Employabilities: Resume and Employment Services

Unemployment sits at 9.7 percent, compared with 10.1 percent in October.

If you are feeling the effects of the recession and think you might have a better chance at getting a job if you get more schooling I would like to offer my professional advice as someone who has been helping people find employment since before the job market fell apart.

First of all, I would like to make it clear that I don’t want to discourage anyone from furthering their education. Anyone that wants to go to school should be able to and I wish that it was easier for everyone to do so. I know I would love to get my Masters but it just isn’t in the cards right now. What this article is intended for is to offer some advice about whether further education right now would help you get a better job in the current economy.

 Are you just out of high school? Absolutely yes! Now is the best time for you. Your choices are most likely limited to entry level retail, food service, labor etc. New graduates are having a difficult time starting a professional career right now but hopefully things will improve by the time you graduate. Do try to maintain a part-time job though. I’ve worked with so many people who did not work at all in high school or college and now they have a degree and absolutely no employment history. You may not think that working at a fast food joint will make you marketable in the professional world but think about the types of things you are going to learn in a non-professional position. How to balance a personal life and job obligations, how to interact with co-workers and supervisors, responding to constructive criticism and disciplinary actions, time management and many many other life skills.

 Are you planning on furthering your education in an area that you have no experience in? If you have spent the last 15 years working as a Certified Nursing Assistant you may not want to go to school to be a graphic designer. You may however want to try your hands on becoming a Registered Nurse. If you have been out of high school for more than 5 years you should try to stick closely to the experience you already have. It is very difficult for new graduates to find employment right now but if you have worked at an entry level job in that field you will have a head up over your peers with no related experience. You may even be more appealing than the veterans in the field because you will cost less to hire.

 Are you planning on getting a Masters, PhD or other advanced degree? Absolutely yes! Advanced degrees will always open doors but try to work at least part-time while attending school to keep up your skills.   Are you working full-time? Think very hard about it before you leave a full-time job. There’s no telling what the job market will be like when you are finished with school. You may wind up with no job and a huge student loan to repay in a few years. You may want to consider part-time schooling but be wary of on-line schools. Don’t be afraid to contact prospective employers and ask if they would consider hiring someone with a degree from the on-line school you are planning to attend. Again, I do not want to discourage furthering your education but you may want to consider holding off until the economy starts to improve. Also, as mentioned above, try to continue working part-time. Employers do not like to see gaps in employment. You may think that employers should be more understanding because of the circumstances but they also have a lot more choices. Employers are receiving HUNDREDS of resumes for every job posting. It’s easy to get tossed aside for any number of reasons. Even if you are working 15 hours per week, you can still list it on your resume and avoid having a gap.

 Do you know what the job market looks like for the career you are interested in? Your state should have resources that show trends, projections and other statistics for different professions. You local job center will have the information. In Wisconsin the website is www.worknet.wisconsin.gov

 The US Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a lot of information but is a little difficult to navigate. It is possible to get stats for your state and city though.

www.bls.gov

 For more information check out these sites:

http://www.lifestylermag.com/features/is-going-back-to-school-in-the-recession-a-good-idea

http://www.redding.com/news/2009/may/24/during-a-recession-people-return-to-school-for/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/education/10grad.html

Employabilities offers FREE RESUME REVIEW as well as resume writing services to job seekers who need additional assistance with their resume.