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- Panel of Experts provides ongoing insight to College Recruiter
College Recruiter’s Panel of Experts brings together expert voices from around the country with insight around entry level talent acquisition—both from the employer’s perspective and the job seeker’s. Members of the panel have decades of experience in advising human resources or job seekers, and are recognized experts in their fields. They specialize in workforce solutions, best practices in diversity, university relations, internships, interviewing, resume writing, career development and more.
At College Recruiter we believe that every student and recent grad deserves a great career. We are excited to offer their deep insight to our readers and followers, who we believe will learn how to apply best practices to their own hiring approaches or job searches. Every month we will share a discussion with members of the Panel of Experts. Watch the videos, read the blog posts, and find all archived discussions on LinkedIn for recruiters, LinkedIn for job seekers, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
Members of the panel:
Martin Edmondson, Chief Executive at Gradcore. At Gradcore, Martin specializes in graduate recruitment, employment and employability, with the aim of maximizing graduate potential for organisations, universities and places. Martin has a wide range of experience and skills, gained from working across the public, private and third sectors.Marky Stein, Fortune 100 Career Consultant.
Marky is the author of “Fearless Interviewing”, named the #1 interviewing book of the “100 Best Career Books of All Time” by onlinecollege.com. Her book “From Freshman to Fortune 500: 7 Secrets to Success for Grads, Undergrads and Career Changers” is due May 2017.
Alexandra Levit, Consultant for all things workplace. Alexandra Levit’s goal is to prepare organizations and their employees for meaningful careers in the future workplace. A former nationally syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal and writer for the New York Times, Fast Company, and Forbes, Alexandra has authored several books, including the international bestseller “They Don’t Teach Corporate in College.”
Joanne Meehl, MS, IJCDC, CPPA, Career Strategy Coach and President and primary Job Coach at Joanne Meehl Career Services. Joanne helps leaders market themselves for their next roles. She talks with hiring managers, internal and external recruiters, and HR directors about what they want. She translates this knowledge into guidance for her clients. She positions herself to her clients as a partner who gets her clients to decide and focus, see their own value, and communicate who they are in order to land the job they choose.
Janine Truitt, Chief Innovations Officer at Talent Think Innovations. She is an entrepreneur, mentor, coach, speaker, blogger and brand influencer. She provides innovative, on-demand services, trainings, media and products that arm businesses with the timely knowledge and tools they need to succeed. She inspires individuals from the c-suite to stay-at-home moms to recognize and utilize their full potential by nudging them beyond their comfort zones and providing a practical way to achieve success.
Vicky Oliver, Author of award-winning career development books. Her career advice has been featured in over 901 media outlets, including the New York Times Job Market section, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and Esquire magazine. She has been interviewed on over 601 radio programs. Her first book, “301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions” (Sourcebooks, 2005), is a national bestseller in its third U.S. printing.
Toni Newborn, J.D., Diversity and Consulting Services Manager at City of St. Paul. She is currently serving as the Diversity and Consulting Services Manager for the City. In this role, she manages the consulting services division as well as create strategic plans to diversify the city’s work force from a racial equity lens.
Bruce Soltys, Director of University Relations at Travelers. He Leads a team accountable for the design and delivery of the enterprise strategy for sourcing, attracting and recruiting a pool of diverse candidates through relationships with targeted colleges, universities, and student organizations across the country.
