Nervous About Explaining Employment Gaps

We've all known employers review a resume in detail before calling you for an interview. We also know they want an explanation for where you've been, what you've been doing and how well you've been doing it once you're in the interview. So, how do you explain those long gaps in your work history?

It's a tricky situation, so in this blog I'll focus on how to explain your job gaps and what you can do to still be valuable out of work.

Many times when critiquing a resume to send out to an employer we often omit jobs that do not pertain to the job that we are applying for, and that can cause unnecessary gaps in your resume.

For example, let's say you are applying for a sales job. You would not want to list your previous job in warehouse selecting or that time you worked as a janitor as your work history; you'll detail your experience in sales. But that leaves two years void of employment details, which will throw up a red flag to your potential employer. It might appear that you were out of work and then they have to wonder why that might be the case. But you know you have those 2 jobs you didn't list. So you're safe, right? After all you're a hard worker, so it should read through loud and clear to that employer. Right? WRONG. Anytime you leaves information off your resume, it leave the employer with questions in his/her mind. To alleviate those concern, simply list a separate section of unrelated work history. This way, they know you're not a slacker, you weren't off the grid and just didn't feel like working. You have documented activities and experience that, even though unrelated, kept you in the workforce and makes you just that much more valuable.

Now, for all of you who weren't working and don't have job experience to list... I wasn't calling you slackers! I'm sure you have some very valuable experience to list as well. There are many reasons you're not working-- maybe you were laid off. With the economy on a decline for the past year or so, many people find themselves in this situation. Or maybe you left the workforce to have kids. Maybe you left because your mother was sick. Whatever the reason, you'll need to have some information on hand to reassure your potential employer you remained active and are ready to step back into the game.

Let's discuss your options for staying active:

1) The best thing to do is stay active within your field of expertise.


Obviously, an employer wants to know how you are going to help their business. If you can tell him/her that, even though you weren't being paid, you took on an internship or a voluntary position to keep your skill set sharp, you'll certainly be considered a top applicant.

2) Volunteer in the community, at schools, or any type of organization.

Your initiative will be impressive and demonstrate that you are still working. It also tells the employer that although you may not be getting paid, networking is important to you as is gaining experience in fields where you may not be familiar.


3) Keep your resume updated.

You never know when you're going to run into job opportunities. Keep track of all your new skills and activities while out of work. Remember, just because it is not a job it still can go on the resume. After all, you still learned the skills, right?

4) Keep current on the skills you have.

Granted, money is tight when out of work but keeping up-to-date with information in your field is key to making yourself appealing to an employer. For example, if you work with computers, stay up to date with new software and how it works. A class at a local college or a seminar can really add value to what you have to offer.


5) Go part time.

Part time work is better than no work at all. The part time job can be in your field or can be something completely different. Either way you're still out there, you're still working, you're still fresh and that makes you a much better candidate.


6) Change it up.

Maybe losing your job can be a positive thing. Maybe it is time for a career change. Ask yourself if you really liked where you were to begin with? If not then what are you interested in? Is there a job that you have always wanted to go after? If so then take this opportunity to make it happen!

In Conclusion:

Having an answer to the question you want to avoid, "Why the gaps in your work history," is going to be better than no answer at all. Remember, it's best to be honest about you reasons ad explain yourself, but NEVER exaggerate or lie. Most companies will terminate an employer for lying on an application or in an interview. You've worked hard to earn this face time, don't blow it with an exaggerated fact.

Carly Sabato

Your 5 Point Agenda

Before sitting down for an interview you need to make sure you are well prepared for it and able to skillfully answer any question the interviewer asks you. There's an excellent technique in the book 60 Seconds & Your Hired! by Robin Ryan that can help you in preparing for an interview. The first step is to create your "5 Point Agenda".

The 5 Point Agenda is a technique that focuses on your top 5 strengths and gets the employer to listen to what you are saying. These 5 points are repeated throughout your interview which will help imprint your image to the employers brain to help you stand out and be remembered.

How to create your 5 point Agenda:

Examine your previous job responsibilities and make a list of any special accomplishments. Next review the potential employers requirements and make note of your own abilities and experience that will be most important to the employer. Now you can create your 5 points to build a solid picture focusing on how you can do the job.

So for a clerical position your five points will be like so:

Point 1: 5 years of customer service experience dealing directly with clientèle making a positive, professional image for the company.

Point 2: Detailed oriented, fast worker that can handle multiple task under stress and complete them according to deadlines.

