APU Careers Careers & Learning

Jack of All Trades, Master of None

job-retention-graduationBy Rowe Leathers
Contributor, Career Services

Does your resume leave more questions than answers about what you do?

I had a very interesting conversation with a friend the other day regarding his resume. After looking through it, I was not exactly clear on what it told me about him. His past experiences, although very interesting to read, did not convey a clear career path that related to his occupational interests.  Rather than painting a picture of a progression in his career; his resume was a list of jobs he held and the tasks required for each. As the reader, it gave me no incentive to read further as it failed to give a point of interest and value.

When I asked the friend what his target job was, he said he was open to anything because he had experience in just about everything. His answer still did not help me understand his occupation. The student, however, felt that having dabbled in a variety of areas made him a valuable employee. It was then I realized that he was not seeking a particular career path; he wanted to master all areas.

What does your resume say about you?  Does your resume tell the reader your occupation?  Is it a progression of your career or it just a list of jobs that you have held? Does it convey your strengths and abilities?

More often than I care to remember, I have looked at a resume and not known what the person is offering as an employee.  I can tell you that they are dependable, hard-working, driven and motivated, but nothing more.

A resume should tell the reader your area of experience. Your Summary Profile is where you define yourself to the employer and convey the message that you will bring value to their organization.  It is your job to define the position you are seeking and not place the burden on the reader. Placing the burden on the reader to decipher your occupation is unfair and a risk that many of us should not take.

Have you found yourself to be a Master of None?  If so, all is not lost.

Take stock of your resume and examine each position you’ve held. Find common skills that weave through each job and highlight them in each entry. By helping the reader extract your talents and skills from your resume, you are painting a picture to show that you can be an asset to the organization.

Not sure what your skills are? Below are a few skill sets that employers find valuable.  Each of these skills can be applied to many positions in a variety of fields.

  • Communication
  • Leadership
  • Organizational
  • Time-Management
  • Planning
  • Administrative

As you apply and weave skills throughout your resume, your talents will emerge. To highlight your skills further, consider sharing your outcomes and details about how your contributions created impact. With better understanding of you skills and talents, the reader will have more information about you.  By helping the reader identify your talents, you will give them an incentive to read further, and possibly consider you for the job.

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