Recently, I had applied for a marketing consulting career. It was going to be a lengthy interview process and I "was" and "wasnt qualified." I understand that my management hustory is very short Nnd quite breif, but I had been learning all the parts of the managment procedure for over a years time. What do I do?

Hello Everyone, I am in dire need of help with my resume. I have a wide spectrum of experience (teaching, marketing, operations, administrative, etc) so trying to put it on a resume is hard, especially since omitting something also leaves a gap in my employment history. Has anyone experienced this problem? If so, what was your solution? Thanks.

Hello everyone.

I want to share some hope this Holiday/Christmas/New Year's season. I was a high-flyer Senior Product Marketing Manager in Silicon Valley until I got pretty sick physically. We decided to move back home to Austin (where we own a house), and on the way I was stricken with Diverticulitis that perforated my sigmoid bowl and upper colon. I was rushed to a hospital and spent 3 weeks there. They gave me a colostomy, but they saved my life. The pain was absolutely extraordinary and brutal.

So, my wife and I flew home to Austin, and I recovered enough after 4 months of "being on the colostomy bag" to get re-attachment surgery (re-hook up my plumbing). That operation took over 10 hours and I almost died, but my surgeon in Austin is really good, and he saved my life. Back to sitting in the hospital for another 2 1/2 weeks, and then the day I got out, that evening, I suffered a hernia that popped right through the surgery location. Painful? You bet! Back to emergency surgery, 3 hours .... stayed another two weeks .... then got out again, but had to come back in for one more surgery to fix infection that had again set in. I had to wear a wound vacuum for two months, but it worked! It really helped heal the open wound.

All during this time, while I was recuperating, my health insurance paid for most of the expenses - but the same company, Cigna, denied my short term disability even though the State of California had approved it. Short term disability insurance is a scam, folks.

I occupied myself with looking for work, but I was very weak. I looked online, sent out resumes, talked to recruiters, even managed to go on some in person interviews (not easy with a colostomy bag, then a wound vac). It's embarrassing, and there are other aspects that make it a daunting task. Including just being very, very weak from having 4 surgeries within 6 months.

THINGS STARTED IMPROVING when I reached out to my LinkedIn network and started talking to my friends, asking for job leads, getting my resumes out, circulating a little bit. Also, I started talking to more recruiters, and even though recruiters have not been useful in finding work (the entire industry has been overwhelmed with people who treat "the talent" like garbage, it seems - no old time Agents are left - it helped me practice interviewing.

I also applied to a temporary agency and lo-and-behold, I got a one week contract to do some Lean Six Sigma swim lanes and process mapping work. It didn't pay nearly what I make per hour, but it was WORK - and I could do it from home. I can't tell you how happy I was that my customer not only accepted the work I did, he loved it, said so, and paid the agency immediately. I was back to being productive!

So: answer the ads, follow up with phone calls, work with recruiters (even if there is little hope they understand your skills or experience, or indeed if they even read your resume - most don't it seems), get out and network network network, contact temporary agencies to keep your hands warm, and yes, pray, too. I just prayed to be able to (again) take care of my family.

I got a contract position with a good company who allows me to work from home or come into the office as I see fit, and the rate is very good, Someone in my network talked to Human Resources directly, I did a bunch of interviews, and while they did not offer me full time/perm. work, this contract is a blessing. I like the people and I love the work.

The only antidote for constant rejection is ... keep at it. The best revenge is to keep applying, keep talking, keep circulating, keep moving.

Good luck everyone, and Happy Holidays!

Many of us have been taught to be humble and to not speak too highly of ourselves, but on a resume you have to brag a little bit in order to get noticed by employers. So how do you work against your modest instincts to promote yourself effectively to employers while remaining accurate and grounded?

Start with what other people say.

A good way to decide what you’re going to say about yourself is to look carefully at what others say about working with you. Solicit praise from your coworkers and review what they say. Pay attention to any similarities in what they choose to talk about. Do a lot of people describe you as “hard-working” and “focused”? Perhaps those are descriptors you should use in your resume. This is especially helpful if you plan to use any of these coworkers as references, as their positive statements about you will be consistent with your resume, which employers will look upon favorably.

Carefully consider your skills.

Many people underestimate how much self-reflection is required when you try to accurately represent yourself on a piece of paper. The most important part of trying to represent yourself well in a resume is to have a set of skills you can promote with absolute confidence. This doesn’t mean you have to have a full grasp of the skills themselves, but you should know what level of understanding you have of these skills and how you previously applied them.

