Writing a CV for jobs I am over-qualified for...

April 17, 2018 6:32 AM

I have recently taken the leap into being a freelance writer and have experienced some success. I am known in my field, have a healthy social media following, have written a book which is out with agents... But in the meantime I need money - not a lot, but something. I'm looking for part-time jobs that are not too demanding - bar work, retail work, part-time admin, etc, but so far am not having much luck.

I suspect that one of the reasons I'm struggling is that I seem over-qualified and perhaps unlikely to stick around (the truth is that it could easily be many years before I am able to live on my writing alone, if ever).

How do I write a CV that lists what I've been doing without over-selling myself? Are there any resources you could direct me to? Most of my professional experience is in fundraising, customer-focussed roles, in the media and the third sector; recently, my jobs have all been at the supervisory / managerial level. I don't want a supervisor / manager role: I want a job where I can rock up, smile and help out customers and colleagues, and then go home and not give it a second thought. Possibly for the next two or three years.

(I am investigating things like tutoring but this question is really about how to get my CV ship-shape for more traditional, low-skill jobs. I am in my mid-30s and live in the UK.)

posted by matthew.alexander to Work & Money (9 answers total)

This seems like the kind of situation where it would be better to network and find a job through friends of friends than to apply in a traditional way where a CV would be more important. But you might create resumes for each potential role that focus on your relevant skills first (like this). Have you tried applying at bookstores? I worked at a bookstore when I was a university student and everyone was overqualified.
posted by pinochiette at 7:08 AM on April 17, 2018 [3 favorites]

One mistake is thinking that experience as a writer or with fundraising or anything else you said makes you over qualified to tend bar, or serve coffee, or wait tables, or work retail.

And if I were hiring for retail, I’d pick someone who had retail experience over someone who didn’t.

You may have better luck if you apply for jobs that state ‘no experience necessary’, because it seems like you don’t have much relevant experience.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:37 AM on April 17, 2018 [12 favorites]

The sample CVs on the site linked by pinochiette seem like those of people with a decent amount of retail or service experience. If you haven't worked those jobs much, I think it'll be more about keeping it simple and showing that you prioritize work and are dependable and somewhat people-focused.

I totally agree, most bookstore employees are overqualified. At the stores where I have worked, it helped to show up and talk to a manager, bringing your paper application or having filed one online. Here in the US, my impression is that they are not looking at much in your initial application besides your availability. If there is anything fussy about your availability, they will likely not call you as they don't want to deal with that. If you need some days off during the week but they can vary, you can honestly say you are always available. As far as showing up, I feel as if it shouldn't have to be said not to show up at a busy time and to be prepared to come back later if necessary. But it's surprising how many people show up and act like high-maintenance customers before telling you they are looking for a job. Those people are not hired.
posted by BibiRose at 7:38 AM on April 17, 2018 [3 favorites]

Depending where you are in the UK, there may be quite a large market of people with more recent and more relevant experience than you. As someone with retail experience who has, on occasion, struggled to find employment, I can tell you that 'part-time jobs that are not too demanding' can be extraordinarily difficult to find in this day and age. Admin jobs, particularly -- again, depends on your market, but even with experience, those jobs can be quite competitive.

You may have quicker luck trying to find part-time work closer to your current areas of experience -- and staying in your current fields would make it far easier to go back to full-time employment if you decide you'd prefer that, in a year or two. Once you do move into retail or admin, it can be almost impossible to transition back out again.
posted by halation at 7:58 AM on April 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

What about a temping service?
posted by pretentious illiterate at 8:07 AM on April 17, 2018

Best answer: I recently did this and now work PT retail while I focus on building up freelance work the rest of the time. The struggle for getting a PT stable job is one I can definitely sympathize with - I've applied on and off for PT work for the past several years without any callbacks.

Here's what finally worked for me:

1) Simple skills-based resume using templates for the industry (e.g. for a cashier, for a barista, etc.)
2) Using the top 4 skills and giving examples of similar work I've done - in my case, I worked retail 20 years ago, and when I could I used those on the first page
3) Adding in more modern examples of e.g. customer service from more recent contracts
4) In my summary, focused on outlining that I have 20+ years experience of excellent customer service
5) At the end (on page 2) I outlined my last 8-10 years of freelance/contract/consulting work in blocks of several years - this was just to give an idea of the fact that yes, I have been working.
6) I focused on applying to stores that have a mixed age range of employees - so both students and people in their 40s/50s.

The most important thing I did was - I didn't obscure my background or skillset, but instead focused on just showcasing how I can be useful to the hiring manager.

It's been a huge relief to know I just have to show up for a shift and free up my brain for writing. Chasing after contracts was far too stressful for me and I compromised not only my worth, but my safety as well, just because I had bills to pay. Now I don't have to worry about that. I may only be making minimum wage here, but there's no pretence and no negotiations where I end up getting ripped off or worse. I'm also finally building a career that I can feel good about and have the mental capacity to work at my own pace.
posted by A hidden well at 8:24 AM on April 17, 2018 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I hire for entry level and traditionally early career positions, and what I'd stay is to be really clear in your cover letter why you're looking to do this. When a person with a more advanced resume applies, I often assume that 1) they're just applying to everything without looking at the job carefully, 2) they're going to be bored and looking for different stuff to do than the core admin work, and 3) that they'll leave really soon, because they're still looking.

So what I'd do is be super blunt. "I've worked in more managerial roles in my previous positions, but right now I'm looking for a job where I can work as part of a team, get great work done, and still have the work/life balance to have energy for writing on evenings and weekends. I'd love some stability, as well, so I'm looking for a position to commit to for the next few years."

This is also what I'm looking to see if you have a bunch of advanced degrees or something else that doesn't traditionally fit with the position.
posted by mercredi at 8:24 AM on April 17, 2018 [15 favorites]

For different reasons, I'm also looking for a part-time post at a lower level than my quals and experience suggest I should want (I'm also in the UK). I'm doing well in getting interviews but have been turned down a couple of times because the employers think I'd be bored in the job. I have had a bit more luck through local authority and university temp banks, which seem to be more used to people who aren't looking for ambitious / career track posts because they have other stuff going on, so you might want to try that.

Otherwise, I've just gone to an employment advisor to see if there's a better way I can frame things in interview, so if I get any useful feedback I'll let you know. Feel free to MeMail if you want to discuss further.
posted by paduasoy at 1:08 PM on April 17, 2018

I know a lot of people who have worked at Starbucks for this exact reason - some of my freelance friends love that they can work an opening shift from 5 am to 1 pm, which amounts to full time hours (and accompanying benefits) then have the rest of the day for their freelancing. The Starbucks near me (in Canada) seem to have hiring fairs with some regularity where you can meet the manager and talk about why you want to work there in-person.
posted by dotparker at 2:09 PM on April 17, 2018 [1 favorite]