Anonymous writes:
I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 10 years and am currently
going through a divorce. At the moment I am driving a school bus because
the hours are great. But now that my children are older, I want to get back
into the job world. I have a resume and have applied for many jobs with no
response. I have plenty of experience. How do I get employers to notice me?
What am I doing wrong? I really need the income and am willing to start just
about anywhere.
The Career Doctor responds:
Without seeing your resume, my sense is that you have been out of your field for 10 years, some of that time driving a bus. In just about any occupation, being away that long a period of time probably means you do not know the latest technology or other developments that have been made.
Getting no interest from prospective employers is a sign that you have some fundamental problems — with your resume (and/or cover letter), with your experience, or with your job-search strategy.
First, don’t be or sound so desperate. Employers don’t want to hire people who will work just about “anywhere.” You need to believe in yourself before you can convince an employer to believe in you.
Second, consider finding a temp agency that handles job-seekers in your occupation. You need to gain some new experience to help show that the gap means nothing in terms of your abilities to do a quality job.
Third, you may need to get some help on developing a resume that sells your skills and abilities.
Finally, keep open to the fact that you may need to get more education or training to updates your skills.