Take a piece of paper and write out all the skills you think apply to you. Once you have that list, go through it and classify your skills into three groups, from the skills you consider to be your strongest, to least strong. When you add your skills to your resume, order them from your strongest group to least strong. By carefully considering your skills and your level of competence in each one, you’ll be prepared to discuss these skills in a sincere and composed manner by the time your interview rolls around.

Cultivate your resume’s personality.

You may think it’s best simply use skills and experience to tell your story, but employers want to know about you. Take some time to reflect on your accomplishments and past experiences. What personality traits contributed to your success? If you would characterize yourself as resourceful, how has this helped you? Choose some character defining words that represent you the best and add them to your resume.

Behind each one, you should be able to connect these traits to an instance of success or pride in your career. This both gives employers a sense of how you’ll go about contributing to their mission and it gives you more direction for your interview. In an interview, you will be able to more directly connect instances of career success to positive personality traits. Maybe your patience lead to increased success in customer service, or perhaps your flexibility meant you were able to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing work environment. Whatever your traits are, discover and promote them!

Need more specific help with your resume? Comment below for personalized help from Jobcase employees and members like you.

We can’t wait to bring more new and improved tools to you. Stay tuned for more about Jobcase’s Resume or click #JobcaseInsider to see all of the posts in this series in one spot!

Good day Jobcase community, I have cycled through the comments and concerns that our members have voiced a need for assistance with.

If you are changing careers, or looking to move forward within your company, Here are some tips to develop a strategic plan for your career opportunities.

The first step of any great marketing strategy is to set goals and determine how to measure outcomes. The same is true for career building. You must start by setting clear goals for your career path. Think about where you see yourself tomorrow, in three years, in five years, in ten years, and beyond. While these goals may change throughout the years, it’s is vital that you have a clear vision of how you want your career to proceed. In addition, you must set ways for measuring outcomes and commit to evaluating and adjusting your goals as necessary.

• Research Industry The best way to succeed in your career is to know the ins and outs of your specific industry. It’s vital that you stay up-to-date on the latest shifts and changes in the industry, so you can adjust to meet these new demands. Start by following social media profiles and blogs for several key players in your industry. Regularly attend or listen to lectures, podcast, and Ted talks pertaining to news in your specific area of expertise. This information can help you tailor your resume to match the needs facing employers in your particular sector, as well as help you determine what educational training or skill-building workshops can help you advance your career.

• Brand Yourself Yes, you can and should have your brand. Just like marketers build their value proposition to differentiate themselves from their competitors, you should develop your value proposition. Take a moment to evaluate your strengths and weakness and then ask yourself, “What makes you unique?” “What makes you stand out from the other candidates?” “Why should employers hire you?” “ Why should they offer you a promotion?”

Using the answers to these critical questions can help you build a unique brand for yourself. You can use this brand to create a messaging campaign that spread across your resume, cover letter, communications, and interview. This strategy will help you attract the attention of even your most desired employers.

• Make Networking a Priority Any marketers can tell you just how crucial networking is. In a crowded and hectic job market, the best way to get your foot in the door may be through a former colleague or business associate. In fact, it may be through one of these connections that you find out about prime career opportunities. It’s vital that you cultivate a wide range of connections as you work your way through your career. Be sure to retain contact information, maintain regular communication, and provide assistance when possible with your connections to build a strong network.

• Develop a Strategy A successful career rarely happens overnight. To reach your full potential, you must create a strategy for your career path. Having a plan of action will help you determine what training opportunities to explore, what job options to consider, how to prepare your resume and more. Consider your strengths and weakness and create a realistic strategy that will help steer you down your chosen career path. You want to make sure your plan aligns with your overall career goals and that each step of the process takes you one step closer to reaching your desired career outcomes.

• Use the Right Content In the marketing industry, content is king. Having the right content means the difference between attracting the right audience or going unnoticed. As more and more employers move towards the use of ATS (Application Tracking Software), the same can be said for candidates. If your resume does not contain the right wording, you may never make it past the first stage of the application process. It’s crucial that you understand your industry and recognize what types of candidates the employers in your industry want. This knowledge can help you tailor the content in your resume to ensure it gets the attention it deserves.

 Today is the day to take charge of your career and to take steps to market yourself to potential employers, or for a promotion within your company.

