Jobquest: Resumes and "trivial" jobs

[athelind]

You know, I've been leaving my current position at the comic-and-game shop off of my resume, on the assumption that it's somehow "too trivial" and "doesn't look good" for a prospective science professional.

On the other claw, it adds two vitally important things to my resume:

• Evidence that I am, in fact, currently employed; and
  
• A position that I've held for more than a year -- the only one I've held for more than a few months, since getting my degree in 2003.*

I think I have far too much ego invested in the wrong places. I've been more concerned with presenting myself as a ⟨jonlovitz⟩Scientist⟨/jonlovitz⟩ than as a worker--and I have no idea if that's for the "benefit" of prospective employers, or to sustain my own precarious illusions.

So what looks better? A resume that says "I work in a comic book shop", or one that says "I haven't worked at all since 2007"?

Or have I already answered my own question?

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*Aside from my time at AppleOne, which I treat as a single job instead of listing each contract/position individually.

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Comments

[thoughtsdriftby.livejournal.com]

Yes, keep it in. Did they use a specific point-of-sale software or inventory control product/database?

In addition to your resume' you should put a skills sheet together. The resume' can concentrate on the jobs and accomplishments, but there's a bigger skill set of things you can do that wouldn't appear on a resume. Like software you're fluent with, types of assays, types of lab equipment, survey types, data reduction methods... It's a what do they get in addition to the job title they're hiring for.

It also makes it easier to match things you may have not held a specific job doing yet or that you might think to mention in an interview if they didn't specifically ask.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

We have an Advanced Heuristic Optical Inventory Scanning System -- in other words, "Let me see if it's on the shelf."

(Yes, I've used that joke in the store.)

I've ALWAYS had the Skills section in my resume; last year, I expanded and elaborated on it even more. I should probably touch it up again.

An HTML version of my resume, is online at http://www.dragoncanyon.com, BTW.

[thoughtsdriftby.livejournal.com]

Just had to comment, I'm like that

Stray Thoughts:
Any diving or boat certifications?

Let's see, Homeland Security has been hiring people to interface with the Coast Guard including crime investigators. I wonder if they have a CSI like thing?

Tug Boat Captain?

With the Delta Waters bill I wonder what related research would be associated with that?

Guess I need to keep looking and thinking a bit more...