Jeff Dunn
, Campus Relations Manager for Intel Corporation. Jeff has over 20 years of corporate recruiting experience. He is a regular speaker on college campuses on successful job search strategies. He specializes in helping students with resume, networking, interviewing, LinkedIn and Branding strategies. - Lisa Orrell Happy to Be a Part of CollegeRecruiter.com’s Ask the Experts Panel
Lisa Orrell of the Orrell Group has not only graciously agreed to contribute to the CollegeRecruiter.com Ask the Experts blog, she has also spoken out in full support of it. Check out her press release below:
Popular Blog Offering Career and Job Seeking Advice to Gen Y
Selects Lisa Orrell As Panel Expert
CollegeRecruiter.com, the award winning job board for Gen Y, has selected Lisa
Orrell, The Generation Relations Expert, to be an expert panelist for their “Ask
The Expert” career blog
San Jose, CA – CollegeRecruiter.com has launched its “Ask The
Expert” career blog for Generation Y (aka Millennials) job seekers, recent grads, and
those already employed. And Lisa Orrell, author of “Millennials Incorporated”, speaker,
consultant, and Leadership Coach for Gen Y, has been selected as a panel expert for
their popular blog.“CollegeRecruiter.com is the leading job board for matching college students and recent
grads with employers offering internship and employment opportunities,” explains Lisa
Orrell. “So to be selected as an expert panelist for their ‘Ask The Experts’ blog is an
honor. Our panel team answers questions ranging from how to land a job, to managing
employees older than you, and everything in between!”
“Based on Lisa’s extensive knowledge of Gen Y, and her expertise on understanding the
new dynamics within the multigenerational workforce, she was a perfect fit to be one of
our experts,” shares Steven Rothberg, President & Founder of CollegeRecruiter.com.
“We’re thrilled she’s making the time to participate and her insights will help a lot of
young people seeking solid career and workforce advice.”
The CollegeRecruiter.com “Ask The Expert” blog is active and answering questions
regularly. For blog access, visit: https://www.collegerecruiter.com/ask-the-experts/
For media inquiries, or to reach Lisa Orrell to speak at your next event or conduct a
presentation for your company, please contact her at: [email protected],
phone 1-888-254-LISA (5472), or visit www.TheOrrellGroup.com.
About Lisa Orrell
Lisa Orrell is The Generation Relations Expert, and author of the popular book,
Millennials Incorporated. She is an in-demand speaker, consultant, and Leadership
Coach for Gen Y, hired by well-known organizations to coach their Gen Y talent, and to
educate their senior leadership and management teams on how to better recruit,
manage and retain Gen Y employees. She also conducts seminars and keynotes on
how to improve generation relations to increase workforce morale, productivity and
revenue. Lisa has been a featured guest on MSNBC, ABC, and NPR, and her expert
commentary has appeared in (partial list): FoxBusiness.com, Human Resource
Executive, China’s HerWorld magazine, Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, HR.com,
Universum’s Trainee Guides for Norway, Denmark & Sweden, and Employee Benefit
News. People also follow her popular blog at: blog.generationrelations.com
About CollegeRecruiter.com
Founded in 1996 by Steven Rothberg, CollegeRecruiter.com has become the leading job board for college students hunting for internships and recent graduates looking for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.
College Recruiter.com features hundreds of thousands of job openings and tens of thousands of pages of employment-related blogs, articles, podcasts, and videos. This website has also been featured in countless major media, including: CNN, BusinessWeek, ABC, Fortune, USAToday, and The Wall Street Journal. And, for two
years in a row, CollegeRecruiter.com received the prestigious Weddle’s User’s Choice Award for best job boards, and was rated a “best” site by CareerXroads.
For more information about CollegeRecruiter.com, please visit their website or contact: Steven Rothberg, [email protected], 800-835-4989 x: 704.Originally posted by Candice A
- Lisa Orrell Happy to Be a Part of CollegeRecruiter.com’s Ask the Experts Panel
Lisa Orrell of the Orrell Group has not only graciously agreed to contribute to the CollegeRecruiter.com Ask the Experts blog, she has also spoken out in full support of it. Check out her press release below:
Popular Blog Offering Career and Job Seeking Advice to Gen Y
Selects Lisa Orrell As Panel Expert
CollegeRecruiter.com, the award winning job board for Gen Y, has selected Lisa
Orrell, The Generation Relations Expert, to be an expert panelist for their “Ask
The Expert” career blog
San Jose, CA – CollegeRecruiter.com has launched its “Ask The
Expert” career blog for Generation Y (aka Millennials) job seekers, recent grads, and
those already employed. And Lisa Orrell, author of “Millennials Incorporated”, speaker,
consultant, and Leadership Coach for Gen Y, has been selected as a panel expert for
their popular blog.“CollegeRecruiter.com is the leading job board for matching college students and recent
grads with employers offering internship and employment opportunities,” explains Lisa
Orrell. “So to be selected as an expert panelist for their ‘Ask The Experts’ blog is an
honor. Our panel team answers questions ranging from how to land a job, to managing
employees older than you, and everything in between!”
