Handle 30+ years of work experience with care
Dear Sam: I am 57 years old and have just lost my job due to downsizing. I am concerned that my age will turn off prospective employers. As a result, I have removed the years of service on my résumé from each employer I have had; that seems to have helped a little.
When employers contact me, they always want me to walk them through my résumé, and I can almost hear them counting the years as I do. They often ask, as I am reviewing it, “How many years were you with them?” Would it be unethical to remove the last employer on the résumé which accounts for about 12 years of my 36-year career? I would, of course, answer any questions asked in regards to whether I have any experience other than what is listed on the résumé; I am just concerned that all of my experience is causing people to decide that I may be too old to invest their time in. Thanks for your help. – Jim
Dear Jim: I’m so glad you wrote, as you are committing a big résumé no-no! Never remove all dates of employment from your résumé; the assumption hiring managers will make when not seeing a single date will likely be far worse than reality. Typically I hear that when candidates leave out dates, their phone never rings.
Instead, date your experiences back to 1984 and omit your first 12 years of employment. It is not unethical to remove this experience; in fact, removing dated positions is a very common and expected practice. Hiring managers typically want to see 10 to 15 years of experience and they do not expect you to explore 30+ years of experience unless you are at the senior executive level. Be sure that your qualifications summary isn’t immediately dating you either. You shouldn’t be opening your résumé with a statement as to how many years of experience you have; doing so can be easily calculated by reviewing your tenure with each employer. Instead, make sure your summary is written using up-to-date jargon and industry buzzwords and that your most recent experiences are focused on much more heavily than your early career roles. I think when you take this approach, your résumé and your candidacy will be much more marketable.
Dear Sam: In just a few weeks, I will finally be a college graduate (I just completed requirements for an accounting degree I began 12 years ago)! My goal in doing so, aside from finishing what I started, is to be able to use the education to further advance my career within my chosen area.
I am concerned, however, with my personal financial situation and the impact it may have on my ability to secure future positions. Years ago, I became caught up in the real estate boom and invested time, energy, and lots of money in the purchase, rehab, and rental of a number of properties. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, and I fell flat on my face. Everything that had been invested went down the tubes, including my credit report, which now includes a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and 6 mortgage foreclosures. (Prior to investing, my credit score had been in the high 780s.) My fear is that all of the work I have invested in completing my degree will be for not with a potential employer who wants to pull my credit report. Is there any way to delicately handle this possible situation? Should I "prepare" potential employers of what they will find, once they inform me my credit report must be pulled? If it helps, none of the debt included in the bankruptcy was consumer debt. It was all debt accumulated while investing. – Gary
Dear Gary: What an unfortunate situation and one that will absolutely need to be handled delicately as you navigate your job search. As you are going to be applying for positions in the accounting field, unfortunately I imagine your credit report will be pulled more often than not. You will definitely want to prepare employers for what they will find by explaining your situation much as you did for me. You may even want to prepare a professional letter that explains the situation, so in the event the interviewer you explain it to isn’t the one making the decision, you will still benefit from an opportunity to communicate the situation that placed your credit in the state it is today. Would it be possible to get a credit reference from your bank or other institution where you have held a satisfactory record? It may be useful to have “validation” that your personal finances have been handled appropriately since your filing. I think with a professional and honest statement, coupled with third-party validation of your pre- and post-bankruptcy/housing boom financial management skills, you will put yourself in a better position to overcome the impact a negative report may have on your search. I wish you much success, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!
Dear Sam: I have been with the same company for almost 5 years and enjoy the position, but am realizing I can't stay with the company because of the seasonality of the work which has long layoff periods followed by months of frantic overtime. I would like to use this layoff time to search for and apply for new positions, but also have enough respect for my coworkers that, should something new arise, I would not want to leave them in a lurch with the busy season on the horizon. In the same token, I do not want to appear demanding or unreasonable to employers who are usually looking for someone to start soon by stating that I would not be available until fall. Is there a diplomatic way to indicate on my cover letter or résumé that I would like to inquire about a position for the near future, out of respect for my current position? – Beth
Dear Beth: Fall is really just around the corner, and while I understand you want to be, and should be, completely honest during your job search, it will not benefit you to communicate conditions of hire in your cover letter. Instead, get your foot in the door, learn of the position and timeline for hiring, and then while negotiating, present your conditions. Doing so up front will almost surely prevent you from getting in the door, leaving you conducting a job search while you are in a layoff period with what I imagine is a much reduced income. You can still follow through on any commitment you have with your current employer while taking care of yourself and your career needs.
Dear Sam: I spent more than 2 years pursuing my MBA degree but was not able to complete it. How can I present an incomplete degree on my résumé? I have around 4 years of work experience to compensate for my degree. – Seth
Dear Seth: You can present an incomplete degree by stating, “Pursued Master of Business Administration (2006-2008).” If you are still planning on completing your graduate degree, state the following, “Master of Business Administration (Anticipated 2009).” Of course, use the appropriate degree and dates. Best of luck to you.
Samantha Nolan is a certified professional résumé writer and owner of Ladybug Design, a full-service résumé writing firm. Reach Samantha at dearsam@ladybug-design.com, www.ladybug-design.com, or 1-888-9-LADYBUG (1-888-952-3928).
