Quoted:
I'm not sure what I do for a living is at all remotely applicable to the conversation.
I'm pretty sure it is relevant, David. You said:
"... This is primarily because my business, while not being really bad, has been very up and down over the last four years (think +- $150K) with the slow years being sufficient to pay all the bills and live comfortably.
"A couple of friends in the business have asked me for my resume (which I had to write; all I had was a CV) but I realize I've never been in the actual position of looking for a job and don't have a good feel for handling the entire process that I've read about, from interviews to hiring.
"Does anyone know of any good resources for information on this topic ?
"I know that it sounds very strange. Most of the folks I've talked to have suggested reading materials and web sites that are focused on getting back into the workforce, but the difference is that I've never been out of the workforce, just never really had a job interview where I was the supplicant. My previous roles have been at the C level or as a very senior technical executive, with the most difficult 'interview' I've been through being me explaining to a VC BOD that they needed me more than I wanted to work with them. Not the usual job interview."
What you did/do dictates how you approach both your resume and interview(s). My son, a professional editor and former resume writer by trade, would be the first to agree with me. (As a matter of fact, he's privy to this exchange and would like to offer his services to you free-of-charge, Dave. (Hope you don't mind me calling you "Dave.").)
I assure you that I have been in the real world for a long time; I just didn't job or career hop, and have made a name for myself in my field.
I gotcha, D. I didn't mean to bust your balls, and I'm sorry if I was harsh. As your OP read –– what with the $400k talk, even if over the course of some years –– I must confess: at first glance, at least, you struck me as an incredibly well-to-do type who'd stumbled into success and hadn't earned his stripes as many of the rest of us have (i.e., through countless interviews, many jobs, etc.).
I honestly see I erred –– and you have my apologies. While I myself would've failed to mention some things you did, that's my Southern modesty talking (I know the cost of living/property's HUGE in California).
And if you really care, I'm a very talented, and at this point, very senior IT geek with excellent business skills. I've written a dozen or so books and thousands of magazine articles, as well as running medium to large business groups in the technical publishing and software development businesses.
And I started in the trenches,like most IT geeks.
I"m sure you did.
I'm sorry I was quick to judge. I know that my boy and I didn't have an easy time finding a career; while I'd like to think we're both talented in our respective fields (me, salesman; Sean, writer/editor), the tides of fate have often ebbed on us both.
Regardless, as I said, my son would be more than happy to take a look at your resume. While I, as his dad, am certainly partial to my son's well-being, money and so on *LOL*, I really do recommend Sean for perfecting your resume, David.
Best,
Bill