The 25th Annual Senior Career is Thursday, August 29, 2019 from 9 am until 1 pm. Located at The Ohio State University's Fawcett Center.
With us in the episode is our special guest Sharon Hamersley. Sharon is the Principle Coach for The Resume Coach and has over 20 years’ experience helping individuals of all ages make a satisfying career decision or change. She's also a longtime supporter and volunteer of Employment For Seniors as well as the facilitator of all of the workshops the career workshops that we do here at Employment For Seniors.
Volunteer experience: Including significant volunteer experience is important for several reasons:
If you are providing your expertise to an organization pro bono it validates that skill set and helps demonstrate that you are keeping up in your field.
Many companies look for volunteer experience on the resume because they are community-minded, and volunteering is an important part of their company brand.
Volunteering is also a great answer to the question “what are you doing while unemployed?” Of course, you are spending a significant time on job search, but that should be balanced with outside activities.
Education and training:
Pros: if the field of study is related to your career goal, including that can indicate that you gained some of your expertise in an academic setting.
Cons: some employers may view the fact that you did not complete your post-secondary education as a negative. If you include the information, be prepared to answer the question “Why didn’t you finish your degree?”
List most recent degree or certification first. Add a date only if obtained within the past 2 years or expected within the next 12-18 months.
If you attended a college or university but did not graduate, you need to decide whether that information should be included.
Definitely list all professional licenses and certifications that are expected or required for your occupation, e.g. RN License – State of Ohio, or PMP (name of certification body and most recent date renewed.)
You do not need to list your High School Diploma or GED unless that is your last educational certification.
What not to include in the resume:
If including volunteer work for a religious or political advocacy organization, use a generic term to describe the organization when listing it.
If you have any physical or mental disability, do not disclose unless you will need an accommodation to successfully complete the interview. For instance, a quiet room if you have hearing loss, in order to be able to hear and answer questions.
Hobbies – some candidates believe this makes them appear more “well-rounded” but generally they are not of interest to the employer. If a hobby is actually part of your qualification for the position, list it under experience.
Any information that would indicate you are part of a “protected class” that cannot be discerned from your basic data. This includes racial/ethnic background or national origin, religion, sex, age (if over 40), familial status, and physical or mental disability.
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Employment For Seniors is the premier resource linking mature adults with employment opportunities. EFS has provided career assistance and resources to nearly 30,000 clients, free of charge, over the past 45 years.
Our trained volunteer job counselors work with clients,...
