Another piece of advice: Are you on LinkedIn? If not you should be. Get an introduction to the hiring managers at the two companies at which you are applying. LinkedIn is a good way to make the connections.
I would say tailor your resume to the specific job you want. Keep whatever applies to that job’s requirements, and leave off the stuff that doesn’t apply. One or two pages would be fine I think.
I would target Columbus OH for a job and go for the commute. Go for medical IT jobs which are low hanging fruit. Take a pay cut if the company looks good for promotions. Make sure you are putting away a lot of cash in case the job falls through and you are unemployed for a year or two.
Also you may just want to sell off the property and relocate based on the job market. There are lots of IT jobs in commuting distance to WV in the Maryland/Virginia/DC market
Nice to have the experience but nobody wants to read a book.
Buy a good book on resume' writing, here's one:
"The Resume Catalog: 200 Damn Good Examples" by Yana Parker
and sign on with a good recruiting company. It shouldn't cost you because they have their own client base that pays them to find the people they are looking for.
Post your resume on Monster.com and also use their database to find companies who are hiring............
Bfl
I am a HS math teacher and had five inquiries in the last month. People are always writing me.
You could probably pass the state math/tech exams and find work soon after on an intern credential, if you like kids and /or are desperate. There is an extreme shortage of math and science and tech teachers. It might be a pay cut but all the other benefits are better.
Best advice I can give you is cut the resume down to TW pages. Drop all the antiquated or small stuff you’ve done. Stress more recent experience (from the last 10 years) and any specialized training, certificates and such.
“The area I’m looking at is Parkersburg WV”
I have a friend who pastors a church there. Very conservative
As a peon contract programmer, I had a two-part resume. The first was the usual fluff, the second I labeled “Technical Addendum”. I got a brainstorm to write down some of the challenges I faced and how I solved them. I got half way down the page and thought, “Damn, I’d hire me!” One tends to solves a problem, move on, and never think twice about it.
This second page crystallizes that. I put a note on the first page saying that resumes contain an element of blue smoke and mirrors, but if the HR shows this to the guy I’d be working for (think positive), he could tell in a heartbeat if I was material to be hired.
Two different employers mentioned that the second page got me the job.
It’s worth a shot.
Sunday bump.
Little twist on my situation...
A federal job popped up today in the area. I appear to be qualified for it. From what I’ve read, fed resumes should be a lot more detailed - probably something close to what I’ve already been sending.
I’ve submitted apps for the occasional fed job before, but never got passed there. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.