Q: I have been a teacher for the past 20 years, and, now, my wish is for a complete career makeover – I want to become a veterinarian. My plan is to start by working in a vet’s office or pet store. Here is the problem: My advanced degrees are keeping me from finding employment. In fact, I can’t even get interviews.– Sil

Dale: A resume can be summed up this way: The past as future. Employers look at resumes in search of someone who already has done whatever it is that the employer needs done. So your resume serves as your ticket to keep on doing what you’ve been doing, or, at best, to promote you along the same path.

J.T.: However, while a resume doesn’t enable you to convey your “career story,” e-mails and better still, in-person visits do. If you want to land a job, get out and meet the people already doing it. Visit every viable place in your area, and share the story you shared with us. It will grab people’s attention in a way a resume never could. Did you know that 93 percent of communication is nonverbal? Facial expressions, body language and hand gestures convey so much more. When you share your story in-person, you’ll increase your chances of being given a chance.

Dale: The trick is getting in to tell your story. I’d start by calling, e-mailing and visiting every vet and pet store, asking if they have openings. If there’s an opening, they’ll probably ask you to send/leave a resume. WHAP!, you’re right back where you started. So don’t do it. Instead say, “I hate to do that because you’ll think I’m overqualified. Can I tell you my story?” People love a story. In fact, I’d write it out and use that as a backup. Maybe even call it something like “the nonresume resume.” After all, your situation is different, and if you do what everyone does you’ll never move your story along.

Q: I have sent out my resume to places where it sounded like I fit the job like a glove. I redo the resume to fit the specific job, emphasizing experience in that area. Where I live it’s a very tight job market, employers receive sometimes as many as 80-100 resumes for one clerical job. I rarely get called, and if I do, I don’t get the job. I have changed jobs a lot and relocated, so I figure that might be the reason. – Harriet

J.T.: If I search your resume, I see that you have great professional experience. But, I have to SEARCH, and most hiring managers won’t. Glancing at your resume, I see a person who has had a string of jobs, but no clear idea of what she is good at. It’s time to revamp the resume and get it down to one page, highlighting your transferable skills in an easy-to-read fashion.

Dale: However, if you’re getting interviews, then your experience can’t be too hard to spot. Perhaps you’re doing something wrong in the interview, but probably not. You’re one of the finalists, just not the first choice, which makes me think of those T-shirts, “Second place is first-place loser.” That’s useless logic. Instead, if you don’t get the offer, call and thank the hiring managers and tell them that you’d love to be the back-up. After all, a sizable percentage of new hires don’t work out. Meanwhile, you need to find opportunities to show your skills, not just talk about them.

J.T.: Yes, go to the best clerical-placement firm in the area and register. Temporary work is a great way to network, plus, when something “clicks,” you’ll get offered a permanent job. I realize you most likely want a job with benefits and stability, but honestly, the smartest thing you can do is get temporary work right away. It will give you some money, prove to the local companies that you have the ability to do a good job, and also get you in front of companies who could hire you full time.

– Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a professional development specialist and founder of the consulting firm jtodonnell.com. Dale Dauten’s latest book is “(Great) Employees Only: How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success.”