Point 3: Has recently updated MS Office skills and experience working in company databases such as MS Access and Goldmine.

Point 4: Collaborating with staff to create and manage a thorough schedule to make sure all daily task were completed as assigned to prevent staff from over looking crucial tasks and to help staff meet deadlines for their clients in a timely matter.

Point 5: Assisted with numerous events and scheduled appointments that meet staff and clients needs accordingly.

The above 5 points are things a person interviewing for a clerical position can use to secure a job offer. Maybe the job he/she is applying for requires customer service and data entry experience and this person was able to offer specific examples of his/her expertise in that area. Please keep in mind that you can't use the above 5 points unless you actually have that experience.

These five points are the buildings blocks to answer the interviewer's questions - Robin Ryan

Good Luck and be sure to come back tomorrow for more interview tips!

Happy Hunting Tampa!

Samara Bowling

Resume Week II - The Thank you letter

Today is the final day of resume week. I hope you have learned a lot and found the information provided in the last two weeks helpful and rewarding in building you success to landing a wonderful job. Today we will learn the final step to making your lasting impression really last.

After you've put so much time and effort into your resume and cover letter you send it out and get that interview you worked so hard for. You go in dressed to impress, and ready to show your potential employer how good you can do the job. As you wait in the lobby you are given a application to complete while another person is being interviewed for the same position. Ten minutes later you go in for your turn and you do pretty well in your interview answering each question with total confidence. You shake the employers hand and thank him/her for the interview and you leave to go home.

Now that you're at home you wonder if there is anything else you can do to make the potential employer call you over the other applicant(s). How can you make sure they remember you without looking desperate?

The answer is the thank you letter.

You thank you can letter can be in one of 3 forms: a typed letter sent by mail, a hand written card sent by mail, an email.

If your employer has an email then this is the best way to go about this because it is the quickest form of communication rather than postal mail. If you have good hand writing you can send a hand written card, but if you prefer typing a letter then you can do so as well.

There is a certain formula that you use to write the thank you letter just like there is to write your resume and cover letter.

Step #1 The first paragraph should thank them for the interview mentioning the position you interviewed for. Next you should mention something about the interview that you found particularly interesting. Maybe it was a tour of the office, maybe you both graduated from the same school, etc.

Step# 2 The second paragraph is if they asked you for references you will state that you've attached them. You will then mention your phone number or email and address if they need to follow up.

Here's an example of a thank you letter:

Dear [Employer's Name],

I will like to thank you for the pleasant interview we had yesterday for the Administrative Assistant position. It was really an interesting experience to have a tour of the office and see firsthand how things run within your company.

I have enclosed the references you requested. If you have any questions please call me at 555-555-5555.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

As stated before remember to run a spell check to make sure everything is spelled correctly.

So when do you send your thank you letter? Immediately after your interview.

If you need to learn how to create a reference sheet follow the basic guidelines:

1. Remember to use you letter head on your reference sheet
2. Place your list of references on resume paper as well
3. Have 3-4 different professional references such as previous instructors, colleagues, or employers
4. Make sure you have permission to use the people you decide to use as a reference
   
5. Use the following format for each reference you list on your reference sheet:
   

[Reference First and Last Name]
[Job title]
[Phone number]
[Address at work or Email address]
[Number of years known]

Happy Hunting Tampa and have a great weekend!

Samara Bowling

Interview Prep - First Impressions

Leaving all the technical aspects aside there are some basic guidelines you should follow when you are looking for employment. These small, but valuable elements can take you a long way as far as being the one to call back or being screened to the "not an ideal candidate" pile with your job application and/or resume being promptly discarded.

So what are these obvious important elements?

• Your email address
• Your resume
• Your voice mail or answering machine message

Your email address is something that represents you along with the other elements listed above. You should have a professional email address used on your job applications and resume. Emails such as "hotchick@hotmail.com" or "coolguy@yahoo.com" are not suitable emails and should not be used professionally. Emails such as "susan4hire@yahoo.com" or "firstname.lastname@hotmail.com" are much more professional and will reap better results.
If you don't have a professional email then go to Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com and sign up for a free account today.

Your resume can also make you look rather bad depending on your presentation of it. Resumes on colorful paper with "frilly" or "cartoony" borders are not acceptable. Using colorful paper like pink, green, purple, etc., is also something you should steer clear of. Presenting professional documents on colored paper may have worked for Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde", but your potential employer won't think it is very cute, however, using cream, off-white, and pale gray resume paper is perfectly fine and leaves a positive lasting impression.

