Show how early experience is relevant to current career goals
Dand my body of work supports that, but I feel my résumé does not reflect my talents.
I changed careers in midlife. I went back to school in my late 30s and earned a degree in multimedia design. Prior to that, I was an assistant to a private banking manager, and I had some years as a retail sales manager. My dilemma is that I have only been working in this field for eight years, which gives the impression that I’m much younger than I am, but if I list my experience prior to my current position, then it appears irrelevant to the positions for which I am applying — and it gives away my age. However, I believe my customer-service and management experience are relevant qualities to have. How do I market myself in a way that will grab attention without setting off red flags? — Shana
Dear Shana: This is a dilemma that a lot of candidates face, whether their foundational experience is aligned with their current career or not. Most hiring managers expect candidates to present
ear Sam: I am 49 years old and have worked as a multimedia professional for more than eight years.
I currently create corporate training videos for a large organization. My duties range from video and audio production to photography, scriptwriting, directing, lighting, motion graphics, animation and more. Over the past few years, my role has changed. The company is under new management, and we are not doing as much video production and multimedia. My work has dwindled, and I am now being utilized for menial tasks.
I have been looking for another position in video and multimedia production for about three years and have had no luck. Of the 20-plus positions I have applied for, I have only received one callback. I am very good at what I do, about 10 years of professional experience on a resume; some suggest as few as eight, others as much as 15. So, to only present eight years of experience is completely within the realm of expectation. I do, however, often present more of my clients’ experiences because I believe omitting it can be a little misleading when you get to an interview and are more experienced than you appear on paper.
To avoid unnecessarily aging your candidacy, while still presenting your candidacy to your hiring audience, I would include about 15 years of professional history. This way, you are complying with best practices and market expectations. Can you trim your experience to only go back to the year 2000?
When presenting these early experiences, focus on transferable skills that you believe add value to your candidacy for the jobs you are seeking. Use these experiences to differentiate yourself from other qualified multimedia professionals and show that you have an understanding of business and industry outside your current field. This early experience could add a flavor to your résumé that non-career-changers can’t replicate.
I have not seen your résumé, so I advise you to make sure it follows today’s guidelines. Open with a qualifications summary that highlights your multimedia experience, fully exploring your role at its fullest and outlining the ways you added value to your employer. Also, you’ll want to create an eye-catching design that reflects your talents.
Correct any of these deficiencies and address the chronology of your career on paper, and I am certain you will gain more traction in the job market.