Networking for Jobs.

[bowtiemonster]

Hello Everyone. haven't been here for awhile, finishing my degree. most of my time is tied up between work, college and course work.

Here is the low down, I'm going to finish my degree at the end of July. What I really need help with is if anyone knows of any positions available out there.

Here is basically my resume minus address and phone numbers. I will have my Email so I can be contacted.


John
Email: [email protected]


Objective:
Seeking an entry level management position where I can utilize my retail knowledge and gain greater leadership experience in the retail environment.

Profile:
? Solid work history with fifteen years of retail experience.
? Skilled trainer with five years experience, strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
? Effective in solving problems by being proactive, and detail and quality oriented.

Education:
Colorado State University-Pueblo, Hasan School of Business, Pueblo, CO
Bachelor of Science Business Administration, anticipated July. 2010
Major: Business Administration

Pueblo Community College, Pueblo, CO
Associate Degree in Business Management/Accounting, 2009

Courses: Legal Environment of Business Operation and Quality Management
Business Communication and Reporting Advance Business Statistics
Human Resource Management Project Management
Principles of Marketing Principles of Management

Employment:
Warehouse Worker/ Inbound Trainer/ Backup Clerical 1993?Present
Target Corporation. Distribution Center, Pueblo, CO
? As a warehouse worker, safely, quickly and quality handle and process inbound freight. Proactively observing for problems and solving them as they arise.
? Inbound trainer, provide the needed techniques and materials to help new and current employees to perform the needed tasks for the department and building.
? Backup clerical able to multi-task by answer phones, handle issues as they arise, and communicate issues and concerns to those that needed to be informed.

Community
Service/Member
Organizations:
? Member at Large reestablished charter of Society of Human Resource
Management (SHRM) at Colorado State University- Pueblo, 2009
? Student member of the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo, 2008
? Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, 2007
? Volunteer for Target, with their Emergency Snack Packs, 2008
? Participant with Santa?s Hot Rod Helpers, association with Kids Crossing, 2006, 2007

Special Skills: Proficient with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Project Management and Minitab software.

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

sorry, man your resume, is missing the biggest, important.. item... to get a entry level management job..

"I don't mind being shit on, and I only know how to say yes"
otherwise in retail .. forget it..
they don't want ideas from the lowers.. they just want to hear, their idea is great, and you do that by agree'n with anything they say.. with YES..
I never could be a yes man robot..
but good luck

[dieselgeek]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

John, you got about the smartest degree I think you can get. If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't waste even the two semesters (that I could afford) of Engineering school, and gotten the same degree as you. Bang for the buck, you cannot beat a basic degree in business, finance, or accounting. You can run anything from a garbage collection company to a fortune 500 company with that foundation.

I'm a "middle manager" at my current job. I look at TONS of resumes. My honest opinion is that you could improve that resume by a lot, and have it help you get your foot in the door (the ONLY thing a resume is good for, IMO, is getting you the interview - then it's a whole new goal after that happens).

Anyways, if you want to take this offline and get some resume advice, I'd be glad to help you beef it up. I think you need to emphasize your work experience more. I am sure that more happened in 15 years than the 3 lines you spent telling about it.

-Scott

[Joe]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

Good start for sure!

The resume you posted has a very old format. Today people want to see something much different. I recommend reading a book called '48 days to the work you love' by Dan Miller. It has excellent resume writing and interview tips.

Also, setup a professional profile on www.linkedin.com if you haven't already.

Have some business cards printed up with a two sentence summary of your qualifications/education and what you are looking for. You should also use a professional looking email address such as your [email protected]. use this address strictly for your job search and nothing else.

These are great when you meet people as you don't usually hand out copies of your resume to just anyone. Be sure to inlcude your LinkedIn address on these cards.

Good Luck :D

[bowtiemonster]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

Thanks for the advise I do greatly appreciate it . I will most definitely seek your advice.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

John,

I agree with the above comments and like Scott I do a lot of resume mining and stuff at "real work"

If you are looking to stay in the retail environment and are interested in management, I would first look at your current company. Here's a few reasons why.

The company I work for LOVES when employees enhance their education and seek to move within the company. You already have "institutional knowledge" (i.e. you know processes and how they work, MORE IMPORTANTLY you know their weak points and faults). This is hugely important to use as leverage for yourself as you are looking for a management role. As you know, your primary function in a management role will be problem solving, operational improvement, fiscal management, etc. If you know how a Target store functions and what the potential pitfalls and mistake areas new managers can fall into, use that to your advantage in an interview.

If you want to ditch where you are and look elsewhere, Target is obviously one of the largest, most successful retailers on the planet so you can also use the, "I learned from a world class organization" approach and let interviewers know that you could integrate some of the best practices used by Target to make their business run better.

Just some suggestions!

Good luck in the hunt!

Brian

[bowtiemonster]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

sorry, man your resume, is missing the biggest, important.. item... to get a entry level management job..

"I don't mind being shit on, and I only know how to say yes"
otherwise in retail .. forget it..
they don't want ideas from the lowers.. they just want to hear, their idea is great, and you do that by agreeing with anything they say.. with YES..
I never could be a yes man robot..
but good luck

The funny thing about your comment is that during my years working in the same place i have notice that the "yes" men are moved out quite quickly. Have over 30 bosses in 16 years you get a idea that works.