Last but not least, your voice-mail or answering machine message...

First and foremost, not having voice mail or an answering machine isn't a good idea. If a potential employer decides to give you a call and you aren't there don't count on them calling you again. With voice mail or an answering machine they can leave you their number so you may return their call giving you a greater chance of gaining an interview.

Secondly, you message greeting is key. Your message should be professional and neutral. Avoid allowing your children to create your greeting which will also let your employer know you have children and they are likely to make judgment calls on that along with the unprofessional greeting. You should also avoid "prank-like" greetings (i.e "Hello." [A short pause] "Ha Ha! I got you! Leave a message after the beep.") Avoid using slang, music, movie/tv excerpts (Yes people actually do this), the generic greeting the phone came with, etc. If you need help creating a professional greeting follow the template below:

"You have reached the voice mail box of [Your First & Last Name].

I am unavailable at the moment, but if you could please leave your name, number, and a brief message; I will get back to you as soon as I can."

Remember, a first impression should be your best impression and even though it may not seem like it, but your first impression comes way before the interview.

Happy Hunting Tampa!

Samara Bowling

Are You Dressed to Impress?

Employers make hiring decisions not only on verbal, but also non-verbal components as well. They observe, grooming, apparel, eye contact, and handshakes...just to name a few.

Generally you should make sure that your hair and nails are neat and clean. Your clothes should be clean, neatly pressed and fit accordingly (not too loose or too tight). Shoes should be polished and body piercings should be removed or not visible as well as tattoos. Cologne/perfume shouldn't be over powering. Your outfit should also be simple and professional.

So when you have that interview scheduled what should you not wear?

For women you should stay away from the following:

• Failure to wear hose - plain neutral hose should always be worn if wearing a dress
• Skirts that are too short - skirts should be knee length or longer
• Too much makeup - stick to neutral soft tones
• Low neckline/revealing waistline blouse - this detracts attention from the interview
• High heeled stilettos/stacks - wear low heeled closed toe shoes/pumps
• Too many accessories - stick to one necklace, a pair of earrings, and a watch

For men you should stay away from the following:

• Avoid casual coats - a full length coat is acceptable
• Too many accessories/jewelry - limit jewelry to one ring and a watch
• White ankle socks - socks should be calf length and dark (Black, Navy, or Gray)
• Bright Patterned Ties - Choose a subtle color/pattern that contrast with your shirt color
• Short sleeve shirts - Sleeves should cover the wrist
• non-matching/bright suit - Suits should be a neutral tone that matches in color (Grey, Black, or Navy)

First impressions make a major impact on if you get hired our not so it's best to look your best and dress for success!

Happy Hunting Tampa!

Samara Bowling

Resumes From Hell

Our National Blog has done a great interview with Jon Reed & Rachel Meyers, co-authors or 'Resumes From Hell.' He hits some great topics including the origin of the book concept, future plans on 'Resumes From Heaven,' memorable and personal resumes and the Googling going on with the job hunt. Check it out at the Employment Guide blog.

You can find the book on Amazon by clicking on the cover below.

Why should we hire you? 5 Key Points

Question 5 on our top 10 frequently asked interview questions is hamming out the big dog. Why should we hire you? “Because I’m awesome and will make a trillion sales and take your company to the next level”.

Sounds good in theory, but the hiring manager doesn’t care that you are awesome. In fact, he wants just the opposite. Hard working, right to the point, get my work done and be productive are at the top of his list.

Here are 5 few quick points to keep in mind.

1. Focus on the company
2. Be confident in your ability to help the company
3. Use strong adjectives such as:
1. dedication / sincerity / faithfulness / positive personality / hard working / smart working / full of energy / ethical values / accountability
4. Be specific in the skills you have to offer. “I can do this….”
5. Rehash on what you have accomplished at other positions as it pertains to this position

Happy hunting Tampa. See you Monday!

Greg Rollett

Why do you want to work for us?

You are in their building. You are talking to the boss. You are there for the job, but why? Why do you want to work for this company? This is question number 4 on out Top 10 Interview questions list.

Your answer has a lot to do with yesterday’s answer. If you have a background on the company, this will be an easy question. If you are ill-prepared an answer might sound like, “I saw your ad and like I needed a job.”

That is a NO GO! Please have a better response than that.

Why do you want to work for us should be a place where you match your skills with that of the position.

“I want to work for you because my computer skills will allow for me to add productivity for the company and for my personal goals of becoming a manager in a great organization like yours.”

