Spreadsheets to the wind
September 26, 2011 11:35 AM   Subscribe

How do I get back into a more rewarding, less soul-sucking line of work after I've been away from it for so long?

I want to get back to my old line of work where I made significantly more money because (it seems, anyway) I was paid to do something I'm highly qualified to do, rather than merely something someone else doesn't want to do.

Having the same corporate giant at the top of my résumé since 2007 hasn't even opened doors for me at the corporate giant, let alone anywhere else. I'm so burnt out on my job that I want to take Microsoft Excel off my list of skills so prospective employers don't look at where I work now and get the idea that I'd love to keep working with spreadsheets. I was making significantly more money in my old line of work as a writer and editor. I'd like some help with ideas of how to get back to it, or at least how to make a career change to something more in line with my strengths after kind of a long detour away from it. Did you do something like this? How?

I reorganized my résumé recently to shift focus away from what I'm doing now (corporate web development, i.e. entirely too much spreadsheet wrangling and not enough actual content editing) and toward what I used to do (largely print media, with some online bylines here and there.) Instead of listing my job experience chronologically, I tried listing it by industry. So far, I've proven to myself that I have much more experience in other areas than I have in my current role, but it hasn't really gotten any attention from other employers yet. HR people, does that trick work well? What else can I do?
posted by anonymous to Work & Money (2 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
Are there temp agencies catering to professionals in your area? Many temp agencies have a division for, or even specialize in, placing educated professionals (not just clerical workers) in short-term positions. Or, you might look for temporary or contract work on your own without an agency by checking Craigslist or even just calling around and asking your contacts if they know someone who knows someone who needs someone for a short-term gig. Temporary positions can be a foot in the door to something more permanent.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 11:57 AM on September 26, 2011


As a non-hr person, but as an Excel workbot as yourself - Just wondering what made you switch from your old line of work to the new soul sucking work that pays less?
posted by amazingstill at 12:10 PM on September 26, 2011


« Older Turkey trip   |   Help me create an ARG for my daughter. Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.