Jody -
Short answer is yes ...long term - no. If he is coming out of the same industry (for example insurance ) he may be quite familiar with the business, and it's specific terminolgy ect ....so his ramp up time would be quicker (a plus) .... so if he transfers his skill sets (both genral and insdustry specific) he should be back to his previous earning potential is a shorter time frame.

Hi Jody,
We run into this quite a bit at Kaplan, as we often have students who are changing their career paths. I would agree with Chris in saying that at least initially, he should be prepared to take a reduced salary. Because he will be starting in a new field, he may need to take a lower level position, which probably won't pay as much. However, if he is able to apply his past experience and skills, hopefully he will be able to work his way back up within the new company. As far as searching for the new position, I would recommend looking for those positions which utilize a number of the skills he developed in his past position and making sure to highlight these on his resume. Regardless of the field in which they were developed, skills like communication, team work, goal achievement, etc. are transferable to new positions.

Hi Beth. I'm Mike Gremmer and I'm the Regional Vice President for Robert Half International overseeing our Iowa offices. Regardless of age, workers should make sure their skills are up-to-date and to Chris’ point, that they are ahead of the curve in terms of technology. This includes knowledge of the latest software programs, but also familiarity with social media, which is becoming an essential tool for many organizations. Additionally, all job seekers should continue networking. Conventional wisdom is right: It often is about who you know, and this is especially true in today’s job market.

Stephen

Most of our clients are asking us to find candidates that are currently employed. That is thier choice and certainly within their bounds legally to do just that. I would make sure that if you are long term unemployed to look at "temping" or "staffing" through a staffing firm (short term slots) ...I would also look at upgading certain skill sets though a community college and volunteering at a local food bank or other non profit that might need a volunteer on a temporary basis. The worst thing you can tell a potential employer when they ask what you have been doing the past few months or years is "looking for a job".

When hiring, companies are looking for professionals whose skills are current and who possess expertise on the latest industry developments. To help enhance their marketability, job seekers who are unemployed should look for opportunities, such as temporary assignments or volunteer work in their field, to keep their skills shark and industry knowledge up to date. Professional associations can provide great opportunities as well.

Nice free advertising Chris. However, you never did contribute an idea except hire you to find me a job. I am 55, do you think my age may be a detriment to getting hired after my company like Wells Fargo lays off an entire division and then opens another "division" hiring a bunch of young kids at half the pay to do basically the same job but under a different branch? Like the run on sentence. :-)

Hi Jack

We were asked to introduce ourselves on this chat - so that is what I did (above).

Recruiters/"headhunters" are not hired by candidates to find them jobs ( a common misconceprtion among job seekers) so we wouldn't be available for hire by any candidates to find them jobs .... that isn't are business model - we are not paid by jobseekers.

As far as "contributing an idea" I would look at some of the answers to previous questions we have had today re: long term unemployed. Upgrade skill sets while looking for work, have a great "can do" attitude, get a temp job through one of the many fine staffing firms we have in the Des Moines metro and put your best foot forward while seeking out that next opportutnity. One other "opportunity" that many jobseekers don't think about is that of "being thier own boss" ...let this economy and/or job layoff give birth to a new venture, business, or idea of thier own and start their own business. Two books I would recommend in this regard are: "The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career" by Reid Hoffman (the founder of LinkedIn) and "Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion" by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Best of luck and good fortune to you Jack!

cmm

Jack, thanks for contributing a question to this, but this isn't like all the other stories you comment on. I'd ask you to please respect the people who've been so kind as to volunteer their time to do this feature for us. Thanks.

Todd,

My daughter will be in this predicament in two short years. My recommendation to her was to get a paid internship in the summer (which she did after her freshman year) and although she didn't enjoy the job all that much, she got paid and got exposed to some great "real world" tools (Salesforce.com and Quickbooks).

I would also not hesitate to put on your resume (as a new college graduate) any extracurricular activities and leadership roles you held during both college and high school years. I know "conventional wisdom" and some career counselors may not agree with going back four years to high school, but if I have a candidate in front of me that was captain of the football team in high school or college, drum major, -- or for that matter - just a member of the marching band for four years in high school, I want to know about it! It may spark my interest as a hiring manager to know (as a potential employer) if that individual, while attending high school, was on the field and practicing by 7:00 am everyday before school for a good portion of the school year - it shows a level of discipline and competiveness that I want to discern!

Hi Alison,
I had to double check this before responding because we don’t see many curriculum vitaes in our office. :) For many people in the job search, especially those fresh out of school, a resume is typically the way to go. However, it is important to always follow the instructions of the employer.

