[geis]

I have a little over a week to finish and submit a resume and cover letter for a job I'm very interested in. I have a skill set and experience that would fit this job really well, and it's something I think I'd be really good at.

My problem is with self-promotion. I'm really bad at it. Even though I know I have the skills and the experience, I feel like I'm lying when I put it all on my resume. Then I have a meltdown because I feel like a terrible person who's bad at everything and incapable of functioning well enough to have a real job.

I've been trying to get this done for nearly a week now. All I want to do is write "I'm good at some stuff so please give me a job" on a sheet of notebook paper and send them that instead. It's so stressful, and I don't know how to manage my meltdowns enough to actually get it done.

[Healing the Damage]

Microsoft Word has a lot of great templates that you can use for a resume and cover letter. I struggle with self-promotion, self-esteem, self-confidence, etc, as well. I think it might help if you look at it as just listing facts, with nothing personal added.

On your resume, you're not going to say "I'm good at x, y, z", you'll have sections where you can present facts.

The first section is usually just your objective, which is literally one sentence saying "I would like a job in ________ to help me gain knowledge and experience in the _______ field."
Then you'll have a section on education where you'll say the school's name, what your major/degree is, when it was (or will be) awarded, and any applicable certifications, or licensures, etc. Only list the most recent and relevant colleges, etc, and make sure that it is the highest degree you have. So if you have a master's, you'll list that information, and not your Bachelor's information.
Then a section for your work experience (if you have any), you'll say the name of the place, where it is, your job title, when you work(ed) there, and then provide a brief description of the job duties in a list format. And do that for your three most recent/relevant jobs.
Then you can add a section for volunteer experience, and list it the same way as you did the work experience.
And then at the end, you can add a section for "special skills" or similar, and that's where you can say things that you're good at. But if saying things that you're good at is problematic for you, you can think of it instead as saying things that you have experience with. For example, you can put down that you are proficient with, comfortable with, etc a variety of skills, including computer skills (such as various operating systems, Microsoft Office, etc), languages you can speak/read/write (specify), etc.

I'm not sure how to help you with your cover letter though, unless you just find a template and fill in the blanks, because a cover letter is very much about promoting yourself. But I hope that I helped a little with the resume part of it!

Good luck!

[geis]

Oh, I know the technical details of how to write a resume and cover letter. That's not the problem. The problem is that I feel like a massive failure at everything.

[hvert]

Pretend someone hired you to write the resume and cover letter for your friend (who happens to be you)?

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by geis

, I feel like I'm lying when I put it all on my resume. Then I have a meltdown because I feel like a terrible person who's bad at everything and incapable of functioning well enough to have a real job.

Well, there are two things here. You feel like you're lying. So go ahead and lie and write the thing, for the sake of clarity. Then analyze it.

The other part, meldown, is because of self-judging. Judging too much is harmful. Separate that off, think about it, read about it, analyze it, whatever it takes to get clarity on that.

The one thing is poisoning the other thing that, as you say, you know you are perfectly capable of doing, writing the letter. Sometimes being analytical can help separate off harmful mental behaviours, as in this case, maybe.

[SmileHere]

Geis, it sounds like you'd be perfect for the job and any firm can be lucky to have you!!
Can you do it from home or would you need to travel?

Your job right now is just to write the CV and apply, and if it's meant to be, you'll get the job. (That's what I told myself when I then got a very cool job.)

I've sometimes worried too if I'll be able to function at a job, well if you never try you'll never know??

You're lucky to have found a job that's interesting and your skill-set and experience fit and you would be good at!

If you like this job and are good at it and can buy good stuff to eat etc then your health might improve and you might actually function way better than you are now?

[geis]

Yeah, I guess the only real answer here is to bite the bullet and just do it. I know on a rational level that I'm not lying and that I do actually have the qualifications and experience, so that'll have to be enough, somehow. I guess I can have my meltdown after I send the thing in.

I know there are no guarantees I'll get the job or anything. I'm not sure how many applications they're likely to get, but I might as well try. I mean, it would nearly double my income, which would vastly improve things for me. Money won't solve ALL my problems, but it sure would make a big dent. A lot more resources would become a lot more accessible.

SmileHere, it would require travel, but I actually enjoy that as long as I use methods of transportation that are accommodating of people with disabilities. (I have a large rant about how the TSA treats PWD's, but that's a different post altogether.) The position is based in New York City, but the posting says other locations possible. A lot of it could be done online or by phone, and I have extensive experience with that kind of remote organizing--right now, I'm third in command for about 1/3 of my state as a volunteer political organizer. This job would expand my range, but I'm okay with that.

And it's a group that specifically welcomes folks from marginalized groups to apply, so I definitely fit that bill. Lots of lived experience there.

[SmileHere]

Geis,

By all means, apply! And write a stellar CV/cover letter or whatever neeeded, so they'll love you as much as we love you!

Just imagine how RELIEVED you'll be afterwards, when you have sent it.

If the job turns out different from what you expected, or too 'difficult', you can still say no later. Even after the interview or after you started. But the only way to see what it's like is to try - fingers crossed and Good Luck!

[LFC555]

What you have to remember is that EVERYBODY makes themselves sound better on their C.V. then what they actually are in reality. That's not to say they lie about their skills, but it's a skill in itself to put a positive spin on what type of person you are and not talk about weaknesses. For instance, a job such as a retail assistant; people who get the job will talk about having great customer service skills and being helpful and friendly towards other people. But when you (as a customer) walk into that shop; how many staff actually give great customer service? In my personal experience very few; they just don't give bad customer service....
So my point is; you don't need to feel bad about putting yourself in a positive light since that is what everybody does (some better than others).