Regarding experienced individuals and entry level positions:

1.  To me as someone hiring, experience is experience whether it's volunteer
or paid.  I have hired many young people on the strength of what they've
accomplished for their sororities and fraternities, and have never been
disappointed.  A functional resume that starts with a section called
"ABILITIES AND SKILLS" sets the resume-reader on the path to thinking,
"Yeah, we could use someone who knows how to do that."  That's the key--do
you have the skills they need?  As for the issue of part-time vs. full-time,
well, it depends on the nature of the job.  If you can get good at what you
do after the equivalent of 6 weeks on the job, and the rest is repetition,
it's not a big deal if the job is part-time.  If the job requires going
through a one-year or two-year cycle, then I'd expect to see that on the
resume and again, part-time vs. full-time doesn't really matter to me.  If
the job is something that is so delicate and sensitive that the organization
needs to have someone with the demonstrated ability to follow through, then
perhaps only people with the long-term attention born from full-time work
will do.  You never know until they ask you.  (you can get out of it by not
stating in the resume whether the job is full-time or part time, and if it's
important to the interviewer that it be full-time they will ask)

2.  It stinks, but yes, sometimes more experienced people get passed over in
favor of beginners for the $ reason mentioned earlier.  Newer people are
cheaper.  More expensive in the long run because generally they take longer
to train, but that doesn't seem to matter.  If you as an experienced person
can show them that you are worth the extra $ up front and can even save them
money in the long run, then make sure that becomes part of your cover letter
or your interview patter.  Often one of the key blockers to experienced
people getting hired is the issue of "But you're so experienced.  Why do you
want THIS job?" (I had to ask that of an applicant once, someone with 20
years' great experience who would be relocating for a part-time position.)
Have an answer prepared, and be honest.  (it turns out that my applicant was
feeling me out to see if the job would eventually go full-time, if the
salary were flexible and if our part of the country could offer additional
opportunities for later career growth--the answers for him in that
particular field and position were no, no and no, so we mutually parted on
good terms.  luckily it was a phone interview first)  If you are willing to
take an obvious salary cut and seniority demotion, make sure that they
understand why.  They need to be assured that you won't up and leave them in
six months when something better comes along, that you'll be happy with the
kind of work they're offering, and that their investment in you will pay
off.  I've gone both ways on this--hired "low" and hired "high"--and
basically it comes down to personality and attitude.  If you're showing that
you'll make a great addition to the team, you'll move on to the next level
in the hiring process.

Julia Muney Moore
Director of Exhibitions and Artist Services
Indianapolis Art Center
820 E. 67th St.
Indianapolis, IN  46220
(317) 255-2464 x233
FAX (317) 254-0486
email <[log in to unmask]>
website <http://www.indplsartcenter.org>


-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Ely [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 12:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: entry level positions


I've watched this thread with interest, since I've just started
reviewing applications and setting up interview appointments for a
position we now have open that would be suitable for a recent graduate
with some experience (though we did not specify three to five years).
Why ask for experience? Well, since we are a very small institution, the
person who takes this position will have to have some _demonstrated_
maturity and ability to handle real-world situations. I have to be able
to rely on this person's judgment and sensitivity in working with
volunteers and visitors. True, I expect to train on the job, but I have
to have some assurance that the candidate is good at more than the
academic game.

And for me, at least, it's the cover letter that determines whether or
not I follow through and read the resume. The cover letter is your
selling point. Don't just recap your resume in paragraph form - give me
a reason to be excited about what you offer so that I'll read on. It
also helps if you give some indication in the letter that you've done
some research about who we are - that shows me that you're serious and
that you've done your homework.

Carol Ely
Executive Director
Historic Locust Grove

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