(For more information check out go resume.)

Happy Holidays! I have been hired as a management trainee, for a great marketing company. Just thought I would speak up and let everyone know if you don't give up on your self and your dreams, the perfect opportunity to reach your potential will find it's way to u if u do ur part too..

I have 40 plus years experience is sales, marketing and engineering positions with electronics device manufacturers.

Looking for the Right Fit, many job offers...Looking for a position, at my past level, or close.

Job Fields Promising For Workers Over 50

If you're over 50 and are looking for work or career change over the next three years, there is good news.

There are ten fields that will have great demands and are looking to fill those positions. Older workers could be great fits for many of these openings, according to a new report from AARP and IMPAQ International.

Many employers are “having trouble filling vacancies with qualified, well-trained workers,” the report says. That could translate into opportunities for workers over age 50. People in this group are more likely to face longer periods of unemployment after they lose a job. For employers and older job seekers, finding the right match could really be just a matter of looking in the right place, according to the report.

The other key for older job seekers, the report states, is to look at occupations that make use of the skills they have already developed during their careers. “Among older workers making career changes, those who are able to make use of existing skills in their new job tend to be more successful.”

Here are the occupations, expected to have the largest labor shortages over the next few years:

Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing

These jobs include sales agent, sales representative, sales executive, sales consultant, direct salesperson and technical sales representative. Workers 50-plus are already working in this or a similar job making up nearly 10 percent of those employed. There is an expected high demand for employees in these fields in Colorado, Kansas and Maryland. These positions generally require at least two years of secondary education in the academic area of the product.

Computer Occupations

Occupations include programmers, computer and information research scientists, computer user support specialists, computer system analysts, information security analysts, and web and software developers.

Entry requirements vary from a vocational degree with on-the-job training to an advanced degree. This is one of the fields, that many workers over 50 may require additional training to work in.

Health Diagnosing And Treating Practitioners

Surgeons, podiatrist, orthodontist, optometrists, dentists, therapists, pharmacists, exercise physiologists, dietitians and nutritionsists and chiropractors are among the professions in this group. Many of these positions require extensive training and advanced degrees. As a result, many of the job openings are most likely to be filled by workers already in these fields or those wanting to come out of retirement..

Health Technologists And Technicians

This category includes jobs such as medical and clinical laboratory technologists/technicians, dental hygienists, radiologic technologists, and emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Many roles require extensive training and advanced degrees. The projected shortage for workers in these fields is predicted to be high in Minnesota and South Dakota.

Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations And Sales Managers

These jobs consist of advertising and promotions managers; managers for marketing, public relations and sales and fundraising. These positions generally require at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

Engineers

Engineer employment include aerospace, agricultural, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer hardware, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, mechanical and petroleum. Of the all the fields experiencing a shortage of qualified workers, this is the one with the highest hourly wage, at $38.46. Most of these positions require at least a bachelor’s degree, with many requiring advanced degrees and extensive training.

Motor Vehicle Operators

These jobs include bus drivers, taxi drivers, chauffeurs, ambulance drivers, bus drivers, sales drivers, heavy or tractor-trailer truck drivers, light-truck or delivery-services drivers. Workers over age 50 are already an easy fit for these jobs as most of these jobs require a high school diploma and a few months of training. But the average wage of $16.62 per hour was the lowest of the fields with predicted shortages.

Financial Specialists

Jobs in this category are accountants and auditors, appraisers and assessors of real estate, budget analysts, credit analysts, financial analysts, personal financial advisers, insurance underwriters, financial examiners, credit counselors, loan officers and tax preparers. For almost all of these roles, at least a bachelor’s degree is needed. Many require a master’s or post-bachelor’s certificate.

Business Operations Specialists

These are positions such as claims adjusters, examiners and investigators; compliance officers; cost estimators; farm labor contractors; fundraisers; human resource specialists; insurance appraisers (auto damage); labor relations specialists; logisticians; and management analysts. Virtually all of these jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree, and most call for a master’s or some kind of post-bachelor’s certificate.

Operations Specialties Managers

Among the options in this category are financial managers and managers for administrative services, computer and information systems, industrial production, purchasing, transportation, storage, and distribution, compensation and benefits, human resources, and training and development. For these jobs, education requirements range from a high school diploma to postgraduate education.

I had my business in Bombay making and marketing office furniture and did a commendable work I had to migrate to usa as my daughter lived here and Inwas old enough but fit to work