Job Search Archives - Page 13 of 43

5 Things You MUST Do For An Effective Mock Interview

June 15, 2023

Before you walk into your real job interview, it’s important to practice. You want to make sure your answers, behavior, and attire are top-notch. After all, this is your shot to work for your dream company. Don’t let that opportunity slip because you failed to prepare!

In addition to researching the company, answering common interview questions, and finding the perfect interview outfit, you should consider conducting a mock interview. Mock interviews help you get comfortable and allow you to identify weak areas in your potential job interview.

Here are five things you MUST do in order to conduct an effective mock interview:

1. Find An Objective “Interviewer”

Trust me, you want to leave your family, friends, and significant other out of this. It won’t be pretty. You need someone, perhaps a colleague, mentor, or coach, to conduct a fair, uninterrupted mock interview experience.

Plus, if they know what they’re doing, they can help you prepare much better than someone who’s just winging it to help you out.

2. Treat Your Mock Interview As If It Were The Real Deal

Again, the whole point of doing a mock interview is to practice for the real thing. That means you need to prepare and perform as if it were a real job interview.

Don’t goof off or get embarrassed. You need to get comfortable with your responses and body language so you can knock your real job interview out of the park.

3. Prep Your Mock Interviewer

Give your mock interviewer some background on both the job and the company so they have some context. This can help them ask you questions related to the industry, company, and role, which will help you prepare more effectively for the real thing.

Also, consider giving your mock interviewer a list of common interview questions they should ask you so you can practice.

4. Dress Like You’re Going In For The Real Interview

You might feel a little ridiculous going into your mock interview dressed to the nines, but it’s part of the prep work. You want to make sure everything looks good, fits right, and feels right before your formal interview.

The last thing you want is to wear a blouse or a dress shirt that’s see-through. Plus, your mock interviewer can help you figure out if your outfit is appropriate or not.

5. Get (Honest) Feedback From Your Mock Interviewer

The most important part of doing a mock interview is getting honest feedback from your interviewer. You need to have a clear understanding of what you should improve before you go in for the real job interview.

Ask them for their overall opinion of the mock interview, then get their thoughts on your attire, body language, responses, and anything else you’d like to get feedback on.

Again, this isn’t a job for family, friends, or significant others. You love them, but when it comes to giving feedback, they will either be overly critical of your performance or not completely honest in an effort to spare your feelings and avoid destroying your confidence.

Remember: practice makes perfect! These five tips will ensure you walk away from your mock interview feeling prepared and ready to ace the real deal!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

4 Steps To Break Your Job-Hopping Habit

June 14, 2023

Are job-hopping and career success related to each other? What is the effect of one on the other? How long is too long to stay at a company?

I must admit, the resumes that pass by my desk make me conclude that job-hopping is far too common.

Job-hoppers hop for various reasons. More often than not, they don’t know what they are getting into. Sometimes it’s because they don’t know what they want, and therefore they are not ready for the challenges that lie ahead of them.

In my opinion, changing jobs often affects your career in a negative manner. Consider this: What signals are you sending to your potential employer if you are job-hopping too often?

Here are four effective steps to break your job-hopping habit:

1. Follow The Two-Year Rule

I have a two-year rule I tell my staff and potential employees. The two-year rule is this: You must be willing to mentally commit to spending at least two years in the company before you quit.

The reason? You need to deal with the learning curve. If you’re job-hopping too often, you learn nothing substantial. In my opinion, it takes you at least a year to know the ins and outs of the company. Then another year before you can be truly productive in adding value to the company.

To see the true results of your contribution to the company, for me, it takes at least two years. So, if you are prone to changing jobs and career success is on your mind, then it is time to rethink.

2. Learn To Be Stable

Many well-established companies have training programs. They are willing to invest in recent college graduates and newbies. However, in order for them to make that decision, they need to look at past track records.

Ask yourself, if you are a manager, who are you more likely to invest training time and money on: someone who’s known for job-hopping, or someone who is stable?

Companies are more likely to invest in people who are stable. The reason is simple: they are able to contribute back to the company. Everybody wins. If you are constantly moving from one job to another, you send a signal that you are not ready to commit.