That’s a good start. Fill in the blanks with what you want to accomplish within the company. This is not a time for “I need a job to pay some bills and when something better comes along, I’m going to go for it.”

See you tomorrow Tampa, as we get into common question number 5!

-Greg Rollett

What do you know about our company?

What do you know about our company?

Today brigs us to part 3 out of 10 on the most frequent interview questions and is possibly the easiest to prepare for. The question in question is: What do you know about our company?

There are a few things that you can do to prepare for this question and they involve a little research and a little talking.

1. Google. Google the name of the company, news stories, blogs, social networks etc, that your can dig up in a quick search. Doing this you can see if they have a name for themselves, a corporate or localized website, press (good and bad), maybe some employee or company accomplishments and a slew of other things.
2. Check out their website. What does their website tell you about the company? Was time spent in putting it together? Is there any information there to tell you about the company? Could they be hiding something? This is a great resource.
3. Talk with anyone and everyone. Hit up friends, family, message boards, Myspace and Facebook to see if people have opinions on the company.
4. Ask questions on the initial contact before the interview. After they receive your resume, the company calls you to schedule and interview. At this point, engage a quick conversation to educate yourself on the basics.

After gathering as much information as you can, try and create a CliffNotes summary and have it ready for the interview. The employer will not only be impressed but your confidence level will be high to fly through the rest of the interview!

Happy hunting Tampa and we’ll be back tomorrow for Part 4. As always, join the conversation and let us know if you have any questions or concerns about the job hunt that you want answered and we will get that on this site for you.

Greg Rollett

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? Frequent Interview Question Number 2

Monday we discussed how to respond to “Tell me about yourself.”

Hopefully you have gone and practiced the pitch on yourself and will continue to perfect the science of self promotion. Today we are jumping to the often times most awkward of all questions on the list. This is because of the position that you are in, it’s just well, awkward.

So Mr. Potential Employee, Why did you leave your last job? (Or why are you planning to leave your job to come on board here?)

I hope you are prepared for this one. Slandering an old company is not the way into a new boss’s heart.

Avoid using terms like

-Personality clash

-Didn't get along

-I couldn’t get on their schedule

-There was no room for growth

-Wanted more money

-Need a shorter commute

-Didn’t like my boss

-Got tired of the job

Instead focus on the positive and be honest

-Be up front about layoffs and being fired, they are only a phone call away to be verified

-Talk about your goals that you wished to achieve but were help back at your previous company

-Stay positive on the outlook

-Be prepared, practice and perfect your pitch for this situation

-If you are looking for more money, be careful, but express it in a clever manner

-Be concise, get to the point

-Resist talking trash, no matter how big a grudge you hold with your former boss. Instead focus on how he helped you in your development

-Looking for new opportunities and challenges

When push comes to shove, be concise and truthful. Do not be scared of this question. Everyone who walked into that office before you and everyone who comes in after will have t answer the same one. Be prepared and look for opportunities to get past this part of the interview.

Happy hunting Tampa!

Greg Rollett

Tell Me About Yourself. Um…

Last week I started a thread of the ten most common questions that are asked at an interview. This was number one. It is also the most awkward questions when you don’t have a job. How many times do you have to think up something that sounds a lot better than it really is? How many times do you just plain make something up?

Well, I am telling you today to stop! There is no need to exaggerate a bad or unlucky situation. Why are you at the interview? Hopefully it is to better your situation, or to get a fresh outlook on the job front. Why is the company interviewing you? He is interviewing you to fill a void in the company. The hiring manager (hopefully) understands that you are either a) unemployed, b) in between jobs/laid off, or c) looking to get out of your current job.

With all this said, there is no need to go beyond your means in explaining yourself. There are positives in your life and career that you can bring up to entice the hiring manager. Your resume was impressive enough to get you into the door, wasn’t it? Now that you are there, you have to answer the gut check question.

So, Mr. Potential Employee, Tell me about yourself?

Well, ummm

FIRST mistake. Do not hesitate! Be confident. An interview is all about selling yourself to the company. Take pride in yourself and bring it to the table.

Take 2: So, Mr. Potential Employee, Tell me about yourself?

I have been very successful by…

During my career I have…

My focus has been on…

Try and have an elevator speech about yourself that pertains to the company that you are speaking to. A major reason for hires is how an individual can benefit the company and not how the company can benefit you. If you can tie together your career achievements, with a sense of company benefit while being brief and extremely confident and up front, you will be well on your way to a very successful interview!

