Give yourself a chance to be successful

Dear Sam: Today is my birthday, and instead of being happy about this once-a-year milestone, I do not feel like celebrating. The present I would like to have is for someone to hire me. I have been on a job hunt since January 2007 and I need a job with benefits and higher compensation. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. I graduated in 2003 and yet I am stuck in a retail position. Everyone is always asking for experience, but I feel if you have demonstrated the ability to learn in past positions, then why do you have to have related experience? I know basic marketing, or textbook marketing as they call it, and I am trying to get my foot in the door but am not being successful. When I do get an interview, a few days later I inevitably receive a letter stating that the company has gone with another candidate.

I would like to gain the marketing experience that I need, but someone has to hire me for that to happen. I have merchandising experience and could provide assistance to graphic designers because I have an eye for detail. Any position in marketing would be a blessing for me. I can market anything and everything except myself. Thanks for any help you can give. - Pat

Dear Pat: I'm really sorry to hear you are struggling to get your foot in the door for a marketing position. The good news, however, is that after reviewing your résumé, I can see that you haven't had a product that will open that door, so it is still entirely possible you could break into the field if you revamp your résumé. As a creative, you need to use your résumé to showcase your knowledge of marketing. Your current résumé lacks any creativity or visual appeal. Put your design skills to use by creating a unique résumé that not only showcases your eye for design, but also translates-to the marketing world-what you have done in a retail setting. Better yet, design your own personal logo and create a branding strategy used consistently throughout your résumé, cover letter, thank you letter, business cards, and mailing labels. Branding your candidacy through development of a theme on your job search materials will show prospective employers that despite not having the mandated experience, you still know how to market! Take a look at the example on www.dearsamonline.com for an idea of how using a unique design, adding some color, and highlighting elements such as excerpts from performance reviews, can really make a résumé sing!

Currently you start describing your retail position by saying you were hired for the holiday season. Next, you explain you have familiarized yourself with the phone system, and then you go on to talk about learning the plan-o-gram. If I was a hiring manager looking for a marketing person, I would immediately be turned off. I'd instead be looking for how your retail experience positions you to understand my needs. Instead of going through the administrative functions of your position, talk about the fact that you have been able to assess customers' needs, identify creative solutions (I'm not going to say where you work, but for the readers, I just want to note that you work in a creative, very display-oriented environment where creativity is key), help them design end products, and build relationships that generate repeat and referral business. When you focus on the right aspects of your background, you will better engage the reader and prompt a positive response.

You also listed all of your coursework from your undergraduate studies on page two of your résumé. Instead, you should pull out the marketing-related studies and place them on page one of your résumé in the qualifications summary. In a 7- to 10-second screening process, there is no way the reader will get to the bottom of page two, leaving your coursework to play no role in the initial review process. You have a great start at a qualifications summary on your résumé; I'd just like to see it include more about your hands-on marketing experience, albeit in a retail environment, and possibly even bring in some information from any related projects you completed during your studies.

I really think with your taking another look at your content and making sure the majority of information presented has some transferability to a marketing setting, and by revamping the design of your résumé to brand your candidacy, you will have a great chance of getting your start in the marketing field. All the best.

Do you have a question for Dear Sam? Write to dearsam@semissourian.com. Samantha Nolan owns Ladybug Design, a résumé writing and interview coaching firm. For more information, call (888) 9-LADYBUG (888-952-3928) or visit www.ladybug-design.com.