Living & Working in Great Places

Work Experience, Education on Job Applications

Hey there Older & Boider crowd! :) First post here, thinking *seriously* about starting seasonal work as my *next step in life*. (Yay!) What do you all put in your resumes when you've got lots of experience or education, but are looking for housekeeping jobs, etc. Do I leave things out, put down jobs from long ago where I did that type of work? I don't want to come across as over-educated or anything. I wouldn't want HR to dismiss my application!

Thanks. (And I hope you're all enjoying your fun, cool summer jobs right now!)

CA

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Permalink Reply by Keith Larson on June 21, 2009 at 5:57pm: There's been an ongoing discussion of this topic for sometime now.

It's at: Education and Work Experience

But it would be nice to get this topic rolling again...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by CA Ashby on June 22, 2009 at 8:44am: Thanks Keith... yes, whoops... I realized right after I posted this about the other topic with almost the identical same heading. I know I'd looked at it before & didn't see my specific question answered. Probably just could have added the question there... I know that I'm "really concerned" though, as I've been trying to land a job in my home city for quite some time now & can't even do that...as a housekeeper or dishwasher... with my 2 degrees (that aren't doing me a darn bit of good!) So I'm just floored as to what I need to put on an application/resume in order to show employers I'm hard-working, reliable, diligent, responsible, etc, etc, etc. No slacker, no flake... I just want to make "positive sure" that when I apply to one of the parks for seasonal work that I'm not blowing it on my application/resume for the job. :)

CA; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Nancy B. on June 22, 2009 at 12:12pm: I was curious, too, to know if it is best to rewrite the resume to show the F&B jobs I did long ago first and follow that with my work of the past 10 years? A functional resume of sorts with no specific dates, just ranges indicating # of years spent in that activity? Then explain in a good cover letter adding the info that I can work the entire season, any hours, etc. Construct specific examples in my mind that illustrate when I was hard-working, reliable, diligent, responsible, etc. so I am ready for any telephone interview?

Does anyone have comments on this plan? Maybe a suggestion of another way to present myself? Much appreciate any thoughts offered! Muey thanks.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Keith Larson on June 22, 2009 at 10:35pm: Almost all..except sometimes the smallest mom and pop operations...use their set application forms. But that's one of the reasons I almost always try to send my own resume or something similar. It's also nice because you can do functional, or you can do a more traditional...kind of set it up for the specific opportunity.

Most of all...try not to overdo it...keep it as simple as you can...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Keith Larson on June 22, 2009 at 10:27pm: I think you might be experiencing some of the flack that's similar to the article Kathi posted a little while ago about the Jersey shore. You're too close...and they are "real-world" restaurants/hotels/resorts.

I was in management in that world before deciding to go on the seasonal route. And truthfully, if I saw an application for dishwasher like your's in that world I would have moved it to the bottom. Been burned enough times with getting someone in for a week when they finally find a use for those degrees.

The seasonal world is different. Also the farther away you apply the less it becomes an issue.

