Hey, speaking of resumes...

well whatever....I was just trying to help

*Sigh* well, I could try it.

I flopped the Target interview cuz I tried something vague like Summer suggested, but I got all frightened and mumbly.

Potential employers value the truth. And they can usually tell when you're lying to them.

You need to practice it in your head. It's not untrue, so there's no need to panic or feel like you're going to get caught out, it's just spin to put it in a positive light.

Edited. Now I defer to someone else with more HR experience if the interviewer can probe further at that point, but the bottom line is that the matter has been resolved and you are currently able to work.

I agree Volpone, that they probably can't pry much farther beyond that statement. I can't imagine a legitimate interviewer going "oh what was wrong with you?" He's being honest. He has to declare any criminal past usually - and he has none, so there's no reason not to believe him.

Still, starting fresh may be his best option. Seriously, is there a Junior College around there? Get your AA and while you're doing it get a campus job. Right there you got education + job.

When you go into an interview post college and they ask what about before college you can then be honest - well I worked around a bit before I realized I needed to focus myself on my goals and education. I had some health problems that slowed me down a bit but now that they're resolved I'm intent in achieving my goals.

Plus working at colleges or universities is a piece of cake.

Alot of schools offer return to learn scholarships.

Y'know what Dicky? Lie. A guy not working for 10 years is screwed. People are going to wonder what the hell happened, and 'mental health issues' sounds like maybe you went postal on them and you've been in the nuthouse the past decade. Not an appealing thing to think about for an employer, IMHO.

Put on your resume you worked the past 10 years in IT or computers or something - in Canada. I'll even give my cell number and be your reference. Yadda Yadda, Dickynoo was a good worker, he was really helpful, but wanted to return to take care of his sick grandmama, or whatever.

Almost everyone embellishes or lies on their resume. If it gets you a job and you're a good worker after that, that's all that matters.

And if you really do go postal, and they trace back my number that gave you a good reference, well, it'll be another thing to tell Wordforge about.

What happened to the "I had to go back home to take care of my sick grandfather" story? Cos you were looking after him a lot weren't you?

....well, dad was, but I guess they don't gotta know that.

I've worked at a movie theater before, and Stallion is absolutely right. It's a dead easy job and you get to watch as many films as you like. What's not to like?

Also, if you could combine it with getting an unpaid film reviewer job for a local rag, you'd be getting resume-worthy writing experience, too. Hell, you could even force yourself to work on a screenplay at the same time. That'd give you something interesting to talk about at a later interview.

One of my "classes" this semester involves getting practice writing resumes (hence the thread I intend to post shortly). Among the materials I've received are a few pages that outline several different types of resumes. One is the chronological kind. But another is a "functional resume" -- you sort your experience by skills involved; one of the advantages is to hide gaps in your career.

Of course, there's a difference between a gap between jobs and a gap after jobs . . .

Shoot...all I have is a HS Diploma and I now have a permanent, safe, well-paid job with better bennies than anywhere this side of Europe.

Plus, as you well know Dicky, I'm just as insane as you are.

I've said and I'll continue saying...location is your problem, not you.

Well, time is as well. How long have you had your job? And when were you first hired? If you try to find work in IT without something more than an HS diploma nowdays (at least some certs) they aren't even going to waste time laughing and throwing rotten fruit at you.

I got my current gig because:

a) I could write;
b) I know some IT stuff;
c) I know a lot about graphics.

My resume would run ten pages if I listed all the jobs I've done. My last resume was skill-based. I had three jobs already in hand when I took this one. (I had just been laid off, so I got the Sunday paper and spammed resumes out to every job I could do; had five interviews the following week, three firm job offers out of those, and the last, my current job, being the highest paid by far, coming in that Friday.)

Honestly, refraining from specialization helps. A LOT.

So...let's get this moving! Chop Chop Diacanu! Get it going.

Well, gimme sec, gotten swiss army knife advce here, trying to assemble it into something cohesive.

"Functional resume",...movie theater..."health reasons",....jesus, this is a lotta shit.....

NAHT- Wouldn't happen to have a sample/template for a functional resume wouldja?

BAM!

A couple of suggestions

1) Write a resume and shoot it by a friend or aquaintance who reviews resumes on a regular basis. Have them give you pointers on it, I know I do whenever I need a new one.

2) Send resumes EVERYWHERE. You never can tell when you'll get a bite.

3) Look for work in a small company where you can convince the owner/ manager to give you a chance. A good honest feeling interview with a small company can overcome almost any handicap. Make them feel like they want to help you. Make them feel that you can do whatever it takes to help them. MAke them feel like you care about their company.

4) Use any friends, family friends, relatives etc to network. When I look for a job I have many people calling their friends for me to try and get me in the door.

5) If you have any connections to any job, take it, no matter the pay. Once you are in for a year or so you can move on. Finding a new job when you already have one is much easier.

Good luck.

I'm sure I'm the last person you want advice from, but it seems like you need someone to take a chance on you. I don't think big companies are even going to give a second thought to someone who's been out of the workforce for so long, so you're going to need someone at a smaller business, perferably someone who already knows you, who's willing to take a leap of faith. To back up Captain J, this is where friends and family come in.