“Based on Lisa’s extensive knowledge of Gen Y, and her expertise on understanding the
new dynamics within the multigenerational workforce, she was a perfect fit to be one of
our experts,” shares Steven Rothberg, President & Founder of CollegeRecruiter.com.
“We’re thrilled she’s making the time to participate and her insights will help a lot of
young people seeking solid career and workforce advice.”
The CollegeRecruiter.com “Ask The Expert” blog is active and answering questions
regularly. For blog access, visit: https://www.collegerecruiter.com/ask-the-experts/
For media inquiries, or to reach Lisa Orrell to speak at your next event or conduct a
presentation for your company, please contact her at: [email protected],
phone 1-888-254-LISA (5472), or visit www.TheOrrellGroup.com.
About Lisa Orrell
Lisa Orrell is The Generation Relations Expert, and author of the popular book,
Millennials Incorporated. She is an in-demand speaker, consultant, and Leadership
Coach for Gen Y, hired by well-known organizations to coach their Gen Y talent, and to
educate their senior leadership and management teams on how to better recruit,
manage and retain Gen Y employees. She also conducts seminars and keynotes on
how to improve generation relations to increase workforce morale, productivity and
revenue. Lisa has been a featured guest on MSNBC, ABC, and NPR, and her expert
commentary has appeared in (partial list): FoxBusiness.com, Human Resource
Executive, China’s HerWorld magazine, Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, HR.com,
Universum’s Trainee Guides for Norway, Denmark & Sweden, and Employee Benefit
News. People also follow her popular blog at: blog.generationrelations.com
About CollegeRecruiter.com
Founded in 1996 by Steven Rothberg, CollegeRecruiter.com has become the leading job board for college students hunting for internships and recent graduates looking for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.
College Recruiter.com features hundreds of thousands of job openings and tens of thousands of pages of employment-related blogs, articles, podcasts, and videos. This website has also been featured in countless major media, including: CNN, BusinessWeek, ABC, Fortune, USAToday, and The Wall Street Journal. And, for two
years in a row, CollegeRecruiter.com received the prestigious Weddle’s User’s Choice Award for best job boards, and was rated a “best” site by CareerXroads.
For more information about CollegeRecruiter.com, please visit their website or contact: Steven Rothberg, [email protected], 800-835-4989 x: 704.Originally posted by Candice A
- Lisa Orrell Happy to Be a Part of CollegeRecruiter.com’s Ask the Experts Panel
Lisa Orrell of the Orrell Group has not only graciously agreed to contribute to the CollegeRecruiter.com Ask the Experts blog, she has also spoken out in full support of it. Check out her press release below:
Popular Blog Offering Career and Job Seeking Advice to Gen Y
Selects Lisa Orrell As Panel Expert
CollegeRecruiter.com, the award winning job board for Gen Y, has selected Lisa
Orrell, The Generation Relations Expert, to be an expert panelist for their “Ask
The Expert” career blog
San Jose, CA – CollegeRecruiter.com has launched its “Ask The
Expert” career blog for Generation Y (aka Millennials) job seekers, recent grads, and
those already employed. And Lisa Orrell, author of “Millennials Incorporated”, speaker,
consultant, and Leadership Coach for Gen Y, has been selected as a panel expert for
their popular blog. - Diversity in the workplace: recruitment tips and tactics Part 2 [expert panel discussion]
As demographics change in the United States, including at college campuses, we should be seeing more diversity in the workplace. So why is the needle moving so slowly? In today’s panel discussion with College Recruiter’s Panel of Experts, we explore strategies for talent acquisition professionals to improve their diversity recruitment. Today our discussion touched on what an inclusive recruitment process looks like, differences between the government and private sectors, and concrete tips for talent acquisition professionals. Continue Reading
- Diversity recruitment: Big impact strategies and mistakes Part 1 [expert panel discussion]
As demographics change in the United States, including at college campuses, employers should have more diverse new hires. So why is the needle moving so slowly? In today’s panel discussion with College Recruiter’s Panel of Experts, we explore strategies for talent acquisition professionals to improve their diversity recruitment. Our discussion touches on mistakes recruiters make, big impact strategies and becoming culturally confident.
