Entering the Workforce after 3 Years

[Jolena]

Okay so I've been a stay at home mom for the last three and a half years because my littlest boy is medically disabled and couldn't attend daycare or anything of that nature. Before I had to quit working to take care of him, I was a Quality Assurance Supervisor for AT&T for about 4 years and really enjoyed it.

I'm now faced with creating a Resume as I'm going to be re-entering the work force in a few months and I can't lie, I'm totally scared and a lot out of the loop of things. Mostly what scares me is that I have to tell them I've been off work for over 3 years and I know from my past experience with interviewing, hiring etc, that this is not exactly smiled upon. I have a pretty extensive background as far as experience in managerial jobs in my field and a few others, but I'm looking for some information on how best to draw up my Resume in today's work society. Any positive ideas/suggestions/comments are very much appreciated.

[Edited on 3-16-2005 by Jolena]

Someone is a sucker if they can't lie to get ahead.

- Arkans

[Jolena]

Well yes, I could lie and say I've been working for the last 3 years however, I'd rather not. That and well, I know where I used to work, we would call references from other jobs and the last thing I need is for someone to call an imaginary job that I listed to avoid saying I've been a stay-at-home mom for 3 years.

[Prestius]

Originally posted by Arkans
Someone is a sucker if they can't lie to get ahead.

- Arkans

Well .. aren't you a proud member of society?

Here you go:

http://www.vault.com/survival/center.jsp?type=3&ch_id=262&article_id=19022&cat_i d=2131&listelement=1

http://resume.monster.com/articles/weaknesses/

http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/resumes/19990720-belen.html

Hope this helps.

-P

Or you can give phone numbers of people you know and use them as references. This "honesty" policy at the expense of yourself makes me ill.

- Arkans

[DeV]

Originally posted by Arkans
Someone is a sucker if they can't lie to get ahead.

- Arkans I did this for a friend once but felt guilty after. It sucks that you're also depending on other people to lie for you on top of your own lie.

Anyway, being out of work for 3 years, whatever the reason, doesn't look good so your resume needs to be better than average. Especially if you are trying to get back into the corporate job sector. You might want to research sites like monster.com or some other job seeking websites with resume builders and see what employers are looking for as far as resumes and expectations from job applicants for the field you're trying to get into.

[Warriorbird]

"If you've been out of work because you raised a family, continued your education, cared for a sick family member or recovered from an injury, be sure your tone is not apologetic. There's nothing wrong with being out of work for whatever reason, and a negative attitude might affect your resume's quality."

[Edited on 3-16-2005 by Warriorbird]

[Jolena]

Thanks for those links, they gave me a lot of information to start with. I'm going to be looking at Monster.com and a few other places now to decide if I want to go with a Functional Resume or a Traditional Chronological Resume.

[Gamukak]

I would suggest going with a skills based resume instead of a chronological employment based.

[AnticorRifling]

You're a female, you'll get hired.

[Soulpieced]

I preferred HotJobs and CareerBuilder over Monster personally.

[The Cat In The Hat]

Congrats Jolena! I'm soooo in your shoes, i've been a stay at home mom for 2 1/2 years and I start working again at the end of the month. I've already found a temporary job so I'm pretty excited about it. Will be nice to see people over 2 feet tall again on a daily basis!

You don't forget your skills just because you took some time and raised your children, you'll find something soon I'm sure. :heart:

[Tsa`ah]

Being dishonest will eventually bite you in the ass if the employer is particular about references.

As WB said, don't be apologetic. Also go with Gamukak's suggestion.

If the three year gap in employment is questioned, be honest and be firm. Any employer looking for a long term solution will expect commitment as one of the applicant's personality traits. Commitment to family is just as golden as commitment to the job to any employer worth a damned.

If they can't accept that, you're better off without them.

WTF you actually felt guilty of getting a job and money? Awesome, the more people like that the easier it is for me to get a job.

- Arkans

[DeV]

Originally posted by Arkans
WTF you actually felt guilty of getting a job and money? Awesome, the more people like that the easier it is for me to get a job.

- Arkans Nah. I acted as a reference for my friend. My job and money came by way of not lying to get either and I'm cool with that.

p.s. Good luck with getting back into the job market Jolena.

Do whatever it takes to get yourself into that office. Don't be that jobless chump that preaches "honesty", it gets you nowhere.

