Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & DALE: I walked away from my promising career three years ago to raise my two children. Now I want to go back to work. How do I patch this hole in my résumé or twist it in a way that would be less repulsive to potential employers?– May
J.T.: I don’t think employers will be repulsed by your decision, May. I commend you for taking the time to be with your kids! Moving forward, the key is to show employers that your skills are still current, and showcase the ones that are in demand now. They’ll care less about the time off if you have a skill they want. DALE: Although “repulsive” is far too strong a word, “worrisome” might apply. Hiring managers have worries – about everybody they interview. The biggest worry is making a bad hire, which means adding someone who takes a lot of time to train, or who soon departs, or who has to be fired. That’s why employers need reassurance that your skills/knowledge haven’t atrophied. Attend professional meetings and meet with former colleagues to make sure you know the latest trends and jargon. Then, and perhaps even more importantly, there are the unspoken worries that hiring managers have about a candidate. In your case, an employer might worry that you’ll decide you miss being home and want to take a few more years off. Or that you’ll repeatedly ask for time off to deal with personal issues. Most managers have learned not to ask about such things, but doubts are doubts, and it’s up to you to to deal with them or not. J.T.: But what I don’t want is for you to have a head full of doubts. If you market yourself properly, you’ll land a new job. Employers know that moms are experts at multitasking, not to mention handling stress. Don’t underestimate that taking time off might have made you a better employee. DALE: Should you be anxious about how employers are viewing you, just ask in the interview, “Do you think my having taken time off will be a big problem in getting hired?” Odds are, the hiring managers will start telling you about all the employees who have taken leave. Dear J.T. & Dale: I recently took a new job that I don’t think is the best fit for me. I’d like to figure out a plan and strategy to look for new work elsewhere without damaging my reputation or being seen as a fickle employee.– Brent J.T.: Sometime during their careers, most people find they’ve taken a job that isn’t a fit. The first thing to do is to make sure that you’re right about that. DALE: Start by analyzing whether you have issues with the job or with the work. I know that people use those two terms interchangeably, but I find it helpful to make a distinction: The “work” is what you’re paid to do, while the “job” is all you’re paid to be. The job includes fitting into the culture, working with the team, getting along with management and so on. So the question for you becomes, “Am I doing the wrong work, or doing it in the wrong place?” Whichever answer it is, the first thing to do is seek a solution at your current employer. Perhaps there’s another department where you’d be delighted to work. If so, see if you can plot a move. It might take months, but, finding a new job can take months, too.Management guru Dale Dauten has written six books and is an authority on innovation in the workplace. His latest book, “Great Employees Only: How Gifted Bossess Hire & Dehire Their Way to Success” is available at Dauten.com. copyright 2013 King Features.
