Advice on Resumes and Cover Letters

[colleen10]

Hello everyone!

Been a while since I posted but I need your advice.

I know how to write a resume and I know how to write a cover letter. But I'm looking for any advice or suggestions some of you may have.

I guess my problem is that I have worked in business offices/fields and not in the health care industry. I am taking evening courses now for my pre and co-req's for nursing and would like to apply for a job as a direct care giver at a facility that works with Mentally Retarded and/or physically handicapped children and adults. I do have some experience volunteering and taking a semester long course in Therapeutic Horseback Riding and have put that at the beginning of my resume.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for those changing fields? I also am worried that a potential employer will think that I am over qualified, over educated and/ or make too much money at my present job to seriously consider me.

If you have any suggestions I would appreciate hearing them.

Thanks,

Col :kiss

[wsiab]

You may want to consider a functional resume instead of an experience driven resume. Mention a brief employment history, a few lines, and state references are available upon request, have a references sheet prepared to bring to an interview or fax on request.

Spend the rest of the resume describing how you are suited for the job. Think about skills and qualities the job will call for that you have, and explain how you have demonstrated them in classes and other areas of your life. Under education, mention what you have completed, your current line of study, and any certifications or specific classes you have taken that would be helpful for the position (CPR, Body mechanic, etc.)

Use the cover letter to explain your longterm career goals, change of career, and why you think this would be a good position for you at this time.

It is hard to write a resume for a position/ field that you have no experience in. "The Damn Good Resume Guide" is a good resource for writing resumes, it has section for writing resumes when you are just getting out of school or changing careers.

[colleen10]

Dear WSIAB,

I wanted to thank you for responding to my plea for help. I have been researching "Functional Resumes" on the internet and I am definately going to produce one and see how it looks.

Thanks much! it was something that I had not even thought of.

Col

[Mkue]

Someone just recently posted some really good advice on resume writing on a thread, unfortunately I can't remember the poster or the thread !... sorry. :)

The above posters have some excellent advice also :)