That Resume

The most annoying and most important part of the job hunt process is... that resume. They intrigue me and they intimidate me. Although I am not currently in the market, as I have a great job right now that I enjoy and that I am also lending to and learning from, I still think about my resume all the time. ALL. THE. TIME. I think if I wasn't so intent on being someone who can help kids like the kid I was, that maybe my life would have something to do with human resources and resume writing and helping with job searches and career plans. I just have so much fun thinking about it. I am weird, I know.

Lately I have written, and re-written my resume several times. It's been proofed by extra eyes, edits have been suggested, attended to,and looked at again. I am treating it like a manuscript being sent off to a publisher. It's a big deal. Sometimes mine feels bare and boring and lonely, because I haven't had tons of experience in the field in which I hope to work... and of course the required education still needs to happen so it can take it's rightful place in my resume.

Recently I've reached out to a few people because I wanted my resume to be formatted and laid out neat and tidy, modern and cutting edge and still professional, but unique. Although many were enthusiastic to help, I wasnt sold on purchasing services, because I am a show and prove type. I need something tangible so that I know what I am paying for is what I am hoping to receive. I'm also a very get it done type of person, and so I decided to take up teaching myself how to do the things I need.

I've scoured blog after blog, talked with some professional resume writers from LinkedIn (whose services at this time are not something I would budget for, let alone do I think my career is at a place where they're needed...but as I climb whichever ladder I need to climb, I will keep a service like this in mind -- its hundreds of dollars, and would definitely be worth if it if it could exponentially increase my income and land me in my dream career.

I took a photoshop beginners course online and learning a lot of the basic stuff was really helpful. Dane came home from work a few days in wit a copy of Photoshop Elements (the lighter version of Photoshop, but it seems to contain everything I need for what I want to learn to do. I've also be scouring the web for free Microsoft word tutorials and templates and I have to say, with these late nights where Dane hasn't being feeling well, we've been lazing around on the couch and I've spent that time learning a lot.

I work in Word and Excel a lot with my job, but never really dove into designing a layout for anything, just reports and letters and spreadsheets. But I opened my own eyes to a lot of things I could accomplish in Microsofts suite. I love when I teach myself new things.

I think the visual appearance of my resume and other materials in which I use to market myself are just as important as the content. I have to say I am proud of some of the pieces I am creating now that I have a new few weapons in my arsenal. As the content grows I feel confident that I will have expanded my knowledge of the designing and the writing in order to grow with it.

I'm still so super excited about that damn resume.