Dear Ella,

I am a 40-something job seeker, having only a high school diploma. However, I am now attending a local community college pursuing an associate's degree. My previous resumes listed only the diploma but I'd like to let potential employers know that I am pursuing higher education. Is it appropriate to omit the high school diploma in the "education" section of my resume and replace it with some sort of reference to currently attending a community college to obtain an associate's degree? If so, what suggestions do you have for the wording? Is it necessary to specify I'm pursuing my degree in paralegal technology if the employer does not specify a degree in a certain major?

Dear Smarter-Than-I-Look:

Good thinking. At your age, it looks more than a little ridiculous to include a high-school diploma on a resume and expect a prospective employer to take you seriously. Kudos to you, however, for returning to school to shore up your skills and increase your professional marketability.

Under education, list only the college you're attending, its location, your emphasis of study and the year you expect to graduate. Also, include any extra curricular activities that support your field of study and any honors earned.

For example:

Westwood College/Burrows, California
Associate degree program
Emphasis of study: technology
Anticipated date of graduation: summer 2005

Dean's list
Head Paralegal Technology Think Tank
Lead study groups for after-hours learning program
Assist in organizing on-campus recruiting with the outside business community.

By returning to school, you've killed two birds with one stone -- you've brought your education into the here-and-now and you've shown prospective employers that you're serious about your career choice.

Dear Ella,

I'm in a situation where I have a point of contact at a company and she has my resume on file. She was made aware of me from a family member who works at the place. I don't want to seem pushy, but she advised me that the company was going through a huge reorganization in January and many jobs would be opening up. I want to keep in contact with her so she knows who I am and that I am still interested. Can you give me some help?

Dear Follow-Up Is Key,

E-mail her with a brief memo note reaffirming your interest in an opportunity with her company and attach your resume with any new experience you might have gained between talks. Keep your memo note brief, i.e. "Just touching base to let you know that I am still very much interested in working for XYZ and am attaching an updated resume for your review and for your files. Will follow-up with you early February if I don't hear from you in the interim. Look forward to your feedback."

Follow-up is the key to getting noticed and to getting what all job seekers are looking for -- that all-important first interview.