What connections do your parents and/or relatives have? What work do they do? What do their friends do? Do any of them own businesses? What about small businesses your family patronizes? The first job I ever got was at the dry cleaners my mom went to. They needed someone to run the register and my mom hooked us up. At this point, you just need something on your resume that's current and can generate income. To be perfectly honest, being out of work for ten years is going to generate a ton of questions, and if you can get that first job on there, that will answer a lot of them before they can be asked.

If you can get and hold any kind of job, no matter how menial it is, that's going to go a long way toward convincing someone at a temp agency or larger business that you're not an employment risk. You use this job to build up your resume, earn some cash to put toward a good interview suit and make some connections. I'd also advise you to get a credit card or get your name on some kind of bill, because employers look at credit scores.

Good luck. I know you and I have our differences, but I don't believe anyone is beyond hope, and I think you have a lot to offer the right company. But it's going to take some footwork.

Dicky...you have wheels yet?

No.
And the old man just sold off my white Buick for 25 bucks, so there's nothing left but the truck for me now.

I have some thoughts, if you are interested.

First, resume writing is all about spin. You don't have to outright lie... but you're a writer and I'm sure that with a little creativity and some help from a experienced resume writer, you can put a positive spin on everything.

Store Clerk at Walmart? How about Sales Associate instead?

Skills gained:

experience in customer service relations
developed interpersonal communication skills
experience in working a cash register
knowledgable about a variety of electronics and computer hardware

You took some time off. But it wasn't time wasted. So, you were caring for your dad? Give some details about the condition and some of your responsibilities. That sort of experience can go a long way if you are looking for something in health care.

And you were focusing on your writing career? Sounds good. Talk about that. Some of the recognition you've recieved, the number of books you've written. If they weren't published... well, you don't have to mention that.

Skills?

Typewriting. (x words per minute). Word Processing. Experience with various Windows operating systems. Experience with computer hardware and web site design. Experience with managing online communities. Experience with telecommunication software.

Just examples, but stuff like that. You've actually got a much more impressive resume than I do. You should see my work experience. It's little to nothing. You can pull out some positives from each of those positions.

Finally, there is plenty of work out there, like on college campuses and whatnot that don't really require much out of a resume. They are just looking for positions to fill.

Or you might consider doing volunteer work. Like a hospital worker or something. No pay, but you are almost guaranteed work... and that gives you chance to build some people skills, make acquaintances, and add some more interesting stuff to your resume.

Don't underestimate volunteer jobs. I did plenty of jobs like that for health care services, social research centers, and I tried to wring as much interesting experience out of it as I could.

OK. Here's an important lesson that isn't necessarily easy to learn. Try not to take it personally. Just consider it. You can disregard it if you want.

One of the best traits a person can have is the ability to look at an obstacle and see an opportunity. "I don't have any skills." "I've been out of work for too long." "I don't have a title for the truck." "I don't know what a 'functional resume' looks like." In the time it took you to type a post here asking for a template of a functional resume I typed it into Google and got you the link above--that not only has a template, it has samples--and sample cover letters.

Here's the thing, Diacanu: Things happen to you. You need to make things happen. As long as you just remain passive and wait for someone to hand you something you're gonna get fucked over. It is only when you make an effort to move things forward that good things happen.

Do with this advice what you will. It was given freely.

I think Volpone's right and that this is related to D personally at the moment. How can it not be? It's not just 'location'. D could have had that truck title by now if he'd really wanted to, but something seems to keep him from it. We can suggest stuff till we're blue in the face, but if Diacanu's reluctant to take action, or perhaps more accurately: overwhelmed by what is thrown at him and expected of him, he's not going to do anything. Or maybe just freak out about what a big deal this change is and how he's never going to be able to do it. You need confidence in yourself to begin doing anything.

You've been away from jobs for 10 years - that means 10 years without someone bossing you around (no, parents don't count, they can't fire you) and expecting you to do stuff. The idea of a sudden change to a situation in which you have to work 9 to 5, possibly even in a job you don't like, is not a nice prospect. Telling him to move out, as I've done in the past, won't work either, because why would you give up a comfortable situation if there's nothing to gain?

I'm not trying to be an ass, D, just trying to see why it's difficult for you to make a start, and the idea I get is that it starts with taking responsibility. Would you really like to have a job starting next week where you have to work 9 to 5, 5 days a week, or does it make you feel sick thinking about the pressure? After 10 years of having nobody to worry about but yourself, I'd say I'd be annoyed that anyone wanted anything from me.

Why not start with something where nobody really expects anything? Get a volunteer job, like others have said, and only volunteer to do stuff you really want to do, and go when you want to go. Don't take on a lot of responsibility, but make it a point of honor to really do the stuff you do promise. People will value you if you stick to your promises, regardless if they're big or small. Of course, pick something you can imagine you'd enjoy. Starting a volunteer job will get you involved in something regular, a regular life, a rhythm. And if you start to enjoy that, after some months perhaps you'll feel like saying: hey, let me take care of this and that too. You don't have to do do that 3 or 4 days a week, but start working on a more regular life, and working towards some kind of responsibility instead of just jumping in.

I'm not totally making this up - my sister works with people who've been without a job for various reasons (like a burnout) for a long time, and part of what she teaches them is to slowly get back into the rhythm, to not blindly rush back in but to respect their own limits. It's far easier to change from 2 days work a week to 3 or 4, than go from 0 to 5 in day. You'd burn out in 3 months. A volunteer job can be a fairly low-stress training ground to get back into the rhythm of normal life.