Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & Dale: After four years in the workforce, I was unable to continue due to severe depression (which resulted in multiple hospitalizations). I’ve been out for a year and am looking to return to work. How do I explain the time away from work without scaring off potential employers? – Lauren
J.T.: The easiest response is the simple truth, with emphasis on “simple.” Something like, “I took some time off for medical reasons.”
DALE: Some prospective bosses will be suspicious, worried that you’ll keep needing time off; others will be concerned or nosy and ask if you’re OK. Either way, you need to set the tone, and you’re right to worry that “severe,” “depression” and “hospitalizations” will be scary to an employer.
J.T.: If pressed, you again keep it simple, saying: “It’s personal – but I can tell you that I am fine and cannot wait to return to work. That’s why I am so excited about this position.” This enables you to keep your situation private and refocus the hiring manager on what’s important: The fact that the time off made you a passionate employee!
DALE: I like it … except for “It’s personal.” Too mysterious, and hiring managers often assume the worst. So, instead of saying it’s personal, how about this? (Big smile, as if it’s just a silly misunderstanding) “It’s a long story, but I’m perfectly healthy now. I’d be glad to take a physical if the company requests them.” You could even go further if you like, bragging about your blood pressure or how you jog.
J.T.: If that works, and they don’t press for specifics, great. The idea is to leave them with the impression that you’re healthy and eager.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I’m a single mom and work full time, sometimes six days a week. I only make $13/hour and I feel like I’m drowning in debt. I am the sole provider for my daughter and myself, so I can’t afford to quit my job and go back to school. I don’t even know what to do for a career change. I’ve had jobs from working as a vet assistant to working in a casino. The only things that really interested me when I was younger were modeling and dance, which never really happened; plus, I’ve gained weight. I feel lost. – Kylie
DALE: Do it right, and a year from now you’ll see that you weren’t lost; you were in a long class taught by Prof. Trial and Dr. Error.
J.T.: It’s true that most of the successful and satisfied professionals I meet tell me that they worked in $13-an-hour jobs all through their 20s. The difference between them and you, Kylie, is that they pushed to work in a field they cared about and then brainstormed ways they could advance. So, I suggest you find the industry that excites you – if modeling and dance were of interest to you, how about all the careers in that field beyond being the actual model or dancer?
DALE: In the New Economy, it’s not about the jobs companies are offering; it’s about the skills you’re offering companies. Start where you are. If that’s the casino, is there a way to apply the skills of modeling and dance to casino work? I met a woman who worked in one of the big national casino chains who won a national employee award for her work with employee uniforms/costumes. That makes me think that someone needs to teach the employees how to look and carry themselves. Perhaps someone in HR or Training would welcome your help. OK – probably not, but still, it’s worth a shot. And guess what? Make that offer, and management will see you as someone who’s thinking and willing to do more.