We were joined by Alexandra Levit, a workplace consultant; Toni Newborn, J.D., Diversity and Consulting Services Manager at City of St. Paul; and Bruce Soltys, Director of University Relations at Travelers. This is Part 1 of our discussion. Next week we will publish part 2, which discusses what an inclusive recruitment process looks like, differences between the government and private sectors, and concrete tips for talent acquisition professionals. Continue Reading
- Remote DBA Experts explain the job of a DBA
Two administrators, male and female, at server room. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
Now a day’s all websites, web pages are dynamic. It means that it’s not just a page where in you read the data. You have multiple options on the page. Multiple tabs, check boxes, buttons that lead to some other data not already on the screen. All of this data shown and possibly shown on the website is basically stored in a data base. So whenever someone types in a website’s name in the address bar, the data base server pushes the home screen data. When you write a simple blog, that blog is stored in the database. When someone wants to read the blog, the blog is retrieved from the database. The comments posted on the blog are also stored in the database, only to be retrieved later on. Continue Reading
- Ask the Experts Blog is Back By Popular Demand
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, June 5, 2009 – In response to recent inquiries, CollegeRecruiter.com has re-launched its Ask the Experts blog. Every week, a group of experts from around the country gives their responses to questions that have been gathered from a variety of sources, such as students, job seekers and employers. Sometimes the experts write articles of their own, which are also open to comments.
Regular reports on site traffic indicate overwhelmingly that besides looking for jobs, visitors to CollegeRecruiter.com also want as much information as they can get about writing a great resume, acing a job interview, negotiating for the best salary and benefits and the proper way to follow up after interviews are completed. The time could not better for anyone with valuable knowledge on any one of these subjects to be a part of something that’s specifically designed to mentor and guide those who are new to job searching and to those who are uncertain if they’re using best, most effective methods in their quests for jobs or internships.
By participating in the Ask the Experts blog, contributors are able to gain added exposure for themselves, their companies and their Web sites or blogs. The questions they answer cover a wide variety of career-related topics, such as how to dress for an interview, resume writing, salary negotiation and whether it’s a good idea to go to graduate school. Anyone who signs up to be a regular contributor will be in good company.
Internship expert, Penny Loretto, has already started contributing. “As a frequent visitor and contributor to CollegeRecruiter.com, I became interested in participating as a contributor [to Ask the Experts] because I value this resource and I believe that students really want a place where they can get professional answers to their personal career-related questions,” said Loretto. “The Ask the Experts blog provides a resource for students to get several answers to their questions from professionals in the field and this information will hopefully help them to make better career-related decisions.”
Game Theory Group CEO, Vin McCaffrey, has also answered several questions. “CollegeRecruiter.com has long been considered an outstanding resource for undergraduates, graduate students and recent college graduates as they prepare for their career search. The resurrection of ‘Ask the Experts’ creates a great medium to answer questions that are completely relevant for the recent college graduate,” McCaffrey said enthusiastically. “Personally, I love the Q and A format – the questions are asked from the perspective of the candidate and as the industry experts share their experiences and insight, their intent is to help ease the anxieties associated to a job search. We realize how challenging it is to land a job, particularly in this economy. I know how proud I am to be on the panel with my colleagues and hope that we can help those job candidates gain a bit more clarity and confidence in their job search.”
