Resume Help

[bby31288]

I am in the process of looking for a new job now that we are all settled in Louisiana. I have experience in the Administrative Assistant field....basically I am a secretary, and a very good one at that I have no clue how to write a resume. The last position I was at was from 2004-2010 when I had to leave for the move.

I anyone here a resume guru? I have used the online templates, but I will say I get nothing from anyone who I send them to. No response, no feedback, no call back. Clearly something is wrong with it.

My aunt who looked it over said maybe it is too Federal Government, which is where I used to work. As you guys know everything is different when you work for the government, from memo type, to forms, to signature blocks...

Can anyone help?

 

[Mamaof5]

OpenOffice.org and they have some nice eloquent resume templates there too. OpenOffice is also an open source suite! Meaning F-R-E-E!!! Purposely free.

 

[bby31288]

Thank you so much! I will check it out immediately!

 

[Mamaof5]

http://download.openoffice.org/

http://templates.services.openoffice.org/en/node/2434 Standard Resume Template

If you type in resume in the top left hand search box it will bring up all the freebie templates for you under resume search. I should have posted the links for you straight out so that you didn't have to search for them. I'm late with it but I hope this helps even further for you! Good luck in your job hunt!!

 

[flutterby]

CareerBuilder.com also has some good resume templates. That's where I got mine and I got compliments from everyone on it.

 

[GoingNorth]

Open Office is also compatible with MS Office, so you can go back and forth with your documents and potential employers who use Office can open docs created in Open Office.

 

[trinityroyal]

Bby, you've gotten some good information from others. I thought I'd jump in as well. I used to work for a recruiting firm, and in my current job I'm often in a hiring manager position, so I want to give you the "employer" perspective on resumes.

Using a template is a good start. It gives you a format to work with. More important than the format though, is how you structure the content of your resume. You need to decide how you want to present your work history in order to reach your target market.
A few questions to think about when you are structuring your resume:
1) What sort of job are you looking for? You mention that you've got a lot of experience as an Admin Assistant. Are you looking to continue in the field? Change jobs? Specialize in one area of admin?
2) Do you have any specialized skills that can help you in the job market? Do you speak a foreign language such as French or Spanish, that might give you an advantage in the market? Do you have expertise that's highly prized in your field, for example: excellet writing or copyediting skills, experience working on large projects, or something else that an employer values highly?
3) Track record. Have you worked on a special project, or do you have other achievements that you can highlight?
4) Transferrable skills. Do you have skills that are applicable to more than one department in an organization. Admin Assistant skills are also useful in project management, office management, human resources and other areas, so that highlights your flexibility.

When I look at a resume, I care about the format only in that it allows me to:
- see the candidate's skills quickly and clearly
- see how the candidate will fit into the organization, and which area might be the best fit
- see how the candidate can solve a problem that I need to solve. For example, if I need an admin who can also write the company newsletter, and I get a resume highlighting those skills, that person is more likely to make it to the top of the pile. (A silly example, but I haven't had my tea yet so I'm a bit sluggish...)

I hope this helps. Let me know if you'd like more information.

Trinity