When you start thinking about finding a new job, having employment gaps in your work history can raise a red flag — both for resume screeners and for your own self-confidence. For employers, questions arise as to the real reasons for these gaps. As for job seekers themselves “Will they want me? Should I even try?” come to mind.

I won’t tell you that gaps don’t matter. At the very least, they will need to be handled. And somehow given a less noticeable focus in your communications with the company. But there may actually be ways to make resume gaps work to your advantage. Or at least help minimize any of those doubts.

So much of job search is about perception and initial impressions. And just as in any good marketing campaign — job search after all is marketing — you can use your job search tools (and connections) to help accentuate the positive while also minimizing the negative.

[NOTE:  I hope you take the time to read all of this; I know it’s a lot. But at least please make sure you scroll to the bottom for the extra hint. It could make all the difference in helping give you a fresh start — and added self-confidence!]

Tricky employment gap situations

There are any number of situations that can lead to resume gaps. Here are a few of the more common ones. Feel free to add your own below:

1. You’ve been out of work for a long time. Maybe over a year. Maybe many years.
2. Having raised your kids, you’re returning to the world of work.
3. You’re embarrassed by / trying to hide your last job(s) and so leave them off.
4. You took time off to pursue non-paying interests.
5. You had a business that failed, and you prefer not to talk about it.
6. You went back to school, but have no degree to show for it.
7. You’re a serial job hopper with several gaps in between. (Having been one myself, I can assure you that this is not incurable.)

⇒  EXTRA:  What if you don’t have good references?

Remedies for employment gaps

[Read more…]

If you find someone who actually enjoys job search, please let me know. Most job seekers, while excited by the idea of a new job, discover that actually finding that job feels like an uphill climb. And there seems to be no limit to the number of frustrating parts of job search.

But, over the many years of blogging about this and remembering my own job search efforts, I think these eight top the list and will help you know what to expect. (Although your own additions are very welcome.)

Most frustrating parts of job search

1.  Can’t find any jobs you really want.

Without  knowing you and what you really want, job search engines will gladly show you a long list of available jobs in your area — or beyond, But that doesn’t mean you want any of them. Or that you even have a good chance at the ones you might actually find interesting.

The main thing is that you can’t rely on job search engines alone. [Read more…]

Job search fear. It’s more common than people think. Someone I know has been wanting to look for a job for years. But the mere thought of trying raises fears of all she is lacking. And how badly it would probably go. (Spoiler alert: She was wrong — despite all her strong doubts and fears.)

Over the years she’s actually convinced herself it’s not even worth trying. And so she just makes the best out of a job she’s long outgrown — one that doesn’t appreciate her anymore.

But fear lurks within all of us — especially when it comes to change. And it’s great at creating all kinds of reasons to just let things stay as they are. Here are just a few of the less-than-helpful thoughts that began circling for her:

• She’s too old.
• Too few up-to-date skills.
• How can she compete with people more skilled than she is?
• Why would anyone want to hire her anyway?

Soo let’s look at job search fears

[Read more…]

I’ve heard job seekers — and even career professionals — say you should judge a company by the job hiring process. Did the company answer your emails? Were you kept informed along the way? Did you feel valued every step of the process?

Well … here’s my take on it. You just can’t tell for sure if the hiring process you’re experiencing actually reflects the company. Or the specific department you’d be joining. Even if you interviewed with the department and haven’t heard back — that may have nothing to do with how they treat employees. Or feel about you.

“At least answer my emails!”

Truth is they can’t always answer. [Read more…]

There are many parts of a job search, from smallest beginning steps to the final offer. And wherever you are — even if just doing some exploratory research — PLEASE do not job search using company email. Despite the desire to show off your company or seem more official perhaps, it’s wise to exercise extra caution when looking while employed.

So as soon as you feel even a whisper of longing to move on from your current job, create a personal email account for yourself if you don’t have one yet. And only use that one for your search. Including things like getting back in touch with former bosses and coworkers. Even contacting a career coach best begins from your own personal NON-OFFICE email, like Google gmail. (Easy to sign up and get started.)

Job search with company email?

[Read more…]

Career professionals give a lot of advice. Some good. Some bad. As I say about career experts, we come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, beliefs, and backgrounds. And just because we say it, doesn’t mean it’s true for you. Or, if you like the advice, maybe you have no time or money to follow through on all of it.

That last part is why I’m writing this. I was reading a thread of comments on Twitter recently. Basically the complaint was that we so-called career experts are privileged and have no idea what the real world is like. They point to lack of time, money, and energy getting in the way of the advice. And I get that.