A curriculum vitae (CV) is typically longer than a resume. While a resume includes information on your experience, education, and skills, a CV will also include information on teaching experience, research, presentations, publications, etc. Because of this CVs are generally used when applying for academic, scientific, or research opportunities. They are also more common overseas, so if you are looking into applying for a job internationally, you may want to put a CV together.

Hi Alison, I’m happy to weigh in here. Hiring managers tend to prefer chronological resumes – those organized with more recent job experience listed first, followed by previous positions – because the information is easy to find and review quickly. It’s important to remember that hiring managers in this competitive job market often are inundated with applications for open positions. If a resume is deemed confusing or hard to read, employers are unlikely to consider it. Our online career center has some great resources and tips for writing a compelling resume. You can visit the site at: http://www.roberthalf.com/resumes

You are absolutely right! There are a lot of resume formats out there. Like Michael, we tend to recommend chronological resumes. However, we often encourage our students to create different sections within their resumes (such as “related experience” and “employment history”) so that those experiences which are most relevant are seen first, regardless of dates. Everything is then chronological within the sections. In terms of length, we recommend that new graduates with little related experience keep their resume to one page. If someone has quite a bit of related work experience (say 10 years or more) then it may be necessary to go onto a second page.

There are quite a few online resources out there, and we use handouts in our office that are a compilation of a number of resources. My recommendation would be to look for consistencies in what you are finding in websites—if you are seeing the same thing in a number of places, there is a good chance they are onto something.

Interesting question - although when I think of "padding a resume" I think in terms of "embellishing" a resume aka "lying" as in former (but short timer) Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson who recently falsely claimed a computer science degree on his resume, the Internet giant’s board of directors decided to fire its headman a week or two later after finding out about it.
I am not a believer in standard resume answers - different situations (and jobs) require different iterations of one's resume. So to say one page is all that is needed is somewhat flippant and to say "only go back 10 years" in terms of experience may also be bad advice depending on the job, what your potential employer is looking for in a skill set/back ground ect (it may in fact require more than ten years history which is the "standard" answer) The most important aspect of a resume is to craft if for the job you are seeking. Don't send out a one size fits all resume to all careers opportunities you are applying for --- a potential employer will sniff that one out right away -- and figure if the candidate can't come up with a resume that is pertinent and applies to the job they are hiring for -- what will that say about their work in the future if they hire this individual?

Hi Anne. Iowa continues to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, with the unemployment rate currently sitting at 5.1%, 0.9 percent lower than this time last year. There’s a lot more optimism among hiring managers than in years past. As the economy continues to experience incremental improvements, companies are hiring skilled professionals to meet business demands and support growth efforts. We’re seeing a dual job market in effect, with a brighter outlook for professionals who can fill skilled, specialized positions. In the Des Moines metro market specifically, we’re seeing high demand for skilled accounting, IT and administrative professionals in the manufacturing, insurance, financial services and healthcare sectors. We anticipate the next 3-4 years being very good on the job front here.

Anne, my name is Tracy Vaubel, I am with the Ames Manpower office. You have a great question. Locally, the Ames/Story County area has an even lower unemployment rate, around 3.5%-4%. Manpower's Quarterly Employment Outlook Survey indicates strong hiring for the foreseeable future. I couldn't agree more with Michael's comment as our local client companies are having difficulty filling those skilled trades positions, and we don't see that changing for some time.
Locally, a couple of years ago we were coming out of the economic slump, six months ago hiring was picking up at an even quicker pace, and that continues today.

Hi Todd,
This is a tricky question, especially if you don't know exactly where you plan to be in five years. I think the most important thing is to show that you have the desire to continue to advance, grow, and learn. Ideally that would be within the company you are interviewing with, but it's difficult to know whether that is a realistic goal when you are just getting to know the company yourself. Instead, I would be honest and leave it more general. If you do share more specific plans with the interviewer, make sure that they are focused on your professional life and that they don't include leaving the company you are interviewing with in the near future.

The other thing to keep in mind is that employers want to see that you have thought about your future. You don't have to know everything, but have a basic idea of the types of things you would like to achieve or the skills you would like to continue to develop over the coming years. Employers like goal-oriented employees!

Hi Todd. To Amanda’s point below, with this question, prospective employers are hoping to get a sense of your drive and ambition. While avoiding sounding inflexible, demonstrate your goals for professional growth and career advancement.

Hi Ashlee, I’d recommend getting in front of it by explaining in your cover letter why you are searching for a job outside your immediate area. You might note, for instance, that you have long wished to work for a particular firm and are willing to relocate in order to do so. Or you may say that you will soon move to the city where you are seeking employment (if so, include a move date, so employers know you are serious).