抖阴ap

Dear J.T. & DALE: I have been on extended maternity leave for just over two years. I want to get back into the work force, and I’m curious how I should treat the two-year gap on my r茅sum茅. I also would like to change the direction of my career, from hardware sales to software sales. Do I include this desire in my cover letter?– Amy

J.T.: A lot has changed since you last looked for a job. If you read our column, you know that I want you to think of yourself as a business of one who wants to sell her services. It’s not about your needs; it’s about the company’s needs. To start, there is nothing wrong with saying you were on maternity leave. Recruiters and hiring managers will see that as an opportunity to snag someone who’s ready to come back to work. However, personally, I would leave it off. Employers will contact you and ask what you’ve been up to for the past two years, and you simply will tell them that you were on maternity leave. That’s it. Don’t try to overexplain it, or you’ll sound like you feel bad about it – and you shouldn’t!

DALE: But when hiring managers see gaps, especially a recent one, they see questions, a little mystery – and they hate mysteries. Easier for them to just move on to the next r茅sum茅 And, should they bother to contact you and ask about the gap, they’ll wonder why you didn’t just say so.

J.T.: OK, but I don’t believe it will be an issue either way. On the other hand, changing your career direction will be a little trickier, requiring networking.

DALE: Yes, keep in mind that for most managers, the ideal candidate will be someone who has already done the exact job somewhere else. Even within sales, changing specialties creates new questions, like how hard will it be for you to make the transition? That’s “I Hate Mysteries, The Sequel.”

J.T.: So, you’ll need to network your way in to decision-makers. The online application process is likely to spit you out because you lack the exact experience requirements. However, if you can meet people in the new sales area, you’ll impress them as someone who is eager to learn. Good luck! The working world needs moms like you – let them know you are ready to work!

Dear J.T. & Dale: I applied for a job that was advertised as an office position (secretarial/receptionist). I was called in for an interview, and was told that the job was strictly a sales position. I am confused as to why the company would advertise for a job it did not have. They told me they have a secretary who’s been with the company for many years and is not leaving. Do you think the company falsely advertises for one position just to get applicants for sales?– Devonne

J.T.: I don’t know why they would do this. The only thing I can think of is that they can’t get salespeople to work for them, so they lure people in, hoping they’ll give it a try. I’m sorry this happened to you; it truly is not the norm.

DALE: Or, perhaps they simply ran the wrong ad, although you’d think they would just say so – which suggests that it was indeed an eccentric recruiting ploy. On the surface, it would seem nonsensical: Why would anyone want to interview people for sales jobs who don’t have interest in sales? However, that question makes me think of author and sales trainer Tom Hopkins, who argues that the best salespeople are the ones who aren’t the stereotypical sales “type.” The way he puts it, “The best salespeople aren’t interesting extroverts but interested introverts.” So perhaps that’s the logic behind the recruitment technique. If so, I think they would be wise to be candid. They still could post ads in admin categories, but explain that they know how to turn office people into sales stars. That way they would pre-screen for those who are open to that possibility while not wasting the time of people who want no part of a sales career.

– Workplace consultant and career coach J.T. O’Donnell has coached, trained and mentored employees and managers on a wide variety of career-related subjects since 1994. Her book, “CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to A Satisfying Career” is available at JTODonnell.com. 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.