Focus on a solution, not the problem

Dear Sam: I have been reading your column for years, even when I was employed in what I thought was a “forever” job. I have since, however, come across a new issue and need some help.

I am a 60+-year-old technical writer. Following in-house jobs in the ‘80s, I embarked on a consulting career that lasted until 2006. In 2006, I landed my dream job but unfortunately was downsized in 2014. Since then, I took some time off for health reasons, engaged in a 5-month contracting role, and returned to freelance work.

Due to my journey, my resume contains a lot of “Consultant” titles. While I have only explored the past 12 or so years of my career, a recruiter recently told me that it looked like I had “hopped” from one job to another. I really did not move from one role to another; I simply engaged in a project, completed the project, and assumed the next consulting opportunity. The recruiter told me that even though I had 9 years with my past employer, as I had served in freelance roles before and after—creating the appearance of “job hopping”—no employer would look at my candidacy because I had “jumped around.” He said there was no solution to present myself in an advantageous manner and that I would have to hope I would have the opportunity to “explain myself” if I were to get an interview. Do you have any insight? — Anonymous

Dear Anonymous: Wow, I am so sorry you were told there was “no solution!” I am shocked that with your consistent history of freelance work, not to mention the solid career history with your employer between 2006 and 2014, the recruiter could not see past your coming across as a job hopper.

I work with clients all of the time who have been freelancing for some time. To create a more solid picture of your candidacy, why not group all of your freelance engagements together? As you were a 1099 “employee,” this is a perfectly appropriate way to convey your experience. To do this, present an overview statement about the types of tasks you were charged with. Then, in the Highlights section, you could even present the logo of the “client” and some bulleted highlights of what you did for them. This eliminates the look of moving around and instead reinforces a track record of value-added contributions.

I just did this for a client recently; while he was in a slightly different situation, we needed to showcase highlights from some of his earliest experiences. To engage the reader, I created a Highlights section that preceded the Professional Experience section. In that section, I presented logos of his key clients/employers and offered highlights of his experience with said employers to the right of the logo. The look this created was so visually appealing and took attention away from the potential disqualifier we were trying to minimize. I think this approach would work really well in your situation.

Of course rounding out the Professional Experience section would be your employer-employee experience going back to 2006. If you think it would add value, you could present a byline beneath that section that would present just a snapshot of your earlier experiences. Doing this would allow you to communicate the information without dates, eliminating the possibility of unnecessarily aging your candidacy.

There is, indeed, a solution! It just takes a little creative thinking and the ability to see beyond unfortunate assumptions. I wish you tremendous success!

Dear Sam: I have started developing my LinkedIn profile and wanted to place the URL on my resume. I am not sure how or where to present it. Does it add value to my resume? – Adam

Dear Adam: It’s a fantastic idea to add your LinkedIn URL to your resume if there is a reason to send a hiring manager to your profile. Think of LinkedIn as your virtual brand; it not only should be marketing your candidacy to your target audience through the content you develop, but also through appropriate selection of other LinkedIn elements that can reinforce your message. To add value through LinkedIn, make sure you have recommendations—when possible—attached to the positions you are presenting, follow companies and influencers that reinforce your brand, be sure you are listing relevant skills for connections to endorse, and go through each of the LinkedIn sections to add anything that reinforces your professional candidacy. I say “professional candidacy” as LinkedIn is a professional networking tool. You should use this site to reflect you and your career, steering clear of personal posts and information that can be distracting. Once you have ensured there is a reason you think a hiring manager would benefit from going to your LinkedIn profile, then by all means, list your customized LinkedIn profile URL in the heading section of your resume.

Samantha Nolan is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and owner of Ladybug Design, a full-service resume-writing firm. Do you have a resume or job search question for Dear Sam? Reach Samantha at [email protected]. For more about Sam’s resume writing services, visit www.ladybug-design.com or call 614-570-3442 or 1-888-9-LADYBUG (1-888-952-3928).