Preparing for The Placement Exchange is a big process. Todays to-do list included:
- Complete my profile, including figuring out how to write a blurb again (suggestions appreciated).
- Find the most current version of my resume.
- Take said resume and try to add my current retail experience into the mix so that it doesn’t look like I’ve just been sitting around not working for the past 6 months (suggestions on this part are also appreciated).
- Browse around the TPE website to see who is hiring!
How much of this did I get accomplished? Well, I dug up the resume and knocked the dust off of it, and I played around with some formatting (with and without my current retail experience), and I browsed the TPE website. I worked on my profile, but will need a little help from some friends to get the blurbs looking polished and ready for presentation.
The question of the day regarding my resume:
Regarding my resume, do I include my current retail experience and, if so, how?
I’ve had suggestions on both sides of the argument. Either leave it out and explain it in my cover letter (which employers won’t actually see while browsing the TPE profiles), or put it in because having a gap in employment looks worse than irrelevant work experience. I can understand both sides of the argument, so naturally, I’m torn. Thoughts and suggestions from anybody who wishes to chime in would be greatly appreciated.
On another note, is anybody going to TPE and needs a roommate? I don’t snore (much), and I don’t hog the bathroom!
Yes. List it. If you have lots of higher ed experience, list it as “additional experience.” Although, the truth is many relevant skills are developed in retail. Don’t hide it. Just emphasize the leadership, problem-solving, etc. Have a hot cover letter, too, that explains what you learned and why you’re making the change so your current job reads as a logical part of your mythological journey.