- Arkans

[Mini-Spir]

Nothing wrong with being a stay at home mom going back to work.. especially if you have a resume to back it up.

Keep an eye on jotjobs...
Update your resume as best you can..
And just be enthusiastic about getting back to work..

Rest will take care of itself.

[Gamukak]

I strongly suggest against dishonesty. Embelishment is a different matter, but trust me when I say I see dozens of resumes daily and deal constantly with job seekers and dishonesty will get caught quickly.

Everyone who reviews your application/resume will have certain tag areas that they check first. For me, I look at age compared to experience/jobs held. It never fails to amaze me the number of kids who try and say they were executive secretaries or managers when they were 16. A true classic was the 18 year old girl who claimed to be a disabled veteran with 2 years of service.

Again, skills based resumes are very acceptable, especially among (usually older) workers who have had a number of different jobs. If they can summarize their skills into 2 pages as compared to a chronological resume of 10 pages it will work better for them. Even more compelling to use one is if you have had a number of different jobs with essentially the same skills (Temp work)

[Gamukak]

Also, depending on your skills and location, I suggest looking at http://usajobs.opm.gov

[Warriorbird]

Cool link. Definitely going to apply for some things.

[Gamukak]

One of the best thing about it is the Auto search function, you can target up to 10 searches, base them on location, skills, agency, whatever and get a daily e-mailing listing positions that have opened in the last 24 hours.

I use it at work to search specific locations that folks seem to have the most interest in...saves me a ton of time every day to do one quick review of an email and be able to pass it on to seekers.

When you lie you can't be a fucking idiot about them. THat girl should have been sent off to war for real.

- Arkans

[HarmNone]

If you have skills to offer and a real interest in contributing to a company, finding a job after three years spent taking care of family obligations won't be as difficult as you think. Real skills and real interest are far more reliable than deceit in the eyes of a future employer, and reliability is a definite asset.

Just put yourself out there. There is a company looking for what you have to give. :)

Way too much of an optimistic view. I'd rather play the game the way it is really played. By selling myself well, using all available resources to appear desireable, and doing everything short of biting off more than I can chew.

- Arkans

[Satira]

It's my belief that having to care for a special needs child should not effect a company's decision on hiring you or not.

Don't apologize for it, and don't let it make you even more nervous about going back to work. This is something you had to do, and you did it. That's all there is to it.

[HarmNone]

Well, Arkans, since I do quite a bit of hiring, I can assure you that I, and others I know who are in the same position that I'm in, have no problem with hiring people who have been out of the workforce due to events beyond their control. I'm much more interested in the skills they have to offer and their interest in becoming a part of what my organization is trying to accomplish. The one thing I'm definitely not interested in is hiring an unreliable, lying conniver. :shrug:

You are in the extreme minority. Nobody wants to hire a liar, but you will hire somebody that sells themselves well. Somebody that did their homework and somebody that might not be telling the full truth (given they have half a brain and you look over it) and somebody that is in the "swing of it" as work is concerned. This comes from experience as well as a family that deals with hiring on both private and public levels. Nobody should be fooled into thinking that they "way it should be" is the "way it is"

- Arkans

[HarmNone]

>Somebody that did their homework and somebody that might not be telling the full truth (given they have half a brain and you look over it) and somebody that is in the "swing of it" as work is concerned.<

Heh. I have a tendency to "do my homework", too, Arkans. I, and people like me, are not as easy to fool as you might believe us to be.

If someone wants to take the chance and lie, that's up to them. If they aren't caught and can do the job, it worked. If they're caught and miss a good job, that they could have done well, because of that lie, well...it didn't work.

Unfortunately, the would-be employee is always a step ahead of the employer. They have the initiative and if they are going in with a screwy story then they should have a seaworthy ship.

- Arkans

[Jolena]

Well I don't have a fear of not getting a job, I realize that with my drive and intelligence I can get a job very easily. What I don't want to have to do is get a job that doesn't pay well and/or doesn't have the opportunity to move up within the company. At my age, I realize that starting off a career once more will be a tad more difficult then it was when I was 23. However, I do have a history of longevity at jobs (3 years or more at each job I have held with the exception of a few jobs when I was a teenager) and I have a great deal of managerial experience throughout all of those jobs. I don't think an employer will look at my job lists and think "damn, she job hops a lot". I was mainly concerned about my lack of employment over the last 3 years and how it would reflect upon my options in getting a 'good' job. I'm more then willing to start at entry level if the company is one which I can move up in given time and dedication.