And executive recruiter, Dwain Celistan, has graciously shared his knowledge. “Ask the Experts blog is a great place for job seekers. It provides a safe environment to ask a question and get credible perspective from knowledgeable professionals,” said Celistan. “As the Career Acceleration Coach, I find it important to help talented people realize their goals. This forum is a great place to provide input to one person, but the feedback may help many more. The combination of perspectives allows the reader to think about their situation differently. I know many persons will make wiser decisions because of the input they get from the ‘pros’.”
Loretto, McCaffrey and Celistan are only a few of the experts taking the time to offer their insights and advice to interested students and job seekers.
There is always room for one more expert who’s interested in commenting on one or more of the topics discussed in the blog. So, anyone who feels he or she is an expert in a particular area, like recruiting, personal branding or interviewing – either as an employer or a candidate – is welcome to be a contributor to Ask the Experts. Simply get in touch with content coordinator, Candice Arnold, to be added to the list.
About CollegeRecruiter.com
CollegeRecruiter.com is the leading job board for college students hunting for internships and recent graduates looking for entry level jobs and other career opportunities. CollegeRecruiter.com features hundreds of thousands of job openings and tens of thousands of pages of employment-related blogs, articles, podcasts, and videos. For more information, please visit http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com.
Contact Information for CollegeRecruiter.com:
Steven Rothberg
[email protected]
800-835-4989 x704Originally posted by Candice A
- Ask the Experts Blog is Back By Popular Demand
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, June 5, 2009 – In response to recent inquiries, CollegeRecruiter.com has re-launched its Ask the Experts blog. Every week, a group of experts from around the country gives their responses to questions that have been gathered from a variety of sources, such as students, job seekers and employers. Sometimes the experts write articles of their own, which are also open to comments.
Regular reports on site traffic indicate overwhelmingly that besides looking for jobs, visitors to CollegeRecruiter.com also want as much information as they can get about writing a great resume, acing a job interview, negotiating for the best salary and benefits and the proper way to follow up after interviews are completed. The time could not better for anyone with valuable knowledge on any one of these subjects to be a part of something that’s specifically designed to mentor and guide those who are new to job searching and to those who are uncertain if they’re using best, most effective methods in their quests for jobs or internships.
By participating in the Ask the Experts blog, contributors are able to gain added exposure for themselves, their companies and their Web sites or blogs. The questions they answer cover a wide variety of career-related topics, such as how to dress for an interview, resume writing, salary negotiation and whether it’s a good idea to go to graduate school. Anyone who signs up to be a regular contributor will be in good company.
Internship expert, Penny Loretto, has already started contributing. “As a frequent visitor and contributor to CollegeRecruiter.com, I became interested in participating as a contributor [to Ask the Experts] because I value this resource and I believe that students really want a place where they can get professional answers to their personal career-related questions,” said Loretto. “The Ask the Experts blog provides a resource for students to get several answers to their questions from professionals in the field and this information will hopefully help them to make better career-related decisions.”
Game Theory Group CEO, Vin McCaffrey, has also answered several questions. “CollegeRecruiter.com has long been considered an outstanding resource for undergraduates, graduate students and recent college graduates as they prepare for their career search. The resurrection of ‘Ask the Experts’ creates a great medium to answer questions that are completely relevant for the recent college graduate,” McCaffrey said enthusiastically. “Personally, I love the Q and A format – the questions are asked from the perspective of the candidate and as the industry experts share their experiences and insight, their intent is to help ease the anxieties associated to a job search. We realize how challenging it is to land a job, particularly in this economy. I know how proud I am to be on the panel with my colleagues and hope that we can help those job candidates gain a bit more clarity and confidence in their job search.”
And executive recruiter, Dwain Celistan, has graciously shared his knowledge. “Ask the Experts blog is a great place for job seekers. It provides a safe environment to ask a question and get credible perspective from knowledgeable professionals,” said Celistan. “As the Career Acceleration Coach, I find it important to help talented people realize their goals. This forum is a great place to provide input to one person, but the feedback may help many more. The combination of perspectives allows the reader to think about their situation differently. I know many persons will make wiser decisions because of the input they get from the ‘pros’.”
