Recently in Job Applications Category

Melissa writes:

Hi! I am trying to get my own employment history through the last 10 years. I need to be exact with dates/months, etc. I have a general idea of the months which I started and stopped, but not the specific dates. How do I find this information so I can report it correctly on a new application?

The Career Doctor responds:

Don’t you have this information on your resume? Do you keep copies of old job applications? And more importantly, why do you need the exact start and stop dates? Normally, employers simply want month and year.

If you simply must have the exact dates of your employment, my best suggestion would be to contact the human resources departments of your previous employers and request the information from them.

And to avoid this problem in the future, keep an employment diary of all your important information — dates of employment, names of supervisors, key contact information for references, a list of your accomplishments and honors, etc. And if you don’t have a resume, now is the time to develop one.

Robert writes:

How, if possible, can I with a nonexistent (besides work done without pay) work history, but some college, along with some time spent not working, successfully complete an employment application? Any suggestions?

Be mindful that I have no criminal background. Thank you for your time.

The Career Doctor responds:

I am on a big marketing kick right now because a job-seeker has to have some basic marketing skills in order to best showcase his/her abilities.

Let me stress again to you doubters out there that applying some general marketing principles to job-hunting does NOT mean lying or stretching the truth. I think of marketing in job-hunting — polishing the resume, developing better interview answers, researching prospective employers, developing an effective elevator speech, networking — in the same vein as someone selling their house spends a little time and effort on increasing its curb appeal.

For example, in your case you need to stop downplaying your volunteering experience. Volunteer work counts as work experience! And for you students, so too does work-study, class projects, and part-time work.

Your challenge is to pull relevant accomplishments and skills from your volunteering and college classes that fit to the requirements of the jobs you seek. You may need to gain additional training or experience, and you will need to have an explanation of the gaps spent not working.

In terms of a traditional job application, complete it as best you can, marking “will explain in interview” in areas where you have gaps. Whenever possible, attach your resume to any employment application.

A great new tool for all job-seekers — to help you take your career to the next level — is a free career branding tutorial that is now available on Quintessential Careers.

Finally, for help with your job application, please go to: A Job-Seeker’s Guide to Successfully Completing Job Applications.

Michelle writes:

First, thank you very much for creating such wonderful website. I found it’s extremely useful!

I am in the process of applying some jobs, and experiencing difficulty with answering a few competency questions on the online application form.

Here’s the question: “Describe how you have demonstrated initiative in extending your personal learning and developing yourself, outside the educational environment. Describe the activities you have undertaken, why this demonstrated initiative, and what you have learned.”

I would be most grateful for any advice you can offer.

The Career Doctor responds:

What the employer is seeking about you is whether you have been actively involved in professional-development activities. This is a question for all job-seekers, but perhaps even more important for older applicants… because the prospective employer basically is asking whether you have kept your skills current with the latest innovations and technologies in your field.

This question reinforces again the importance of developing a career portfolio… which would contain copies of your resume, reference list, professional development activities, awards and commendations, certifications and licenses, volunteering and community service, and work samples. If you had already developed a portfolio, this question would be fairly easy to answer.

So, what you need to do is make a list of all the conferences, workshops, and seminars you have attended. Even though the question states “outside the educational environment,” I would also include any certifications or refresher courses you have taken since your last degree.