[shirl150]

Any advice on how to re-enter the business world after teaching (life long dream) for 3 years? My background is diverse with great experience but the length of time on jobs was not impressive.

[LisaOlsen]

Shirl150,
How wonderful that you were able to live your dream of teaching! I teach part time at our junior college so I know what goes into it. I commend you!

So, you now want to venture into the business world. Believe it or not, but 50+ candidates are very much in demand, especially in healthcare. You might consider working in a hospital or healthcare related industry. I was the CEO's assistant for a retail pharmacy and medical supply company and we hired many over 50 folks simply because they related so well to the senior citizens and made a huge difference in our customer service ratings.

Your first goal is to get your resume up to speed and focus on your many skills that can contribute to the business setting. You don't have to include EVERY job you've had so that should solve the 'time on the job concern.'

Go on some interviews. Even if you don't get the position, it's great experience for you. Practice your interview skills, and do some research on professional image in the business world. It's a bit different than in the eduational setting.

I would also suggest that if possible, you join IAAP and attend a local admin event or if you can swing it, attend a national conference. Office Dynamics also offers some great smaller sessions for new admins. Get your feet wet.

Finally, don't be afraid to jump in! You have a lot to offer with your background.

[Hanford Annie]

I agree with Lisa. I changed careers also. I worked in the public school system as a speech pathologist. Because of this change, I use an experience-based resume. Some experience that is useful for administrative work has come from my speech training and experience and some has come from directly administrative work. I am in my mid-50s and the last permanent job I got and still have took me one and one-half years to get. I think that it is important to stress the skills that much life experience has given i.e. dealing effectively with people, knowing how to order supplies, having a broad network that allows you to draw on to get most any information you may need. Sometimes you need to define what your coursework has been because many may not understand how its fit in or transfers to an admin job. I do in my cover letter.

In my area, a high percentage of jobs are 90 days temporary to permanent. Temp jobs can give you a wide range of experience and is helpful for networking as well.

Good luck in your job search.

[Jodith]

I've worked for a number of different industries in my career, but I have certain skills that apply to all industries I've worked in. So, I set up my resume as a functional resume, which highlighted my skills and experience as opposed to specific industry knowledge. If a job I'm applying for wants specific industry knowledge that I have, I highlight it in my cover letter. I may even add a section in my resume to cover my time in that industry, covering my knowledge and work in that industry. The great thing about a functional resume is that it's very easy to tailor your resume to a particular job. It's unusual for me to use the same resume for every job I apply for. I tend to tailer it and my cover letter to the position advertised.