Loretto, McCaffrey and Celistan are only a few of the experts taking the time to offer their insights and advice to interested students and job seekers.
There is always room for one more expert who’s interested in commenting on one or more of the topics discussed in the blog. So, anyone who feels he or she is an expert in a particular area, like recruiting, personal branding or interviewing – either as an employer or a candidate – is welcome to be a contributor to Ask the Experts. Simply get in touch with content coordinator, Candice Arnold, to be added to the list.
About CollegeRecruiter.com
CollegeRecruiter.com is the leading job board for college students hunting for internships and recent graduates looking for entry level jobs and other career opportunities. CollegeRecruiter.com features hundreds of thousands of job openings and tens of thousands of pages of employment-related blogs, articles, podcasts, and videos. For more information, please visit http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com.
Contact Information for CollegeRecruiter.com:
Steven Rothberg
[email protected]
800-835-4989 x704Originally posted by Candice A
- Ask the Experts: Explaining a Long Gap in Your Resume
Question:
I have been unemployed by choice for three years. I quit after my 15 day old baby died of SIDS. I felt that I needed to spend more time with my five and eight year old children because they were having a difficult time coping with the death of their sister. I had another baby a year ago and am now ready to return to work on a part-time basis but don’t know how to explain the three year gap on my resume.
First Answer:
Don’t mention the gap on your resume, and if asked about the time in interviews, simply say that you took time off to make a difference in your family and now you’re ready to make a difference in the corporate world!
— Tracy Laswell Williams, certified job and career transition coach, accredited resume writer and founder of CAREER-Magic.com
Second Answer:
I am sorry for your loss and understand your decision to put your family first.
Honesty is the best policy. I think you need to calmly explain, as you have to the experts on this panel, that you left voluntarily because of family issues.
I am assuming that you worked prior to this time, so you have some work experience. Letters of reference might be useful to you, as they will validate the fact that until the time of crisis in your family, you were an exemplary worker. Keep in mind that unfair as it may seem, some employers may worry that if you dropped out of the workplace once, that you will do it again. While children should come first in our society, an employer would prefer for you to put the workplace top on the list.
When I advise people with gaps in their resume, I help them to determine what objections employers might raise to their particular situation, and we devise compelling responses to these possible objections, in advance of telephone or in-person interviews. That way, they stay focused, confident, and persuasive If you are worried that you might get overly emotional or defensive, or you feel that you might not be able to make the most compelling case for why you’re the best candidate even though you “checked out” for three years, investing in a session or two with a coach either in your hometown or online, might help, too!
— Alison Blackman Dunham, life & career expert, columnist, personal public relations consultant, half of THE ADVICE SISTERS¬Ã, and the author of the ASK ALISON career advice column
Third Answer:
It is reasonable to be concerned about gaps in time on your resume. However, this one can be handled quickly and with a great deal of ease. You can say you chose to take some time off for life enrichment purposes. You are now ready to fully move forward in your chosen area. Then talk about any career development education you gained while off work or career-related endeavors that kept your skills up to date.
You may want to read “The Interview,” an article specifically for domestic violence survivors who have been out of the job market for a protracted period of time. It may offer you some ideas about interview “do’s” as well as interview “don’ts.”
May all of your Entrances be through the doors of success!
— Yvonne LaRose, career and professional development coach, Career and Executive Recruiting Advice
Fourth Answer:
Coming back into the workforce after a prolonged absence is as challenging a problem as one can ever face whether coming back from child rearing or any other reason. Most people notice how the pace has changed (although many might offer up the following, “Fast paced? You want fast paced? Try chasing after several pre-schoolers 12 hours each day!”). It is odd though how many people who came from the womb choose to view women coming back from childbirth and child rearing. How quickly many forget. Before I continue, I found an incredibly neat – and comprehensive – website call BlueSuitMom – . It appears to be a great resource for any gender in understanding the dynamics of where care giving interacts with business.