Thanks so much to the people that have offered advice, I have taken it to heart and will most likely be doing a 'Functional resume' (skills based resume) rather then a chronological resume due to my 3 year gap. I'm also looking into attending night school 3 nights a week so that I can further my education and make my chances of getting back into corporate America higher then they would have since things have changed quite a bit in my absence.

[HarmNone]

Sounds like you have an excellent plan for reentering the workforce, Jolena. I certainly agree that a functional resume is the way to go, for you, at this point. Good luck in your search. I'm sure you'll find something that will suit you and in which you can be productive. :)

[Caiylania]

Best wishes Jolena! Let us know how it goes

[AnticorRifling]

Do what I do and put other on the application for race.

[Jolena]

I normally do put 'other', unless they have a option for more then one race, since I'm mixed. :bleh:

[AnticorRifling]

I put other because most apps are like

White
African American
Native American
Pacific Islander
Asian

I'm thinking if they aren't black, brown, and yellow then why the fuck am I labeled white?

It should be Anglo American or they should be colored as well.

[AnticorRifling]

Shit I've got a meeting that started 5 minutes ago....

[xtc]

like Harmnone I have also done a fair bit of hiring of professionals.

1. Wezas was right don't be apologetic, but also don't be arrogant.

2. If you did any sort of consulting or work on the side in the past 3 years include it on your resume.

3. Include any seminars, books you've read regarding your field over the past 3 years.

4. Whenever I see a functional resume I assume the person has something to hide, like gaps in employment. I would do one functional resume and one chronological and see which one gets more interviews.

5. Drive and intelligence go far. So does personality, being positive, energetic, and enthusiastic in an interview is a must.

6. Research any company you are interviewing with. When I ask people why they want to work for us, I am always impressed when the person can tell me a lot about our firm and what we have done recently.

Good Luck

P.S. If you are a Tax Specialist in Toronto I may hire you myself.

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Arkans
Unfortunately, the would-be employee is always a step ahead of the employer. They have the initiative and if they are going in with a screwy story then they should have a seaworthy ship.

- Arkans

This is why there is normally a 90-day period prior to benefits. If someone has "sold" themselves off as something they are not. If a person has misrepresented themselves ... it's evident within that 90 day span. To me, if I have hired them, it's evident within 4 hours, though I will give them 1 week to prove otherwise, then I show them the exit.

So at best, despite your claim to "most", such a person gets 1 week of pay and a boot in the ass from people like me ... and there are plenty of us like that.

[Jonty]

6. Research any company you are interviewing with. When I ask people why they want to work for us, I am always impressed when the person can tell me a lot about our firm and what we have done recently.


I hate that question.

Wtf, I want to work for you, because I want to get paid, duh!

[AnticorRifling]

I want to work for this company because I feel the company mission statement of :repeat statment: goes hand in hand with my work ethic and I feel that this company has a solid track record in (insert random skill) which I feel is important in a company is it produces a sound work environment full of like minded individuals making for a good place to be an employee.

[StrayRogue]

And breathe.

[Edaarin]

The more interviews you do the more refined your answers get and the easier to say them. By my third interview, I had a whole shpeal memorized about situations where I displayed leadership or whatever bullshit questions 90% of the companies in my industry asks.

[AnticorRifling]

Dude you're asian, you're an instant hire.

[Nieninque]

Originally posted by Arkans
Unfortunately, the would-be employee is always a step ahead of the employer. They have the initiative and if they are going in with a screwy story then they should have a seaworthy ship.

- Arkans

Unfortunately, the person that lies to further their own needs is usually an arrogant twat that thinks s/he is more intelligent than the people they are lying to.

Only one way to go from there ;)

[StrayRogue]

I'd never lie. I'd embelish.

[Edaarin]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
Dude you're asian, you're an instant hire.

If equal opportunity employment is anything like affirmative action at colleges, I'm either more screwed or just as screwed as you are.

[AnticorRifling]

It's not, if you have the same skill set as me, same personality, interview just as good, and present the same resume. It is my personal feeling that you would get hired first because you look better on the demographic survey. Be it good or be it bad it just seems to be that way.

[DeV]

Asians are stereotyped as super intelligent worker bees but are still sorely under-representated in the upper positions of corporate business. So, that may be true for entry or mid-level positions but definately not too high up the ladder.