John

[bowtiemonster]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

John,

I agree with the above comments and like Scott I do a lot of resume mining and stuff at "real work"

If you are looking to stay in the retail environment and are interested in management, I would first look at your current company. Here's a few reasons why.

The company I work for LOVES when employees enhance their education and seek to move within the company. You already have "institutional knowledge" (i.e. you know processes and how they work, MORE IMPORTANTLY you know their weak points and faults). This is hugely important to use as leverage for yourself as you are looking for a management role. As you know, your primary function in a management role will be problem solving, operational improvement, fiscal management, etc. If you know how a Target store functions and what the potential pitfalls and mistake areas new managers can fall into, use that to your advantage in an interview.

If you want to ditch where you are and look elsewhere, Target is obviously one of the largest, most successful retailers on the planet so you can also use the, "I learned from a world class organization" approach and let interviewers know that you could integrate some of the best practices used by Target to make their business run better.

Just some suggestions!

Good luck in the hunt!

Brian

I know the culture of Target Distribution Center(warehouse), yes it is a big Company but because of this culture it is nearly impossible for me to move up, not only that I have already talked with management about seeking a management position and I would pretty much walk on water for the next year with no guarantee for a position.

Here is their reasoning, They prefer to hire from the outside because they do not have any perceived notion or opinions on the individual. They don't know if these people in general and see them as a clean slate.
My boss does see me in a management postion and thinks I will do well just not there.

The biggest concern with them is the relationships that i have developed over the years and feel that the conflict of interest is to great.

I like the insight of using the "World Class Organization" with definitely follow with that.

[DanStokes]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

Best of luck. I'm at the end of my work career and have been retired for several years. I do not envy you the task of finding a job that works for you - it isn't easy and is a job in and of itself. Still, good jobs are out there and SOMEONE is going to get them - might as well be you.

Dan

[jcharliem]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

sorry, man your resume, is missing the biggest, important.. item... to get a entry level management job..

"I don't mind being shit on, and I only know how to say yes"
otherwise in retail .. forget it..
they don't want ideas from the lowers.. they just want to hear, their idea is great, and you do that by agree'n with anything they say.. with YES..
I never could be a yes man robot..
but good luck

Wow. Now that's some great advice. Sheesh. ???

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

sorry, man your resume, is missing the biggest, important.. item... to get a entry level management job..

"I don't mind being shit on, and I only know how to say yes"
otherwise in retail .. forget it..
they don't want ideas from the lowers.. they just want to hear, their idea is great, and you do that by agree'n with anything they say.. with YES..
I never could be a yes man robot..
but good luck

Wow. Now that's some great advice. Sheesh. ???

it is..
24 years in retail.. if your not willing to be a yes man,(at most companies,starting out,, not all)
your not gonna get far..
upper management don't like to be told they are wrong or there IS a better way..
I've found they can be VERY cocky. in this manner

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

unsolicited advice..... do the absolute best thing you can for a resume - get Coca Cola on it... Coke goes through sales managers about every 3 years but they train them extraordinarily well; they promote from within; and the rest of the sales industries recognize the quality they get from people hired from them.

I still use what I learned at Coke, and it gets your foot (valuable experience) in the door by a company that is always hiring. Also, they drool over business degree'd professionals... use it, or not.... I enjoyed working for them, and I enjoy even more what I learned from them.

[jcharliem]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

unsolicited advice..... do the absolute best thing you can for a resume - get Coca Cola on it...

Unless you're interviewing with PepsiCo. ;)

[dieselgeek]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

sorry, man your resume, is missing the biggest, important.. item... to get a entry level management job..

"I don't mind being shit on, and I only know how to say yes"
otherwise in retail .. forget it..
they don't want ideas from the lowers.. they just want to hear, their idea is great, and you do that by agree'n with anything they say.. with YES..
I never could be a yes man robot..
but good luck

Wow. Now that's some great advice. Sheesh. ???

it is..
24 years in retail.. if your not willing to be a yes man,(at most companies,starting out,, not all)
your not gonna get far..
upper management don't like to be told they are wrong or there IS a better way..
I've found they can be VERY cocky. in this manner

did you ever consider that it's your attitude about management that keeps you out of it?

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Networking for Jobs.

The craziest job interview I had was with 3M. After college I knew a guy who knew a guy that was their automotive sales rep in the northern New England region who was being promoted. I had a local interview that went well, then I went out in the field with the guy for a couple days, and that went good too. 3M flew me to world HQ in Minnesota. There were six guys in my group and none of us knew if we were competing with each other or for different jobs or what.

They did 4 or 5 back to back interviews with different people asking very close to the same questions. It was a sales job so they wanted to see how you could adapt and think on your feet.

I got offered the job but at the time I did not want to move to Minnesota for a month for the training and the other catch was that at the end of the month they told you what job you got. There was no guarantee that I'd be the New England guy. I wasn't looking for a move at that point so I passed on the job.

It was a cool experience though.

Brian