Tomorrow we tackle “why did you leave your last job?”

Happy hunting Tampa!

Got the Interview, Be Prepared to Answer these Questions!

Today I am going to throw out 10 of the most frequent interview questions and statements that most job seekers face. I would like to open up the comments for your best answer at any of the questions, be it one or all of them. Be creative and try to recall your last interview and how it went down. Tomorrow I will share some good and not so good answers to these questions.

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why did you leave your last job?
3. What do you know about our company?
4. Why do you want to work for us?
5. Why should we hire you?
6. If hired, how long do you pan on working here?
7. How much would you like to get paid?
8. Are you willing to work overtime, weekends and other needed occasions?
9. What is your attitude on work?
10. Do you have any questions for me?

So there we go. Please share your responses and even tell some horror stories along the way. There is no wrong answer for this exercise, although a wrong answer in real life will result in the need for another interview!

Until tomorrow, happy hunting Tampa.

Greg Rollett

Greg Talks With InterviewUp Part 2

This is the second half of the InterviewUp interview. The first half along with a review can be read at the Orlando JobSpot.

InterviewUp is a new Web 2.0 company that allows its users to:

-Find interview questions and answers
-Ask interview questions and get answers
-Print out interview questions to practice for your interview success
-Track interview questions and get notified when they're answered
-InterviewUp is a wiki, improve existing interview questions and answers

Here goes the second half of our conversation with site founders Jake Lackey & Dipesh Gandhi:

Greg: Will the site have traditional social networking features or be more of a question and answer type of site?

InterviewUp: We have User Point system to encourage user participation. We are not particularly focused on developing the site as a social networking site. With this said, InterviewUp is determined to develop the best tools and platform to enable each and every person to succeed!

Greg: How did the initial idea come about?

InterviewUp: Last March, I was on a job hunt. And for technical positions, the interviews go on for almost 6 hours with a ton of questions asked. So, I looked around on the internet to prepare well for my interview. There were a few blogs with a couple of questions here and there. I couldn’t find a single site where I could find it all. So, it occurred to me there will be millions of job seekers like me who need a site like InterviewUp!

Greg: When will the site officially launch?

InterviewUp: We don’t have a fixed date as yet. But we see it coming in a few weeks from now.

Greg: What do you believe are some of the core values of an interview?

InterviewUp: At InterviewUp we believe there is one true core value (above all others) that the right job candidate should possess – PASSION! When a person interviewing for the job has true passion for the work role they will be performing, you know you have found the right person for the job. When someone really loves their career and is aligned with its goals there is no limit to the amount of success they can achieve. At InterviewUp we want to encourage our community to develop their own passion for their dream jobs.

Greg: What are the basics problems that you see or foresee for students coming out of school and are walking into their first “real job” interview?

InterviewUp: Students often times lack the self-confidence and the experience to understand the true potential of their abilities. Also, many students are taught that work is difficult, not fun, and to simply dread going to work. At InterviewUp we believe in the individual and their ability to achieve their ultimate career success. We want to prepare them with the interview questions and answers to build confidence and be a positive influence. Once the student truly knows what he or she wants, and believes in himself – he can make the dream job a reality.

Greg: In your eyes, has the interview process changed with the import of Generation-Y workers entering the workforce and the reemergence of older workers as well?

InterviewUp: The questions asked during an interview may change, but we believe the interview has remained the same. The interview is not only for first impressions; it’s also the first stress-test for the new hire. It is the role of the interviewer to illicit as much information about the interviewee as possible while the interviewee is often times stressed that they may say the wrong thing or give the wrong answer. InterviewUp is designed to help everyone get prepared for the Interview by providing the interview questions and answers. InterviewUp believe each individual has the power and the ability to achieve their ultimate career success.

Greg: Do you have plans to expand the site beyond just the interview?

InterviewUp: Yes! We want to be – THE website for job seekers. We will keep on adding more features to help job seekers. The first one we plan to launch with our public launch. Keep watching!

Greg: Thank you again for your time and I wish you the best of luck with the site.

After the interview was conducted, Jake Lackey & Dipesh Gandhi offered the Employment Guide readers 100 special invites to join the site before it goes live. Check the link below:

http://www.interviewup.com/createaccount-blog/Employment-Guide-Users.aspx

If you would like to read my review of the site as well as the first part of this interview, please head on over to the Orlando JobSpot.

Happy hunting Tampa and be sure to send over your feedback on InterviewUp and any other job seeking topics!!

-Greg Rollett