Resume/interview Advice Needed

[slonezp]

Some of you know, some of you don't. Without getting into details, I was in the mechanical trades since 1999 with journeyman status. In 2012 I was injured and the result was a permanent disability. Let go from my job late in 2013 and have been working a crappy job in an unrelated field since May of this year. The workman's comp nightmare has finally ended and I'd like to get back into trades in a not so physical aspect. I'm trying to figure out how to set up my resume and how to answer interview questions pertaining to the gaps and career change. How do I fill in the blanks? How do I say I was making $XXX.00 and I took a job that pays 1/3 of what I was making, but now I'm ready to make $XXX.00 again? How do I say I was a journeyman and took a crappy job in an unrelated field and now I'm ready to get back into the swing of things?

Any and all advice is appreciated.

[deaknh03]

Be honest.

[retiredbosn]

Been there brother, got to be honest. I wouldn't do much explaining on the resume possibly just a small notation about the time period, do the explaining during the interview if asked. With today's economy there are allot of ppl taking pay cuts to remain employed. So your employment history may not raise any issues. I never encountered a problem until after my second go around, then employers looked at me as a walking W/C case. That's when I was designated permanently totaled.

[buzzed bait]

to be the broken record here, you have to be totally honest.  i would try to fill in what you've been doing in the meantime to keep you up to speed/up to date in the previous occupation and make certain they know you haven't lost any skills while working in the unrelated field.

[warpath58]

you decided to go pro on the FLW tour and worked the crap job for gas money.

[crankcaster100]

Hey Slo - good luck to you on your quest for the new gig.  

 

Honesty is always the best policy and be positive and sell yourself why you would be a good fit for the new company.

[gulfcaptain]

Looks as though the honesty route is the way to go.....although I did like the "tried to be an FLW Pro and worked a crappy job for gas" reason.  But have found honesty is always the best way to go.  Show's character, you're up front and not trying to hide anyhing.

[J Francho]

Just tell the truth.  You got nothing to hide, and any spin you put on it won't be as good as the fact that your ready to get back at it.  Employers (good ones, anyway) love that guy: experienced AND ready to work.

[F14A-B]

Yep, I agree with all above too, you really don't have that big of a gap, it's explainable.. You Are working, you Are Skilled, you Are ready & willing to re- apply your skill... You have everything to gain here, and so does a employer. You will succeed here.

[EvanT123]

There are two types of resumes. Chronological and combination/skills. Chronological is pretty self explanatory.

With a skills resume you are looking to break your skills down into 3 sections. Say mechanical, administrative and sales/customer service. You want to try and highlight some accomplishments under each. I know what a salesperson does why are you better than the next guy? Quantifying accomplishments does this. After the 3 skills sections you list your work history. You can break this down by listing relevant and recent experience. The major draw back to this type of resume is it doesn't say what you did at each job. Positives are you can arrange the skill sections as they relate to each position and you are highlighting your most relevant experience at the top(people don't want to dig for it). It's not a bad idea to have both types of resumes and experiment and see what gets you more interviews.

The resume is the worm and you hook them at the interview. Keep your answers brief and to the point. Anytime you discuss a negative you need to immediately follow with a positive. Obviously it's very important to research the company and have a few questions prepared. My fall back is why do you enjoy working at xyz company. People love to talk about themselves. That question also might give you an insight into wether the company is a good place to work.

I really would not stress the gap to much. Like everyone else said be honest and recognize your limitations. Part of that means applying for positions which you know your are capable of performing.

I really like the article below to use as a baseline. Anytime I have an interview I read this article and make an outline of a message I want to convey and do a mock interview. You almost want to be a politician; meaning you need to convey a certain message.

http://www.michaelpage.ae/content/16179/top-ten-interview-questions-and-how-to-answer-t.html

[K_Mac]

Be honest and confident. You have been there and done that. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You also have one thing that can't be taught-intelligence. These things are not as common as you might think.