Post by PickyChicky on Aug 30, 2014 23:11:39 GMT -6
I came across this article (via Pinterest, mind you 
) that covers the 5 Biggest Resume Debates Among Recruiters. I've worked in the HR departments for at least a few companies, including Falcon Drilling (now R&B Falcon), so know that the information provided in this article is spot on. Plus, I have personally experienced the downfall of not keeping with the times when trying to apply for jobs after being out of work for so long after my accident.
The height of my career in the clerical field took place throughout the whole of the 90s, but what the above article is suggesting includes things that I always wanted to do with my own resume, yet couldn't because the "old school" way was still expected during that time. My severe car accident in August 2001 (ironically, 11 days before 9/11) left me unable to work for nearly two years -- and now I'm unable to work outside of the home at all due to permanent conditions that progressed as a result of the accident (Meniere's Syndrome -- an inner ear condition).
However, when I moved to Kansas in 2005, I had no choice but to try applying for jobs and it had been merely a few years since I last tried applying. During the time since my accident, little did I know that the times had finally caught up to the ideas I had back in the 90s. So, despite all of my formal training and work experience with some major corporations (a short list provided below), I kept getting beat out by that ONE person who was with the times.
Being the type of person who bores easily, as well as being one who believed in herself and that her abilities were worth far more than what society wanted to offer a woman, much less a young woman in her 20s, I took to doing mostly long-term temporary jobs. I had registered with at least a dozen temporary agencies in Houston who had all tested my computer skills, which I always passed with either 100% or by just missing one question.
They all pretty much had the same testing software and there was one question in particular on the Word test that I ALWAYS missed because it was such a little-used feature that I could never remember the answer despite how easy it was -- converting a .doc file to a template file. LOL So, all of the agencies I applied with just loved me because I always had by far the highest scores -- even on the 10-key by touch test.
So, naturally, they always had work for me and were always calling me to see if I was available. They even had several clients who would always request my services if I was available. So, I was once highly sought after in my field, but went from that to a literal nobody after not being able to work for so long. Particularly since Houston's job market went to $h!t after Enron, El Paso Energy, WorldCom, Arthur Andersen, and other major corporations based in Houston fell in 2001 after 9/11 when the SEC rightfully went on a rampage to put a stop to the fraud.
The point of my ramblings? LOL The job market is a whole new place compared to what it was back when I was at the height of my career -- and the same goes for most others, no matter what industry you work in. So, whether you're looking for a permanent or temporary full-time or part-time job, you would do well to research the field you're applying in to see what the NEW norm is when it comes to submitting resumes.
The above article will give you some excellent ideas of where to start and what you should do in case you need to change anything. As for that list of corporations I've worked for, just so you know that I know what I'm talking about, some of the major ones include:
Fluor Daniel
Global Marine
Falcon Drilling (now R&B Falcon)
Dresser Industries
BP Exploration
Chevron
Jacobs Engineering
Bechtel/PMB Engineering
Mustang Engineering
...and several others
) that covers the 5 Biggest Resume Debates Among Recruiters. I've worked in the HR departments for at least a few companies, including Falcon Drilling (now R&B Falcon), so know that the information provided in this article is spot on. Plus, I have personally experienced the downfall of not keeping with the times when trying to apply for jobs after being out of work for so long after my accident.The height of my career in the clerical field took place throughout the whole of the 90s, but what the above article is suggesting includes things that I always wanted to do with my own resume, yet couldn't because the "old school" way was still expected during that time. My severe car accident in August 2001 (ironically, 11 days before 9/11) left me unable to work for nearly two years -- and now I'm unable to work outside of the home at all due to permanent conditions that progressed as a result of the accident (Meniere's Syndrome -- an inner ear condition).
However, when I moved to Kansas in 2005, I had no choice but to try applying for jobs and it had been merely a few years since I last tried applying. During the time since my accident, little did I know that the times had finally caught up to the ideas I had back in the 90s. So, despite all of my formal training and work experience with some major corporations (a short list provided below), I kept getting beat out by that ONE person who was with the times.
Being the type of person who bores easily, as well as being one who believed in herself and that her abilities were worth far more than what society wanted to offer a woman, much less a young woman in her 20s, I took to doing mostly long-term temporary jobs. I had registered with at least a dozen temporary agencies in Houston who had all tested my computer skills, which I always passed with either 100% or by just missing one question.
They all pretty much had the same testing software and there was one question in particular on the Word test that I ALWAYS missed because it was such a little-used feature that I could never remember the answer despite how easy it was -- converting a .doc file to a template file. LOL So, all of the agencies I applied with just loved me because I always had by far the highest scores -- even on the 10-key by touch test.
So, naturally, they always had work for me and were always calling me to see if I was available. They even had several clients who would always request my services if I was available. So, I was once highly sought after in my field, but went from that to a literal nobody after not being able to work for so long. Particularly since Houston's job market went to $h!t after Enron, El Paso Energy, WorldCom, Arthur Andersen, and other major corporations based in Houston fell in 2001 after 9/11 when the SEC rightfully went on a rampage to put a stop to the fraud.
The point of my ramblings? LOL The job market is a whole new place compared to what it was back when I was at the height of my career -- and the same goes for most others, no matter what industry you work in. So, whether you're looking for a permanent or temporary full-time or part-time job, you would do well to research the field you're applying in to see what the NEW norm is when it comes to submitting resumes.
The above article will give you some excellent ideas of where to start and what you should do in case you need to change anything. As for that list of corporations I've worked for, just so you know that I know what I'm talking about
, some of the major ones include:Fluor Daniel
Global Marine
Falcon Drilling (now R&B Falcon)
Dresser Industries
BP Exploration
Chevron
Jacobs Engineering
Bechtel/PMB Engineering
Mustang Engineering
...and several others
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