But I also want to say there are some of us who have been down to our last dollars. Or at least experienced an unfair system. And worried that we’d never find a job again. We know how it feels to get rejection after rejection. And to see no light at the end of the tunnel. Or, for those who coach, we’ve worked with (and helped) people in those circumstances.

My take on giving advice to others

Even if I can never walk in your shoes, I do think about how hard it must be for you. How scared you feel much of the time when no job is on the horizon — for way too long. And how ignored you feel by the system. [Read more…]

For many people, if they look at a job description and see that they don’t meet job requirements, they won’t apply. End of discussion. But, as you may guess, it’s not the end at all. There’s a lot more to say.

For instance, a job seeker may have a different take on this question than an employer. People looking for a job know themselves enough to see how they might make a job work, without having every qualification. Then again, they don’t want to waste too much time applying to things they have no chance of getting.

Requirements matching problem

Meanwhile employers, for the most part, would prefer if only highly-qualified people who exactly meet job requirements apply. But there’s a few problems with that:

• First, job descriptions aren’t always written well enough to clearly attract the ideal candidate.
  • Some skills can be learned by a person with aptitude.
  • Softer-skills (how candidate communicates / interacts with others, problem-solving, flexibility, creativity, etc.) are often not well presented. And hard to quantify.
• Previous skills experience isn’t the same as ability to successfully undertake a new employer’s tasks within a new environment. But skills alone are what most automated resume screening and human screeners focus on to select or reject candidates.

Who decides you meet requirements?

[Read more…]

People often get to this site asking “What if I never find a job?” Or some question like that. And while I do not have a crystal ball (mine is still in the shop), there are a few things I do know for sure. You just need to keep looking and never give up, no matter how rough things get. No matter what anyone tells you. Np matter what you tell yourself at times.

Also … you need to truly understand that the picture of the job you want and the one you wind up with may differ. But if you accept all that and keep going, you will get yourself hired. How do I know? Because in my own life and career, I hit the wall many times.

Long ago, after much job search obstacle climbing of my own, I learned there was always a way. But I had to keep telling myself that. And not always “the way” I ever imagined or planned for. Still those new ways eventually led me to new opportunities that my original path could never have shown me.

To never find a job, you need to stop believing in yourself or in possibilities yet unseen. But to EVER find onw, you instead need to truly believe that there is one out there for you — somewhere!

About unseen job paths

Of course, you may get exactly what you want in your very next job. If so, congratulation. But if the job you wind up with is NOT the one you want for yourself in the long run — or even the short run– you have the power to change things for yourself, step by step.

Because of my own experience, much of this site, Work To the Wise, is dedicated to helping you turn things around for yourself. And finding ways to improve what falls short of your desired work life.

Here’s one of my posts written with that idea in mind:

⇒  Job Morphing: 20 Ways You Can Improve Your Job and Career

One of the most interesting things about unplanned paths is you will come across people and new ideas. Maybe even chances to learn new skills. Or take on a project you never heard of. And light bulbs of possibility will go off in your head if you just stay alert and open. And dare to let yourself try for more.

What if you try and fail???

[Read more…]

Aiming resume to previous career

Hi Ronnie Ann. Please help me. I need some advice about changing my career so I can go back to my previous career! I’m 55 and want to return to the kind of work I did in my former job of 25+ years when I was an Admin / Office Manager.

I have been in a different field for the last 8 years — a personal aide / care provider. And I need help with my resume so I can change back to the work I used to do. Work I enjoyed much more.

How can I rewrite my resume to incorporate the 2nd career choice, but emphasize that my preference has changed back to the Business world?

~ Terry

[Read more…]

Job search tips from reader (who got the job)

After looking for a job for well over a year, one of my readers wrote to tell us that he finally got a real live job offer. And he accepted it! He also wanted to share some of his hard-won job search tips to help other readers going through what he went through.

As a true testament to endurance (and willingness to stay creative and go with the flow), John had been interviewing for this particular job for about FOUR MONTHS! And he even had to do a stint as a consultant first before the owner of the company asked him to join the firm.

Hard-won tips John wants us to know

John has been a regular contributor to this blog’s comments. Now he would like to offer some hard-won advice to job seekers everywhere running their own job search obstacle courses. I gladly accepted (nothing like fresh, first-hand experience) and decided to add some of my own tips, too.

Here’s what we came up with. Hopefully this will help you not only survive what seems like a never-ending race, but stay in it long enough to emerge with a big job win!  [Read more…]

In my post about things that make a job good, we look at the bigger picture — and the personal nature of defining good for yourself. But that leaves an important question still unanswered: Besides salary and benefits, what kinds of things should you actually look for in a job?

List of 12 key job qualities

This list isn’t meant to be comprehensive by any means. But I do hope you find at least a few key things to look for in a job when deciding if that job is right for you. [Read more…]