When employers contact me, they always want me to walk them through my résumé, and I can almost hear them counting the years as I do. They often ask, as I am reviewing it, “How many years were you with them?” Would it be unethical to remove the last employer on the résumé which accounts for about 12 years of my 36-year career? I would, of course, answer any questions asked in regards to whether I have any experience other than what is listed on the résumé; I am just concerned that all of my experience is causing people to decide that I may be too old to invest their time in. Thanks for your help. – Jim
Dear Jim: I’m so glad you wrote, as you are committing a big résumé no-no! Never remove all dates of employment from your résumé; the assumption hiring managers will make when not seeing a single date will likely be far worse than reality. Typically I hear that when candidates leave out dates, their phone never rings.
Instead, date your experiences back to 1984 and omit your first 12 years of employment. It is not unethical to remove this experience; in fact, removing dated positions is a very common and expected practice. Hiring managers typically want to see 10 to 15 years of experience and they do not expect you to explore 30+ years of experience unless you are at the senior executive level. Be sure that your qualifications summary isn’t immediately dating you either. You shouldn’t be opening your résumé with a statement as to how many years of experience you have; doing so can be easily calculated by reviewing your tenure with each employer. Instead, make sure your summary is written using up-to-date jargon and industry buzzwords and that your most recent experiences are focused on much more heavily than your early career roles. I think when you take this approach, your résumé and your candidacy will be much more marketable.
Dear Sam: In just a few weeks, I will finally be a college graduate (I just completed requirements for an accounting degree I began 12 years ago)! My goal in doing so, aside from finishing what I started, is to be able to use the education to further advance my career within my chosen area.
I am concerned, however, with my personal financial situation and the impact it may have on my ability to secure future positions. Years ago, I became caught up in the real estate boom and invested time, energy, and lots of money in the purchase, rehab, and rental of a number of properties. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, and I fell flat on my face. Everything that had been invested went down the tubes, including my credit report, which now includes a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and 6 mortgage foreclosures. (Prior to investing, my credit score had been in the high 780s.) My fear is that all of the work I have invested in completing my degree will be for not with a potential employer who wants to pull my credit report. Is there any way to delicately handle this possible situation? Should I "prepare" potential employers of what they will find, once they inform me my credit report must be pulled? If it helps, none of the debt included in the bankruptcy was consumer debt. It was all debt accumulated while investing. – Gary
Dear Gary: What an unfortunate situation and one that will absolutely need to be handled delicately as you navigate your job search. As you are going to be applying for positions in the accounting field, unfortunately I imagine your credit report will be pulled more often than not. You will definitely want to prepare employers for what they will find by explaining your situation much as you did for me. You may even want to prepare a professional letter that explains the situation, so in the event the interviewer you explain it to isn’t the one making the decision, you will still benefit from an opportunity to communicate the situation that placed your credit in the state it is today. Would it be possible to get a credit reference from your bank or other institution where you have held a satisfactory record? It may be useful to have “validation” that your personal finances have been handled appropriately since your filing. I think with a professional and honest statement, coupled with third-party validation of your pre- and post-bankruptcy/housing boom financial management skills, you will put yourself in a better position to overcome the impact a negative report may have on your search. I wish you much success, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!
Dear Sam: I have been with the same company for almost 5 years and enjoy the position, but am realizing I can't stay with the company because of the seasonality of the work which has long layoff periods followed by months of frantic overtime. I would like to use this layoff time to search for and apply for new positions, but also have enough respect for my coworkers that, should something new arise, I would not want to leave them in a lurch with the busy season on the horizon. In the same token, I do not want to appear demanding or unreasonable to employers who are usually looking for someone to start soon by stating that I would not be available until fall. Is there a diplomatic way to indicate on my cover letter or résumé that I would like to inquire about a position for the near future, out of respect for my current position? – Beth
Dear Beth: Fall is really just around the corner, and while I understand you want to be, and should be, completely honest during your job search, it will not benefit you to communicate conditions of hire in your cover letter. Instead, get your foot in the door, learn of the position and timeline for hiring, and then while negotiating, present your conditions. Doing so up front will almost surely prevent you from getting in the door, leaving you conducting a job search while you are in a layoff period with what I imagine is a much reduced income. You can still follow through on any commitment you have with your current employer while taking care of yourself and your career needs.
Dear Sam: I spent more than 2 years pursuing my MBA degree but was not able to complete it. How can I present an incomplete degree on my résumé? I have around 4 years of work experience to compensate for my degree. – Seth
Dear Seth: You can present an incomplete degree by stating, “Pursued Master of Business Administration (2006-2008).” If you are still planning on completing your graduate degree, state the following, “Master of Business Administration (Anticipated 2009).” Of course, use the appropriate degree and dates. Best of luck to you.
Samantha Nolan is a certified professional résumé writer and owner of Ladybug Design, a full-service résumé writing firm. Reach Samantha at dearsam@ladybug-design.com, www.ladybug-design.com, or 1-888-9-LADYBUG (1-888-952-3928).
posted by Dear Sam at Monday, July 14, 2008
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