I coordinated and hosted a free resume review event for the community at USF yesterday. I wanted to do something to help people who have been laid off and are struggling due to the economy, so I reached out to recruiters and others in the community who have experienced writing resumes. 16 of them volunteered their time for four hours to give free 10 – 15 minute resume reviews for the community.
150 people signed up for the event ahead of time, and 112 showed up. I was surprised we didn’t have a higher turnout. We had the capacity to see double that number. There are so many people out there looking for jobs – why wouldn’t they want a free resume review from a professional? We got plenty of publicity, thanks to WTBN, 970 WFLA, Mix 100.7, ABC Action News, Fox 13 (I appeared on Good Day Tampa Bay Friday morning), the St. Pete Times, tbt, and I’m sure others we missed.
Overall, the event was a success despite the lower than expected turnout. Everyone was extremely appreciative and said the advice they received was very helpful. The resume reviewers said they noticed a lot of common resume mistakes, so I think we provided a great service for the people who came. I met one man who is over 70 years old and looking for a job in the IT field. He has a great deal of experience but is worried about his age keeping him from finding something. He was also disabled due to a motorcycle accident. He was so thankful and appreciate of the help. The look on his face made the event all worthwhile. I really hope he finds a good position soon, and that companies will see him for his tremendous experience, not his age.