Divorcee Job Hunt Need Help?

Question

Hi there,

I am a talented divorcee and I need a job. I can't afford to work for minimum wage and mathematical shortcomings are all that is keeping me from my degree (I have flunked remedial math 4 times and can't take my science courses to obtain my degree without a passing math grade) I have 167 college credits with a 3.45 gpa if you subtract the math courses from my overall GPA.

I have owned my own jewelry store, been an assistant manager of a pawn shop, been a private investigator, and am the only NAIS certified adoption search specialist in the entire country. I have worked as a Karaoke DJ in bars and private parties but my karaoke gear is not working presently and I can't afford the repairs being unemployed.

I have also written computer game reviews for Amiga world and Computer Gaming World magazines.

I served as the president of the Abington Downs homeowners association in Madison, Alabama and was on the Architechural control Comittee.

I have no resume because most of my experience is self employment.

I really need to find a high paying job or entry level at about $35-40K in order to make my bills.

Below is an example of what i have come up with for a resume, I think it stinks, I need help. Please offer suggestions.

I can't move I live in San Diego.

Leah

XX Caminito St.

San Diego, Ca. 92XXX

858-x*x-XXXX home

858-x*x-XXXX cell

Objective: To land an entry level job at Yahoo! Near or from my home in San Diego, Ca.

Summary: This is not your standard resume, and I am not your standard future employee.

I would make an excellent choice in a position at Yahoo! because after years of real life experience I know it is all about the bottom line and results, and experience has taught me how to achieve this goal. My college GPA stands at about 3.45 however in addition to having a good education, at the age of 43 I have a lot of real life experience that other younger entry level candidates can’t match. Education is important, but many things can’t be taught in a book. Furthermore, as my former mother-in-law once said of me I am, “Honest to a fault”. Honesty and dependability are very important to me. I know a company like Yahoo! values these traits too. I have had a thriving web based business in the late ‘90’s focusing on the Tiger Electronics interactive toy “Furby” which promoted this toy and generated thousands of dollars in revenue on click through commissions alone. I am high energy and enjoy the spotlight. I have worked as a professional disc jockey and karaoke entertainer for 12 years, I was also a licensed private investigator and taught beading classes and jewelry craft in my own boutique in Madison, Alabama. I have been to fourteen countries both for business and pleasure. I have also been a relief worker in the Honduras. All this while raising a family of four children. These things make me a great choice for any entry level position.

Most of my experience stems from self employment or volunteer work. Again, unlike your average candidate, I can’t list dates employed here or there, because being a Mom and a wife came first when I was married. I have not punched a clock since I left the US Navy in 1987. I have been working on my BA sporadically, as money permits, and also working on repairing my credit post divorce induced bankruptcy. Please do not judge me on my credit report; it is not a fair representation of my credit-worthiness. Much of the red is still pending litigation with my former spouse and as much as I wish I could pay all the joint debt we held, I can’t.

I would like the opportunity to sit down and discuss a position at Yahoo! in an interview. I am sure that once Yahoo! sees that I am a fast learner, outgoing and LOVE people, Yahoo! will know I am the right choice for a position.

I am hoping to earn at least 35 – 40K in my first year, but do not want to place a 40K limit upon myself… I require at least 20K and would need health benefits and retirement.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Leah XX

858-x*x-XXXX

Answer 1

Sweetheart...if you want people's advice then please retype your question and make it shorter. Nobody is going to read all this. Goodness.

Answer 2

The  resume  has  way  tooooo  much  chatter  about  your  life  which  should  NEVER  be  on  a  resume .

You  may  answer  those   questions  in  an  interview  ( if  asked about  your credit  report )  but   THAT  in  a  resume  Scares  employers  Away .

Go  to  a  temp  agency  and  get  a  position  in  a  related   field  to  that   you  are  seeking  at  Yahoo .

Get   back  into  the  regular   working  loop  ( NOT  self  employment )

And   make  some  contacts  and  build  a  proper  resume .

Then  apply  at  Yahoo

Good  Luck

>

Answer 3

For starters, you are too wordy.  Nobody cares about your background and that you are a divorcee.  You also don't want to highlight that you are horrible in math.  Focus on your strengths and the skills you ahve and how you be valuable to an employer.  You sound like you are trying to use a sob story to get hired, and that is the worst way to do it.  You want to be professional, not a pity case.  Cut your cover letter to no more than 3 paragraphs, stating your professional experience and skills, why you are interested in the specific position and how to contact you.  And don't talk about your GPA without the Math classes.  That isn't really your GPA, and it's almost fraudulent to say it is.  Focus on your skills and cut the c**p.  No one cares you are divorced, and have bad credit and ramble on about nothing.

I would recommend having someone review your resume, and apply for jobs the proper way and professionally.

Answer 4

unfortunately No 1 is right, I got halfway through your first paragraph,,, and personally,,, IF any of us knew how or where to make that kind of money, wed be doing it ourselves. Most people believe they cant make it with a minimum wage job and feel they are worth far more than that too... and we are... however... we ALL have to do what we can.. foot to pavement and search for a job or jobs until we can accomplish what we need to do for the degree we wish to have. Check the classifieds, they are full of help wanted ads... we all have to take jobs we feel are beneath us for the time being. best of luck to you.  

Answer 5

Just because you were self-employed doesn't mean you can't get your job history onto a resume.  You will just need to come up with some business and personal references (3 each should do the trick for a total of 6) that can attest to you being dependable, having a strong work ethic, that kind of thing.  But you simply list from this date to that date, the company name and list your responsibilities to the best of your ability.

You can include your military experience.  Do not provide your salary requirements in your resume.  You can research the average salaries on the internet and get an idea what jobs offer what ranges and focus your energies where the best paying jobs are.  Leave the actual money and benefit discussion for the interview.  Most  job listings will tell you salary range, benefits or both.

Your best bet for looking for work is to narrow down your skill sets.  From what you've listed, it looks like you have good organizational skills, you have excellent writing skills, can multi-task, you enjoy public speaking and presenting, and you have retail experience.  Here are some key questions:  do you know any current applications for computers (such as MicroSoft office)?  Do you have good keyboarding skills (can you type quickly and accurately)?  Those will certainly give you more options if you have computer and keyboarding skills.

I am 42 years old, divorced, have no college and I make more than your salary requirements state.  Unless you are looking to get into a big corporation or need specific skills (i.e. lawyer or doctor), college degrees - or lack thereof - don't necessarily dictate your ability to obtain gainful employment.

Your best bet would be to get your resume in order then search on sites like Monster.com and Careerbuilders.com.  Take a look in the retail industry at the manager level if you can't type and don't know current computer applications.  In my state (NJ), starting salaries for retail managers in the malls are in the $40's and chances are, boutiques will pay even better.  If you can type and know computers, you can look into Customer Service management, Executive Assistants or Sales (either inside or outside).  You will more than likely have to partially pay for your healthcare benefits, so keep that in mind when discussing your salary.  Stock options and/or 401K's are pretty common in most companies.

Email me your email address ([e-mail]) and I'll send you an example of how you should set up your resume and a good cover letter.  What you've got above isn't going to get you anywhere.  Employers want things in bullet points, short and sweet and your resume cannot exceed one page.  And it's ok to sell yourself.  Don't be so honest that you miss an opportunity!

Answer 6

Self employment is fine to put on a resume.

I wouldn't say what you have stinks, although it has way too much info on you personally but not much of anything professionally (like the jobs you have in the top part of your question) but I'd be surprised if sending it generated a response from Yahoo.

Good luck