How do you know?
I have a 7 year gap in my resume due to staying home with my children. So now I'm ready to get back in the swing of things but for the last 4 months since I started looking for Administrative Assistant jobs it's been rejection after rejection. Everything is electronic these days, including the rejection! I'm frustrated and quite honestly feeling a little bewildered in this job market. Before I always knew if I was a good prospect for the job right away and I usually had no problems getting my foot in the door but now I don't even know how to get someone to return a damn phone call… How am I supposed to know if the rejection reason is the gap, am I truly unqualified, or maybe something else entirely? How do you know?
Hi try temporary agencies and security work. Seasonal work at a theme park like Six Flags Over Georgia is great to start off with too. Also list your last 7 years as self employment for a household; you was the manager of daily operations. You will find employment this to will change!
I know exactly how you feel. Your best bet is thru employment agency for sure. In admin position you have to know MS Office applications. At very least Word. Outlook and Excel. Can get free classes online http://community.alison.com/ to help. Be persistent. even when you feel pushback.
Most employers look at a gap in employment as a negative. In fact, many HR people rely on an algorithm that narrows down potential candidates based on criteria that they can customize. So it takes the personality out of the hiring process. Personally it just makes HR look lazy. The majority of corporations use and rely on computers too often when people should be doing that job. I agree with the other post that being a mother or "Homemaker" is a job and should be considered a management position. You could list any volunteer work that you have been doing or non paying jobs. That will bypass most algorithms kicking you out of the system. Good luck.
Have you tried listing your time as homemaker as though it was your job you are ready to move on from?
I know the feeling. I was the asst manager at my job for 13 years and got let go because of the new manager. Now I have no veichle and the place places that I've applied for near my house haven't gotten back with me and the people there hiring aren't even quilfied for the job. I know it's because I don't have a veichle! .
The discrimination is real. Employers have a strong and often irrational insistence on current experience. I was a hiring manager for one of Nike's largest departments. I would source excellent candidates who interviewed well only to be told by my management peers that their experience isn't current enough. I had a hard time getting them to admit it to me, so there is little if any chance to them admitting to not giving you a chance that they might give a nineteen or twenty year old with little if any experience...What can you do about it?....The only way around this is to take a temp position briefly even if for a couple months. That will make your experience current on your resume and you will probably even be offered a full time opportunity by an employer you are assigned to. All of our stay at home mom and dads that were hired came in through the temp route. Employers love the "try before you buy" option. Good luck!
Hello Monica, I don't think there would be any harm in asking their reasoning for choosing to not hire you. The worst they can see is they are unable to give feedback, but if you present it in a way of wanting to learn from the experience, I'm sure they would be happy to share with you.
I understand your feelings, but I would like to encourage you to avoid surrender. I believe maybe part of the solution is haw you are showing your professional profile. During the last 7 years of your life you have a lot of accomplishments to show, let me suggest some ideas: