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What kind of resume format should I use?

I used to be an Administrative Executive for nearly two years like back in year 2001 and later after that I changed career to book retail, applied related skills to every aspect of my career in that industry which was fun and fulfilling. Lately, the industry have been struggling and haven't seen any room for advancement in a long time. Plus the earnings are lower than what an admin gets, which I find to be unfair for the amount of stress one goes through in the customer service industry. I had to make a tough decision to go back into the admin line of work and have been applying for positions but I'm at a loss as to the format of resume I should use. Combination or functional? How can I highlight my two years of admin work that happened long ago compared to my vast experience in retail? The competition is tough and I'm not sure how I can stand out with my sort of experience...

Submitted by: TSK

 

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Thanks for the feedback. I hadn't realize there was any response because I thought AEAP would email me but maybe I hadn't set it up that way. Anyway, I'm still working on getting an admin job. It's unbelievable that it's so hard. I'm starting to get really discouraged and losing self-confidence. I know I can do the duties they mentioned. Maybe my resume isn't reflecting that. I'm still confused about what resume format I should use. Functional or Combination? I'm planning to get a professional resume writer to help me out this time. Maybe I'm missing something and it would be good investment to finally have it figured out. TSK on 3/11/2014 8:54:28 AM
My first job was in retail and I have to say that to this day, I fall back on the excellent customer service skills I learned when I was 16 years old! I have found in my over 20 years as an Executive Administrative professional that diplomacy had to be my middle name. I have always considered diplomacy to be equal to excellent customer service. We not only deal with the outside commercial world but also that internal world we call co-workers and supervisors. Diplomacy is a skill that will always come to your aide and will make your life much easier! It lends itself to excellent interpersonal communication skills as well. Our positions have evolved so much over the years; good typing, business writing skills, some basic accounting skills (comes in handy when working with spreadsheets) are a start and then you add in whatever else the potential employer is looking for, which could be just about anything. With all of the changes that companies have made in reaction to the economy and resulting dips and climbs, we?ve also learned to be pretty darn flexible as well. I approach any job with the willingness to adapt my skills and efficiencies to suit both the company and the person or team that I am working for. If I need to learn something new, I do it and embrace the journey as I go! In the business world, transparency has become a requirement. This also applies to your resume! I once sat in on an interview for an Administrative Support position and the individual made good eye contact. She answered questions well and really came across as a super candidate. Well, she was super until we tested her on some of the abilities that she was supposedly an expert on (stated on her resume). Turned out she couldn?t type to save her life and knew nothing about spreadsheets; something this position clearly stated it needed in the job description. I would recommend that you be truthful and tell them what you can provide them if you were to go to work for them. While you look, update your skills. Take free Microsoft tutorials online. Polish yourself until you shine and always be willing to learn new skills and applications once you do find that job! Good Luck!! Anonymous on 9/30/2013 8:59:23 AM
I keep all my information on my resume because it shows A: that you are real and have had to have more then one job whatever the reason. B: who isn?t to say that the customer service or whatever your current job is can?t be applied to what you once did or applying for. I work in HR and enter the resumes/applications into our system (for tracking purposes) and it amazes at the one pagers. I know at one point that was the thing to do to keep it short and simple but we all know unless your eighteen you?ve had more then one job. Yeah I?ve heard complaints of resumes that are longer then 2 pages long but how can you really see what the person has to offer if they leave off information. Granted I don?t do the interviews or hiring but that?s how I look at it. Annoymous on 9/25/2013 11:24:24 AM
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