Explaining being a Mom (or a stay-at-home Dad). Some people still believe giving birth and rearing a child is easier than working. A friend of mine once told me, “Try pushing a cantaloupe out of your…” I took her word for it. But what do you put in your resume and in your cover letter?
It helps to understand what a resume truly represents: In my opinion, it is a talking piece and while it shouldn’t be an in-depth analysis of one’s life, it needs to detail some of the critical events that formulated one’s current persona. Besides, too many recruiters won’t even look at a resume if it doesn’t address gaps. SIDS is not an alibi – it is a life changing event that if addressed well, can enhance a person’s personality, strength, desire, etc. – and make the person better at handling challenges in the workplace.
I suppose the person can say they have been a stay-at-home Mom and leave it at that but I think calling oneself a Domestic Engineer is more intriguing (see below). Naturally, all of this is dependent upon what other job skills are brought to the table.
For the resume. This isn’t a standard approach to addressing motherhood, etc. but it sure goes a long way in explaining what is required to make it successful:
2000-2004
Familia LLC; Anytown, USCOO and Vice President, Domestic Engineering
During a period of intense cultural upheaval, developed new organizational processes that were integral in maintaining the unit’s core competencies and return to profitability. [I’m not kidding]
Above all, be certain to include job-related skills and accomplishments. If you use Quicken to manage your families finances, say it. Tailor the resume to fit the job, industry or company.
When a recruiter makes a face or a crass comment, inform them of the real details. While you may be tempted to say, “Well? How do you think you would have done under the same circumstances?”, it would be better to say, “After what my family has been through, I’m certain that I’ll be able to transfer what I’ve learned to your business environment.” Deflect from the emotion to the job in question.
Cover letter. As far as cover letters, some folks read them, other’s don’t. “I’m returning to the workforce after a period of motherhood” is all that is required. Sell your job skills not your mothering skills. Of course you can use “mothering” analogies but focus on equating the job requirements to your skill sets.
Pictures: This may sound harsh but don’t bring pictures of your children to the interview – focus on becoming a member of the business team first. If asked for pictures by the recruiter or hiring manager – hey, most people really love seeing pictures of children (I know I do) – let them know that you’ll be certain to stop by their office your first day of work with your entire family portfolio.
Until then, it’s all about business.
Networking. This is obvious but there are great SIDS support groups around the country – http://sids-network.org/, http://www.sids.org/, http://www.sidsalliance.org/index/default.asp, http://www.sidscenter.org/, http://www.sidsfamilies.com/, etc. – be certain you network within these groups for business contacts. Don’t forget members of your maternity classes, nurses, etc.
Feel free to contact me.
— Steve Levy, Principal of outside-the-box Consulting
Fifth Answer:
Your question regarding your three year absence from the work force and how to deal with the employment gap is a good one. The answer is easy-just be honest. You have taken a three year hiatus to spend time with your family. You have spent your time focused on your family, dealing with out of the ordinary circumstances.
You should list your employment chronologically. When the Recruiter/Hiring manager speaks with you directly, this is the appropriate time to explain your reason for taking time off.
Your personal circumstances and decision to spend time focusing on family needs is understandable. Rather than detailing your tragic situation, succinctly tell your interviewer because you were able to focus completely on your family for a period of time, you have your family’s support in returning to work. You can now dedicate your time and concentration in an uncompromising way; which will make you a valuable addition to their team.
If they reject you because you took time off to be with your children in a difficult time, they are indicating a lack of compassion and working with that organization would be a mistake anyway.
In short, explain the “gap’ of time un-employed in conversation. Do not explain on your resume. Keep the focus on the value you will bring to their company.
— Lisa Alexander, former Medical Sales Representative and hiring manager of pharmaceutical sales representatives and author of PharmRepSelect¬Ã, a comprehensive guide to getting a job in the pharmaceutical sales industry
Originally posted by alwin