Interview Tips After Out Of Work For 6 Years

Tips for Reentering the Job Market

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

I'm 38 and ready to go back to work after six years out to raise my children and get them into elementary school. Things have changed since I left, and I don't have a ton of old contacts to turn to. What can I do to expedite my search and not look naive in the job hunt?

Sincerely,

Savvy Job Seeker

Dear Savvy Job Seeker,

For starters, your resume is going to need to be restructured, as compared to what it was when you left.

*The best way to structure a resume is to customize it to the job you want. If you're mass mailing resumes, then do something general, but if you really, really, really want a specific job, try to imagine what it is they want, what you have that they want, and how your resume can best show this.

*Education is not the first thing on your resume if you're going back to work after being a stay-at-home mom. It's not the same as when you were first out of college or graduate school, when your education was the reason you were recently unemployed.

*Be coy with dates. You're going to have a big gap between your last job and now, if you've been out of the job market for one to 12 years, raising kids. Don't hide that fact, but don't throw it up in their faces. You can put years without months. In fact you can put jobs out of order if you'd like to emphasize a particular asset. The idea with the resume is to get them to call you -- not reject you. Keep that in mind.

Next, think about getting your job skills up-to-date:

*Update your job skills by first, doing research. If you haven't been in the job market in over a decade, you're going to have to learn computer skills. If you're computer illiterate, put your nose to the grindstone and take a course or educate yourself. There is no way around it unless you want to serve up burgers at a fast food joint. And even then ...

*Talk to people in the field or the company you're interested in working at. Find out what's going on there. Ask questions -- don't try to sell yourself. Research is not sales.

*Call a career counselor or head hunter and find out from them what the low down is and what you would need to get back in the game.

Looking for a job:

Talk to people. Cold call people you admire even if you don't know them -- they may not take your call, but then again they may. Also, read trade papers, websites and newspapers.

Once you get the call from interested potential employers, it's time to get ready for the interview!

*Prepare for your interview by researching the job you're interviewing for, as well as the field it's in.

*Imagine the questions that would make you squirm most -- and prepare answers for them.

*Have a friend or spouse "mock" interview you.

*Confidence comes from knowing who you are, what it is you're doing, and why. It also comes from accepting that you are good enough and that the reality is what it is. You will have to work hard to play catch up, and your new salary may not reflect the salary you left off at or the market value of the job you left off at a decade ago. That's life.

*Value what it is you've been doing in the years you've been out of the job market because if you don't, you certainly can't expect anyone else to.

*Don't lie. Liars are cowards, and they don't have confidence. Tell the truth to show your confidence.

What are the biggest challenges you are likely to face?

*You're older than other people. Ageism exists in many fields. Not all, but many. Understand it, and play your best game.

*You've got a gap in your resume. Don't get defensive. It doesn't matter if your interviewer thinks stay-at-home moms are the dregs of the earth or not. Focus on your goal. Getting back in the workforce.

*Juggling a career and a home-life. Getting the job is only half the battle. Making it all work and setting realistic expectations for yourself is an entirely other goal.

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

© 2004-2009 AskApril.com, LLC. All rights reserved. AskApril®, AskApril.com®, and Ask April® are registered trademarks owned by Masini Enterprises, Inc. This material can only be republished and redistributed if it is kept in it's original form, including, but not limited to, all AskApril branding, banners, links, books, and credits.