Tips for a stay-at-home Dad returning to work and changing careers

Dear Sam: I have primarily been a stay-at-home dad for seven years with a part time job in retail for the past six. In the fall, I will be reentering the work force full time, and am interested in and suited for a job in social services. My job history prior to raising my children was in sales and insurance. I actually have two questions: Do you have any advice for stay-at-home dads (and moms) who are reentering the work force? Secondly, do you have any advice for those who do not have direct job experience in their desired field, in marketing themselves to a new industry? - MC in Columbus

Dear MC: Being that you are returning to the workforce and embarking on a career change, I’d suggest using a combination résumé format. The combination résumé, as its name suggests, is simply a combination of the standard reverse chronological résumé and functional formats. This format (pictured below) will allow you to minimize the impact of potentially disqualifying factors such as a large gap in full-time employment and limited related experience.

To create a résumé in the combination style, begin with a qualifications summary highlighting your most notable skills that position you for an engagement in the social services arena. Here you can pull out specific experiences that you feel predict your future success. Being that you are interested in social services, you may want to highlight any community or volunteer work you have participated in since leaving the corporate workforce, professional development in the field, or even any certifications you hold that are related to your current objective. This section, typically the length of a standard paragraph, should answer the hiring manager’s question of why they should interview you. There is no need to mention anything about your time away from full-time employment, nor should it mention that you are changing careers. Doing either would highlight a disqualifying factor, which is of course something that should be avoided.

Next in a career highlights or select achievements section, present all of your most notable experiences either by employer (without dates) or by area your background lends itself to that format. By presenting an overview of all of your most impressive experiences within this section, without including the dates of employment, you are demonstrating your value to the hiring manager before presenting any potentially disqualifying factors. This section is the key to the combination format, and will play a large role in whether you get past the screening process. If you feel it is simple to demonstrate the transferability of your past experiences, then by all means present each achievement under each company name. If however you feel that you need to really guide the hiring manager in understanding how transferable your experiences are, then this section would be best organized by functional subheadings (see example).

In the professional experience section, which hopefully will fall to page two of your résumé, include your previous positions, including your time in retail, as this shows your continued involvement in a professional arena. I advise positioning this on page two of your résumé, as you will want to minimize the appearance of dates and titles on your résumé. You can also camouflage these a little through formatting. Instead of placing dates justified right (surrounded by white space and jumping off the page!), place them next to your titles, making both a slightly smaller font and possibly even italicizing them to make them blend into the page.

To ensure that the chronology of your career doesn’t appear until page two, you could include sections on page one highlighting other pertinent qualifications such as continued professional development, related education, any social service projects you have participated in, etc. You could also include quotes from previous employers or leaders within any related organizations for which you have volunteered, attesting to your competencies as a professional or social service advocate. You can often find such information on old performance evaluations, which serve as a great source to reinforce your "value" as a candidate. By strategically positioning your information in this manner, the hope is that when the hiring manager turns to page two of your résumé, they are already sold on bringing you in for an interview. All the best!

Avoiding the pitfalls of a one-size-fits-all résumé

Dear Sam: I’m not exactly sure what I want to do in my career and I’m having a difficult time figuring out what to include on my résumé. I have a background in sales, customer service, and management, but I’m now open to many opportunities. How do I handle this on my résumé? ­– Jo in Lancaster

Dear Jo: A common mistake many job seekers make is trying to create a one-size-fits-all résumé. While in today’s highly competitive market job seekers have to keep their options open, it is imperative to present a targeted résumé to each hiring manager. This doesn’t mean that you have to write a completely different résumé for each job you apply to, but it does mean that you need to tailor your résumé to be sure it presents your most related skills for each type of opportunity you are pursuing. Trying to develop a résumé that suits every opportunity when you have diverse goals is a very ineffective strategy. Doing so will only present diluted content to any given hiring manager, and when competing with other skilled candidates will likely not secure interviews. Instead, assess your goals, identify your related skills, and tailor your résumé to suit the requirements of each type of position. Only then will your résumé produce the results you want.

Addressing a disability during a job search

Dear Sam: I need your advice. I have to change career direction in my mid-forties due to a debilitating medical condition that has me on disability from my former line of work. I have always held positions laboring with my hands, such as machinist, tool and die, auto assembly, etc. Now, I have been on disability from my job as an automotive assembler for over a year. I am currently completing my educational goals to better enable me to change careers. I am attending university with a goal of earning a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration with a major in accounting within the next year. I am just finishing my fourth accounting class, and have a 3.75 GPA, so I am doing quite well. If and when I land a position in accounting or a related field, I should be able to work full-time, thus getting off disability income. I just cannot do those labor-type jobs and am fully ready to rely on my other skills to achieve my new career goals.

How do I address these issues and what suggestions do you have for preparing the résumé and cover letter? I want to be honest, of course, but yet do not want the fact that I am on disability from my usual kind of work to be a hindrance to me. Thank you in advance for helping me. I read your column in the Columbus Dispatch regularly. – Jim in Columbus

Dear Jim: It is fantastic that you took charge of your future and proceeded with a strategy to position you for the next stage in your career. Now for a strategy to present this on paper to a prospective employer!

Begin your résumé with a qualifications summary presenting yourself as an upcoming graduate and focusing on the knowledge you have gained through your coursework and projects. Additionally, identify the skills you developed during your previous career that enhance your candidacy for what you now want to do and also present them within this summary. These could be items such as demonstrating the ability to excel in fast-paced and high-volume environments, solid organizational and multi-tasking skills, or even driving the achievement of productivity goals. Be sure to include your computer skills so the hiring manager knows that you possess the technical knowledge required in an office environment.

Next, as you are an upcoming graduate present your educational qualifications. Even though you have 20 years of experience it is important to order the sections on your résumé with those that enhance your candidacy listed first. In this section you can list your coursework, pull out notable projects you led or participated in, and definitely list your grade point average as it is above a 3.5.

In the professional experience section present your background, highlighting any notable accomplishments, and possibly combining like positions to reduce redundancy. Try to relate what you did to what you now want to do by focusing less on the tasks you performed and more on the skills you demonstrated.

There is no need to mention the reason you left your last employer in either your résumé or cover letter. Being that you are in school the hiring manager will likely assume that you left to pursue your education full-time, leaving it up to you as to whether you wish to discuss your time on disability during an interview. Be aware that if you do present this information, the hiring manager may be concerned about your ability to perform a job due to a chronic ailment leading to excessive time off work. If you do divulge this information be sure to put a positive spin on the opportunity it afforded you to return to school to pursue a career in a field that captures your interest and passion.

When to include an education section when you don't have a degree

Dear Sam: Most of the jobs I apply to require a college degree which I do not have. I did complete over three years towards a BS degree immediately after high school in the early 80's but don't know whether I should include this or not. Please advise! – Penelope in Blacklick

DearPenelope: As a college degree is a requirement for most of the positions you are applying for I would absolutely include your time in college on your résumé despite not having graduated. Be sure to focus however on the experiences, skills, and any training you have completed that position you to excel within the role, not mentioning that you lack a four-year degree. Simply list your college education at the end of your résumé as such:

College Name, City, State
Completed # credits towards a Bachelor of Science

In your situation as your time in college is quite dated I would omit the years you attended so not to unnecessarily age you as a candidate. If you pursued a degree program that is related to what you now want to do I would also list your major. As a side note, when you are applying to positions that do not require a four-year degree, you may want to completely eliminate the education section from your résumé. Doing so maintains focus on your qualifications that enhance your candidacy for the opportunity.