Have you ever been to an interview and honesty just came out and hit you like an 18-wheeler? Well, it had happened to me. I used to think about this a lot as a YA (Young Adult). What would someone think of me based on my resume? Based on my experience, would they hire me or move onto someone who has less experience? Would they find me to be overqualified for the job? It happens to the best of us. Most people, my students included, based on my resume and/or background, will think I am significantly older than what I truly am. I will always get, she’s in her mid-30’s because she looks very young. When you correct and say, “No, I am in my twenties; please do not age me so quickly.” I do not know if we have reached this grand misjudgement that millennials are lazy, incompetent, or feel we are entitled, but it just isn’t the case. Certain prejudgements should not be assumed based on what is written. No lie, some of those things are true, but do not put everyone in the same box.
Keep in mind I am in my twenties. Before embarking the age of 26 (no, I am no longer 26), I have had a lot of different jobs and played the role of many hats. I have had a job as a Cashier, Cashier manager, Office Assistant, Sales, Marketing, Advertisement, Print Advertisement (Graphic Design), Graphic & Web Designer, Photographer, Writer, Packaging Designer, Groundskeeper, Manager, Supervisor, Receiving Manager, Store Support, Office/Receptionist, Cook, Server, TESOL Instructor, TESOL Teacher, Teacher, Professor (26 or 27), and an Ice Cream Scooper (1x in LA, CA and 2x in AR)! I have done everything almost under the sun, but it all correlates. I love what I do no matter the job.
I was at my last interview of the day, the interviewer’s name is, Hayley. Since I do not want to use her real name, this is what I will call her on this blog post. However, during the interview after asking me questions she said you do not want to come off as double intimidating. You have an intimidating resume already. She had offered some tips, which I will offer in a list below and pass it on because maybe this will help others who are in the same situation as me. She had many, many valid points/suggestions because everything she had brought up literally every interviewer that day brought up the same things. Here were a lot of things she brought up:
Instead of having the different overseas teaching jobs in physical classrooms, just group them under one thing. Say where you taught and still say you taught overseas, but just take away the details unless you are applying to an actual Teacher’s job. However, I can see how Teaching experience could greatly help you with the Advertising Coordinator and also your Graphic Design experience helps you as well. But she had opened my eyes to how a lot of people will look at the overseas teaching as a potential person who would leave their workplace depending upon what opportunity it is. As she stated, no one, unless its their actual career stays anywhere too long, but you want to make it seem like, even if you are not. She was so right. Literally, every person who had interviewed me that day asked about am I willing to stay, fulfill a contract, etc. One job even offered me pay and stated, after 3 months, we will then give you this salary.
The other thing is I had a job where I almost did everything under the sun that was there. I could not help that because it is a non-profit organization (FFA Camp), can’t hire too many people (money), and I enjoyed it there! I even got to lay concrete and bricks. I also got to work in a shop where you will only find majority males, but there are women out there too that can do carpentry and build things (me!!), haha. I also got to be a Photographer, Graphic Designer, and so much more. But we could not figure out how to dumb that down so we left it as is. I also had management and supervisory jobs there. It was one of the best the opened me to other opportunities. My resume is my experience and it is one reason why I will no longer work for anything under $22.50 per hour. There are only under certain circumstances where I will take less, for an example, an in-house Art job I will take no less than $17/$18.75. Because of that interview, she was also kind and told me about the same job was looking for a photographer as well. So I made one resume for the Photographer job and the other resume (See screenshot above in post) for the Advertising Coordinator.
So what is the solution, you may
- For me, when I am am applying for Graphic Design jobs, I leave my teaching experience on my resume in detail. Why? Because a lot of Graphic Design companies in the areas also work for different school districts. It shows not only have I had experience as a Teacher, but also as a Graphic Designer. However, this is what you want to avoid. Just put the Teaching experience over in the other column and list off the schools/colleges you’ve worked.
- All other work, lets say not related to Graphic Design and Art, put it in a different category as Other Work Experience. Make sure you have the starting month/year with ending month/year. This way you do not have to ask questions about gaps, what were you doing during this time (did you have a job or not), or where were you working during this time, i.e., questions alike you can avoid answering by already having it there.
- Organization is key! Although, my resume is already organized but do keep in mind your jobs need to be in chronological order, easy to read, and it is okay if you have to use two different fonts, max three, in order to differentiate between certain information. This is good if you are only using the black and no color on your resume.
- Dumb down your resume (Lupe Fiasco’s – Dumb it Down comes to my mind every time someone say’s this phrase, LOL)! Yes, just dumb it down. Do not make it intimidating, highlight key points, and talk about everything else in detail when you are being interviewed.
- What is the worse that can happen? You still do not get hired. That is okay, you move on, find a better job, better pay, and someone who really wants you there due to your expertise. Always, always, always know your worth!!