Resume' and cover letter advice.?

Question

I'm on a couple months home with the folks to reevaluate my career. I come from quite a few backgrounds of work. ie starting and running a the first gallery and nightclub in SF, production designer for large events, sr assistant stylist for magor catalogs, art buyer for a denim startup line, photographer for a major SF dance lable.
but cannot seem to put it all together for solid clear objective. I'm seeking and looking at a production type of career in the visual merchindising world and brand type market, but want to create valuable resume' that can show all my attributes.
At the moment, I'm in Georgia with the family for a couple of months taking care of my father and no longer have an adress in SF for the moment while I work on this. It's been 6 years since I've written a resume' and I wonder what my next step should be.....time is of the essecne

Answer 1

I would get together a portfolio of what you have done in the past if you are serious about visual merchandising. Ask a friend in SF to host an address for you, but give your current phone number. With cell phones it seems no one has a local number anyway.

When writing your resume the way to go these days is to list your accomplishments with numbers (%, $'s, etc.) so the person reading it knows how you will impact their business. Don't be afraid to take a step back financially if that means getting into the career you want.

I am looking at people for a similar position right now, and in the end it's all in the pictures, so put some really good effort into that portfolio.

Answer 2

Hi! I think your experiences are great and certainly you can put together a great resume.

Instead of a specific, phrase-driven objective, you might want to use a format like this. Simply include the title or general title of the job you want centered at the top of your resume, and below it, include some skill areas, industries, or "experience phrases" that relate to the position. I'll try to recreate it here, but the format might not look quite right. Here goes!

Visual Merchandising/Brand Management Professional
Production Design | Gallery Manager | Catalog Stylist | Operations
Fashion | Entertainment | Photography | Event Management

You would need to decide, of course, what the general "job" is that you want, and, by researching it (try www.bls.gov/oco for the Occupational Outlook Handbook) include in the "experience phrases" below it those skills that you've performed in the jobs you've mentioned that are similar in experience.

If this isn't clear (and it's hard when the visual doesn't really work well in the example above - no HTML allowed!) please feel free to email me and I can send you an example that way.

Best,

Michelle G.
Former university career counselor, 9 years.

Answer 3

Ok, first, you should clarify your goals. Not easy, but you need to really think about what you want to do long term. You seem to bounce around a bit, which is ok, but not great for finding a new job.

There are a couple of articles listed below which can help. One is about the resume objective and how to create it and another one is about a functional resume format, which I think is your best option.

Answer 4

You should definitely tailor your job objective, experience, and cover letter for each job you apply to. Research the type of person the company looks for by looking at their websites. (Most companies describe their mission : innovative, dedicated to the community, high energy, etc)

Make your resume match the company's personality and you will surely get a call for an interview. Relate each of your previous job's experience to the company you are applying for.