Positioning for maximum ROI

time with your son during his school years. You’ve prepared yourself well for reentry to the workforce with your volunteer and school board work, and I would develop a resume much the same as if those roles were your career.

Open with a Qualifications Summary presenting the experiences and skills you possess that position you for the warehouse job. Talk about your organization skills, attention to detail, commitment to quality and ability to work independently and on a team.

In the Experience section, explore the school board position and volunteer posts with an overview of your roles with bulleted highlights. End with Education. At the beginning of your Qualifications Summary try opening with this:

“Warehouse Associate Candidate — Offers a strong work ethic, focus on quality and proven commitment to the achievement of performance targets.”

Use your cover letter to explain career transitions, being sure to not downplay your experience. With this framework, you are more likely to communicate the relevance of your experience and secure the attention of a hiring manager.

Dear Sam:

You recently published an article about a reader who was not receiving any job callbacks. I have been experiencing the same problem. I’ve applied to many positions and rarely receive a call. When I do, I don’t get the job, nor do I receive any feedback about the interview. It seems I may cost too much because I have a bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience. Please provide feedback on my resume and what may be going on. LaNisha

– Dear LaNisha:

I do not think that in your line of work — social work — a bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience is positioning you as too expensive. The majority of clients in your field possess their MSW and at least that amount of experience, so those factors are not solely contributing to your lack of callbacks.

You have great experience. With 10 years of professional experience with only three employers, you have built a strong track record. However, your resume is a little off course in its structure. If you’re concerned about being overeducated, move your Education to page two. With page one of your resume presenting a Professional Summary, a lengthy Skills section, your Education and Certifications, none of the fantastic experiences you have ever hits page one.

I am confident your resume would be more effective if you opened with a Qualifications Summary, trimmed your skills list and then flow into your Professional Experience. Remember, it’s your experience that says how you are different from your peers, so focusing more on that will tell a hiring manager that they must interview you. Samantha Nolan is a certified professional resume writer and owner of Ladybug Design. She can be reached at dearsam@ladybug-design.com or 614-570-3442.