Now, I'm not putting down dishwashing and housekeeping. I've done a ton of dishes and might be applying for a housekeeping job myself next summer. But I would encourage you to also look at front desk areas, gift shop areas, busser... I'm not sure what your background is but there are options.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by CA Ashby on June 23, 2009 at 9:37am: Glad you have a question about this too Nancy! :) (You're enthusiam sounds like mine--lol); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Nancy B. on June 23, 2009 at 8:21pm: Yep, CA Ashby. I, too, am looking to step into another phase, another step, in life. It is exciting! It is scary too! Right? I'm heading up to Yellowstone and the Tetons, maybe up to Glacier and Seattle, then down home in late summer, early September just to get a feel for things. (And to stop to go fishing with Richard (Aggie71).) I'm taking the train to Salt Lake City, then a rental car, bus, back to train, etc. I'm trying to break this big transition into little teeny weeny bites. I plan to look around for a small town to move to in Idaho, Washington, Montana, or Wyoming. I want to get back to the America of yesteryear before the corporations made their presence felt so strongly. I have visions of living a beautifully simple life in a small town, working in a local diner, waiting on locals and purposely calling everyone "honey" or "darlin." I also want to look into seasonal work in F&B or some other position in the parks and at local resorts/ranches. The less corporate the environment, the better. I figure someplace will shine during my visit. Some place with genuinely nice people who won't count the change in my pocket to help them decide if I'm OK or not.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by CA Ashby on June 23, 2009 at 9:49am: Keith... oh dear... you used to throw the applications to the bottom of the pile which listed educational degrees? omg.. For me, when I apply to those dishwashing, housekeeping jobs I have ZERO intention of looking for other work if I got the jobs. (I'm talking where I live here.) The degrees I have really have no bearing on my work life whatsoever. i have no intention of "using them" to "further myself." (I wouldn't feel comfortable explaining reason for that here though.) When I apply for a job it means THAT'S the job I want, period. So should I just LEAVE OFF the education/degrees? I "thought" it would show employers that I was a hard-worker, had lots of tenacity & responsibility rather than working against me, making employers think I'd "run off" at the slightest whim. I can also say that my background doesn't make me front desk or gift shop material. (I know my strengths, my weaknesses.)

Where's the link to the article Kathi posted on the Jersey shore located?

Thanks,
CA; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Keith Larson on June 23, 2009 at 6:18pm: First..the link: http://my.coolworks.com/profiles/blogs/interesting-insights-about-the

Second, back then there were not many applications for dishwashers that could barely fill out the form let alone any degrees. And, um, how can I put this...in the real world for a dishwasher you're looking to hire someone that cannot or does not like to think a lot. But it's not like that in the seasonal opportunities.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Nancy Levan on June 23, 2009 at 11:57am: My husband and I applied for jobs for the fall/winter season 2009 -2010 and were hired right away. We did put down our current full time employment and past work experience (which had nothing to do with housekeeping), but that really does not seem to be an issue.
They are most likely looking for people interested in doing something different with their lives and also appear to have a steady work history. Just put the truth, be proud of what you have done and show how excited you are to start traveling and working across this beautiful United States! We only went back on our work history about the last 5 years, no use overwhelming them.
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Permalink Reply by CA Ashby on June 24, 2009 at 9:34am: Thanks Nancy, Keith, :)

Keith, well yes... one reason for me for a dishwashing/housekeeping position is because I *don't* want to be having to "think" on a job. (lol) I'm writing a book so the "mindlessness" of dishwashing, housekeeping is perfect. :) I can go into a Zen-like mode doing the work, enjoy the physicality of it, (which I do!), & then have plenty of unstressed "mental capabilities" left afterwards for writing.

N & K; my concern is that I really don't have a work history--as odd as that sounds. I've been in school for almost 15 yrs now without really working. Anything I've mostly ever done has been odd jobs paid under the table so I don't hardly know "what" to put on a darn application/resume. I've done housekeeping, long ago in the past. (Motel work was always great, individual work for people in homes & apartments was the pits!) So I'm wondering what the heck to do here? Leave off the education, throw in the motel jobs from over 20 yrs ago without giving dates, put in some of the individuals I worked for freelance? There's just gaps, gaps, gaps, all filled with being in school.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by CA Ashby on June 24, 2009 at 10:04am: Thank you so much for the link to that article Keith. That was a very good read, yet gosh...that's depressing! I just can't believe how the U.S. has plunged into a 1920s Great Depression all over again, and so suddenly too. It is just so bizarre! We were ALL doing so well at one time in our lives.

In desperation I applied a week ago to a FT job across in a different state from me that consisted of survey-taking all day, 8 hrs of walking. (Which I though would be great!) I have a friend who lives there who I know I could stay with for awhile. In my email to the job I'd said I was relocating... Well just got an email *yesterday* that the interview for *everyone* who applied was today. So sadly I can't make it. :( I need to get serious here & toss out all my junk so I can be "footloose & fancy free" in a heartbeat!; ▶ Reply to This