Resume advice/suggestions

I'm applying for a retail position at a hardware store. The store itself is new, but the owner runs another hardware store on the other side of town. What I know about the position(s) comes through word-of-mouth (a good friend of the owner's works with my wife...etc etc), and I haven't been able to track down an actual help-wanted ad. I've got the assurance of a good word/advocacy/reference from the owner's friend, plus a number of other people with whom or for whom I've worked.

My dilemma: I just graduated with a masters degree. I've got 15+ years of carpentry & construction experience, plus (construction) project management & assorted things of that nature. I actually rather enjoy working retail, but lets face it, I'm applying because it's local and convenient and I need a job, not because I always dreamed of working in a hardware store (although, of all the retail environments I could choose...). And I haven't actually done the whole resume/application thing in (literally) decades. It's all been family business; self-employed; or right place, right time.

So what do I say on the Goals/Objectives/What Are You Looking For part of the cover letter/resume?

My experience is that the "Objectives" section is now out of vogue for resumes. Predictably, the Objectives section generally became, "To obtain (the position being applied for) in (an environment remarkably matching the employer's) where I can use (skills and talents that the employer would want used)". It is too easy to tailor to what the employer wants to hear for it to be useful. The Objectives section has thus commonly been replaced by a "Summary", two or three sentences describing the type of professional you are.

So, for you, something like "Summary: Carpentry and construction professional with a masters degree in (field), and 15 years experience, including (skill X, Y, and Z) and construction project management, and a focus in (something you have lots of experience with that might be relevant to the job at hand)."

The problem I foresee is that, unless what they're looking for something at the store-manager level, it sounds like you're significantly overqualified. Generally, Masters Degree + Retail Position = employee who'll be moving on as soon as they find something that pays better. Nobody will believe that someone who has put in the work for a masters degree wants to work at a cash register for long.

Now, if they are looking for a manager, and your Masters is in a related field, then you've got something nice there to push - experience *and* education is a good thing.

Umbran said:

The problem I foresee is that, unless what they're looking for something at the store-manager level, it sounds like you're significantly overqualified. Generally, Masters Degree + Retail Position = employee who'll be moving on as soon as they find something that pays better. Nobody will believe that someone who has put in the work for a masters degree wants to work at a cash register for long.

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That's exactly my problem. But Ithaca is not a large town, opportunities are somewhat limited, we're not moving for awhile, and I need a job. So...here I am.

(This is not uncommon here. As my wife just said, half the town is overqualified.)

My advice: don't excise the fact that you have a Masters from your résumé, but DO downplay it. Instead, play up the experience you have in carpentry, etc., including listing the places you worked with.

Basically, you're trying to present yourself, not as an overqualified applicant they can't hope to hang onto, but instead, recast yourself as a guy with knowledge, experience, and most importantly, possible connections that could prove to be an invaluable resource.

So list that Masters. But limit it to just one line in your education section.

You want a job that let's your work with people and help them solve their problems, using your experience in the field.

I have a degree in English and extensive graphics background, as well as property management. I'm working at the local Indian restaurant because it is the first place that has gone past First Interview Stage in 8 years. Not (just) because I'm a horse's backside (but good at hiding that short-term), but because jobs have just not existed in San Jose, CA. Almost every listing I've seen has been fake (there was already someone in mind for the position internally, but the company was required to list it publicly first).

sabrinathecat said:

You want a job that let's your work with people and help them solve their problems, using your experience in the field.

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That's just about exactly what I was thinking. Thank you!

I was overqualified for the position I started in at the company I work for. I got hired because I convinced the interviewers that I really wanted to work for the company and was interested in what they did. I was lucky enough to be able to do research on the people interviewing me so I knew some of their work history and interests. In less than a year, I received a promotion and 2 pay raises.

The important thing is to convince the interviewer that you want to be able to use the knowledge and experience you have acquired to help their customers with their needs. Smart owners and managers know that happy customers means repeat business and referrals. Play up your knowledge and show them how you can use that knowledge to solve customer problems.

Graybeard said:

I was overqualified for the position I started in at the company I work for. I got hired because I convinced the interviewers that I really wanted to work for the company and was interested in what they did. I was lucky enough to be able to do research on the people interviewing me so I knew some of their work history and interests. In less than a year, I received a promotion and 2 pay raises.

The important thing is to convince the interviewer that you want to be able to use the knowledge and experience you have acquired to help their customers with their needs. Smart owners and managers know that happy customers means repeat business and referrals. Play up your knowledge and show them how you can use that knowledge to solve customer problems.

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Thanks! Yeah, that's what I'm going to try and push. I've got a decent amount of volunteer/community work, and two of my three references are from my time with Habitat for Humanity. I didn't get to meet the owner today (one of the many problems with walking in cold), but I did talk to a manager (?) briefly instead and that gave me a little more to go on. I got my fingers crossed.

Best of luck to you in pursuit of this job. I haven't visited Ithaca in a couple years but always enjoyed my times there.

Since I'm currently revamping my resume as well, I can sympathize with the quandry of how to phrase things in such a document.