I have a question. I was told to add job related workshops that I have attended on my resume. I am using a functional resume because I haven't worked in since 2006 (long story) so I am re-entering the workforce. I need to know what section should it be called in my resume to show that in 2010 to now, I still attend workshops? Right now, I attend workshops when I need to or if it is something that is vital for me (I don't say that to employers).

There are a lot of mix answers out there whether or not to add job related workshops to my resume or not. That is the answer I tell them in interviews is with all my time from graduating college in 2010 to now is attending job related workshops getting my skills up.

Any suggestions?

I copied this from my functional resume so you can see what I am talking.

Employment:

Fry’s Food and Drug Store                                                                                         Scottsdale, AZ  

Courtesy Clerk                                                                                                    05/2005 to 01/2006

 

Foundational Training:

Vista Del Camino One Stop Career Center                                                               Scottsdale, AZ                                  

Career Workshops                                                                                              02/2011 to 03/2011

 

Phoenix Workforce Connection                                                                                    Phoenix, AZ

SOAR Program                                                                                                                  May 2011

 

Maricopa Workforce Connection

Hi ladytiger,

Is the resume information that you posted your complete resume, or just part of it? If it's part of it, I think it would be helpful to post the whole document to this thread. If you re-post, remember to omit your personal details before posting to protect your privacy.

Functional resumes are tricky -- they're generally hard to pull off and usually not well-received by employers. Even with your 6-year employment gap,you can create a "combination" format and add a brief blurb about your recent activities toward the beginning of the work section. A couple of articles that might be helpful are here:
Explain Your Sabbatical on Your Resume

Is a Combination Resume Right for You?

Regarding how to include workshops -- what type of workshops are these? Are they mainly providing career advice (like how to job search) or do they cover work-related skills? If they cover work skills, you might be able to weave the training into the blurb about what you've been doing recently.

Do any of the programs you're participating in offer resume assistance?

A combination resume would not work because I do not have a lot of jobs under my belt. Most people are re-entering back the work force and we were told in workshops that you need a functional resume. I make a Chronological resume but I don't use that since I have one real job on it and the second job does not count as I was there for a week and quit.

I do not want any subtractions taken out of my resume as I worked hard to finally find a format that will fit me and my situation. I am a college graduate from 2.5 years ago, so it makes sense for me to use a functional. These workshops are career workshops like job searching, interviewing, researching jobs/employers, career assessments, resume/cover letter help, etc.

I just now read the article on combination resume seems no different from a functional resume anyway. I put those in my resume to show that I have been doing something since I graduated in 2010. I was at these workforce connections hoping to get job training through their stimulus money but that never happen and now that plan has been pushed back again. I did my resume on a program called WinWay Resume (gov agencies have these on their computers for the job seekers) I completed all of these workshops and I don't see anything else I should be doing. People want to do free work, not me! So, here's the rest of my resume:

SUMMARY of QUALIFICATIONS:       

·         7 months of customer service in retail grocery

·         Ability to work independently or in a team setting

·         Outstanding customer service using a smart and problematic approach to decision-making

·         Flourish in a changing, fast-paced environment

·         Recognized as a Fry’s Food and Drug Store outstanding customer service employee

·         Volunteered by helping out physically challenged customers and offered my assistance

·         Helped an employee by assisting them in assembling the carts to be placed in the carousel

 

Customer Service:

·         Ex

Hi ladytiger,

Thank you for posting your complete resume. Have you considered moving your Education section higher in the resume? Your degree is fairly recent so it could get top billing. I would move Education below your Summary of Qualifications. I also recommend including a clear career goal -- you can weave this into the Summary section.

The issue with the functional resume you've created is that all of the sections and bullets are referring to one job. So why not state the job first so that employers can easily see what you're referring to? The layout could be like this:

Name & Contact Info

Summary of Qualifications

Education

Experience
  ABC Co - Job Title - Dates
  Customer Service:
    * Bullets...
  Inventory Control:
     * Bullets...
     etc...

Additional Training
  List your workshops here

I hope this is helpful!

Yes, the degree is recent but I was told that would be wrong placing the education above experience. I used to have the education on top and these picky employers don't consider that something recent. my network administrator functional resume is everything that i have done at home and at school NOT on the job at all. however, what i did growing up with IT does not count for a job as it was not paid work that is what i was told by an IT manager.

now, they want you to have certifications and that is something i do not have as it is too costly for me to get which is why i went to a workforce connection hoping they'd pay for my certifications with the stimulus money. when it comes to writing a career goal, i never know how to word it correctly. i know my goal is to find an entry level IT position wanting to be trained from the ground up; as much as I put that in my career goals on my resume, it is never taken seriously as I get jobs that are over 5 yrs experience out of of my league.

I tell these employers that is my functional resume as I only had one job and looking to re-enter the workforce so i can build new skills.

Hi ladytiger,

Thanks for your response! One thing to keep in mind is that there are very few "rules" that you must follow in resume writing, so moving the Education section to the top of your resume wouldn't be wrong. Moving it to the bottom of the resume wouldn't be wrong, either. It's a matter of thinking through your strategy and figuring out the best approach that works for you. When looking at all of your information, your degree in network technology is more recent and more relevant than your grocery experience from 2005-2006.

You should also reconsider adding tech work that you've done at home. Even though you've developed tech skills outside of work and school, they still count as skills!

Now that you've mentioned your career goal, try to make your resume as tech focused as possible. Cut down on some of the functional bullets that aren't related (e.g., collecting shopping carts, returning them to the store, etc.). Also consider revising your Summary to emphasize your tech skills. At first glance, a reader would think you are targeting retail/grocery customer service work.

i think that was my customer service functional resume i do have a networking resume that is the one i do use. a career summary explaining what i am seeking that still sounds like an objective statement. i had that in my old resume, was told to take it off because employers don't want a paragraph summary of what you are seeking. like i said, all of this advice is so mixed and screwed up.

i just needed to know where to put my new section Foundational Training on my resume.

Hi ladytiger,

You can create a "Professional Development" section within your Education section (below your degree studies) and include your workshops. I would make the section very brief.