience 2) Other Experience. This allows her to pull her Admin Experience up to the top but also show that she wasn?t sitting around for the past 5 years."

  • I don't think it is too far back at all. My history goes back over ten years and includes a job I did at the end of high school. As long as it fits on one page with a reasonably sized font, I think it is fine. Also try to word your descriptions of tasks you did in your teaching jobs in such a way that calls attention to the skills you think would be useful to an admin job. I would also suggest calling attention to these skills in a cover letter as pp suggested.
  • Thank you for all your insight (Tigers- Thanks to Mr.Tigers).

    I'm feeling really dejected today and can't pull it together haha. I feel like I put in my time working part time, little to no pay teaching positions to get a full time position and it didn't help. Now the only experience I have is in teaching. 

    I will definitely break my non-teaching resume into two parts. My problem lies in the jobs that have their own 'form fill' websites where I have to list jobs in chronological order. It goes something like this:

    Subbing 

    Minimum wage teaching position

    General Motors

    Minimum wage teaching position

    Admin. Assistant job

    *sigh* 

     

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  • imageTigers:

    DH's (headhunter) opinion: 

     

    "The best way I have seen anyone address this is by putting 2 work experience headings: 1) Relevant Experience 2) Other Experience. This allows her to pull her Admin Experience up to the top but also show that she wasn?t sitting around for the past 5 years."

    I do know what I'm talking about!  That is good to know.

  • imageLVila:

    Thank you for all your insight (Tigers- Thanks to Mr.Tigers).

    I'm feeling really dejected today and can't pull it together haha. I feel like I put in my time working part time, little to no pay teaching positions to get a full time position and it didn't help. Now the only experience I have is in teaching. 

    I will definitely break my non-teaching resume into two parts. My problem lies in the jobs that have their own 'form fill' websites where I have to list jobs in chronological order. It goes something like this:

    Subbing 

    Minimum wage teaching position

    General Motors

    Minimum wage teaching position

    Admin. Assistant job

    *sigh* 

     

    I haaaate those "form fill" web sites.

  • imageLVila:

    I'm feeling really dejected today and can't pull it together haha. I feel like I put in my time working part time, little to no pay teaching positions to get a full time position and it didn't help. Now the only experience I have is in teaching. 

    Sad  I totally understand your feelings/frustration on this.

    Good luck in the new job search, here's hoping you find something amazing sooner rather than later. Smile

  • I would honestly just list your last 3 teaching positions.

    They will assume you perfectly capable of doing admin work if you are college-educated and a teacher.

    You could always include some of the applicable skills in a "Skills" section at the end...or mention it in your cover letter.

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  • When I was in your exact same boat a few years back, I grouped my teaching experience into 1 "job".  I used the bulletpoints under the job description to kind of highlight the skills between the differing positions.  If you're looking to bulk up your resume, I would separate out one or two otherwise if you want to highlight your admin work I'd consider grouping the teaching positions.

    Good luck - I know how frustrating it can be.  Hopefully you can find something that works for you. 

  • imageLVila:
    imageChymes:

    BTW, I'm really sorry to hear you didn't get the teaching job.

    Thanks. I have to be realistic at this point. One job I applied for sent me a letter saying they received 240 resumes for one position. 240!!!!!

    And sadly that number seems really low to me.  My mom works at an ISD and tells me she sees anywhere from 750-1000 applicants for each job posting.  SurpriseSurpriseSurpriseSurpriseSurprise  The first time I heard it, I didn't believe it. 

    One of my very good friends just moved to Arizona last week for a teaching job.  She had been trying to get one in Michigan for the last 2 or 3 years and finally gave up.  Crying

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