I realized this morning that I've been allowing the blank spots on my resume to dictate my mood rather than my focus. After shunning time on Facebook for the more justifiable pursuit of trolling on LinkedIn, I popped into one of the local networking groups I recently joined and happened upon David Templeman . After days of reading through prosaic writings on job searching, profile optimization, self-branding, successful interviewing, and dressing for success, reading Templeman's blog was like taking a hit off my own personal oxygen tank. I've never met him, but I like this guy; I like that he knows that Judge Smails' first name is Elihu (seriously? I want this guy on my Trivia Team!); I love that he's a seasoned recruiter (and by "seasoned" I mean "experienced" not "old") and that he's taking time to share his knowledge in a witty and honest way. I guess finding his blog means I have to redact my statement about Yolanda Pascagoulis from Ypsilanti, MI . There is a LOT of crap out there about job searches, but Templeman's doesn't fall into that category.
I can't begin to share the frustration I feel when I read through some trite, mundane dithering only to discover that it's a cheap marketing ploy meant to entice me to purchase a How-To book for just $36.99.
What hit me the hardest this morning was his comments about getting off your ass and doing those hard things that need doing. Overcoming the Obstacles, as it were. My Blank Spots are my Obstacles. I've been letting Despair.com's Demotivators® achieve their clearly-branded goal rather than remembering the not-so-subliminal messaging contained therein. Resume Blank Spots ARE difficult Obstacles to overcome for any job-seeker, but successful conveyance of the reasons behind their existence is easily achieved through a well-written cover letter.
A resume is a resume is a resume. Whether you bedazzle it with industry-specific jargon, past experience clichés, or snazzy formatting techniques, it's still really just a list of what you've done, how long you did it, and for whom. I've found the cover letter is the best place for me to express the greatness my resume cannot (but remember, I'm unemployed so take this with as many salt grains as you can stomach). Could my resume use some tweaking? Oh, HELL yes. Have I bedazzled it? Yes, and I'm blushing as I confess this. Am I going to spend some time refining said resume as well as my LinkedIn profile today? More than likely. More importantly however, after I drag my ass off the couch, brush my hair, and put on some clothes that DON'T belong to my husband, I'm going to spend some significant time working on a cover letter that showcases not just my professional abilities, but my personality as well. It's in the cover letter that I can justify the Blank Spaces by explaining my community involvement in such a way that prospective employers don't envision me as just another bored housewife whose biggest concerns are getting the whites whiter and the brights brighter.
Maggie, you ask, how can someone like YOU be daunted by a cover letter? Seriously? Have you read my ramblings? My first draft cover letter was almost as long as Grapes of Wrath-- and not nearly as satisfying. There's some good stuff in there, but it definitely needs some help. So, rather than aspiring to greatness through diligent navel contemplation today, I'm going to bust that bad boy out and make it mine.
See? Some obstacles CAN be overcome with just the right amount of determination and positive attitude.
On a side note, yesterday I received a call from a recruiting company that is looking for an entry-level recruiter/admin. The position sounds great, the pay is perfect, and the potential for advancement is high. I have been second-guessing the initial phone interview results since I hung up yesterday, and I'm not going to stop reaching out to other companies in the area, but I think it went well overall and I'm hoping the lady with whom I spoke will call back to schedule a face-to-face interview. Let's face it, once I get in your door, you're gonna love me. I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And doggone it, people like me.
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