Companies like to invest in people who see their career goals align with their corporate goals. Job-hoppers usually cannot see their career path beyond the next year.

3. Know What You Want

One of the best ways to quit job-hopping is to truly know what you want. Once you know that, you will have a singular focus in the pursuit of your career goals.

Of course, it is understandable that, as a fresh graduate or newbie at work, it is tough to know where you want your career to go. You may be interested in some other industries. If there are other fields that you are interested in, then make a plan to find out about them.

Start with the internet and then ask friends who may know people in those fields. Speak to them. Ask them about the expectations of the company and the position you are interested in. You may not get all the answers, but at least you’ll have some idea.

This will decrease the chances of you job-hopping later on.

4. Make Learning A Key Objective

If you are new in the workforce and have been job-hopping quite a bit, my advice to you is this: truly find out what you want.

Once you know that, find a company that is willing to train their employees and willing to commit to their employees’ careers in the long term. If they have structured training programs, join them. Make learning the relevant skills and knowledge in that industry your key objective.

The skills and knowledge that you learn will contribute to your career success in the long run. It is something that you can bring with you for the rest of your life.

Once you see the benefits of committing to a company that is willing to train you for more than two years, you, hopefully, won’t be job-hopping often anymore.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Why You Shouldn’t Look At Your Notes During A Job Interview

June 13, 2023

Should you look at your notes during a job interview? A lot of people have different opinions on this. Personally, as a career coach for 20+ years, I don’t recommend looking at your notes during a job interview. And this is the simple reason why…

It’s Distracting

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @torzamorris Can I look at my notes in a job interview? #interviewprep #interviewhelp #jobinterviewtips #jobsearchtips #interviewtips #interview #interviewquestions â¬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

Looking at your notes during a job interview is extremely distracting. For example, if I were giving you advice in person or via video call, but I was either taking notes or looking at my notes while talking to you, how would you feel about our connection? Probably not very good.

I don’t think looking at your notes sends the right message when you’re trying to have a conversation during a job interview.

Now, you may think that your only other option is to memorize your interview answers. That’s not true. In fact, you shouldn’t be memorizing at all.

Instead of looking at notes or memorizing your answers, research the most common behavioral interview questions you’ll likely be asked in the interview. Write out your answers to them. Read them back to yourself, and do that every day for a little while until you haven’t memorized them, but the storyline of them has been committed to memory so that when you’re asked a question, your answer comes out naturally.

Now, in addition to that, there’s something that I teach at Work It DAILY called the “Experience + Learn = Grow” model. When you write the answers to these behavioral interview questions out, you want to follow a beginning, a middle, and an end. (Storytelling!)

What did you experience?
What did you learn from that experience?
How have you grown from that experience and how are you going to use that on the job?

This is what employers are looking for. You’re a service provider. You’re a business-of-one. They’re trying to understand how you are going to serve their needs, why they should pick you, and why you’re going to give them the best return on investment (ROI). This processâresearching common behavioral interview questions, using the “Experience + Learn = Grow” model when writing out your answers in advance, and reading them until you know the stories you want to tellâwill get you to a place of comfort where you’ll be able to just look at them and have a conversation.

The hiring manager is a person that you’re trying to connect with. This is a potential future co-worker. You are at that interview to make a friend, make a colleague, in a sense. So, you want to connect. And looking at your notes while you’re trying to answer their questionsâthis is not connecting.

If you have such bad interview nerves that you feel like you need notes, my advice to you is to learn how to do better interview prep. You not only want to do the prep to ease your interview nerves but to be able to sit there and connect with the person you’re talking to.

In the hiring process, it’s all about connection! That’s why looking at your notes during a job interview will do more harm than good.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

4 Ways To Turn Resume Fluff Into Marketable Facts

June 7, 2023

Your resume is the most important document to advance your career. And given employers will only scan it for about 7-10 seconds, you need to make sure you scream, âHere’s what I can do for you!”

There’s a difference between a resume that only showcases your personality and characteristics and one that demonstrates specific achievements and accomplishments. Unfortunately, too many resumes are filled with fluff statements anyone can say and they don’t really distinguish you as a top candidate.

A resume filled with terms such as “visionary” (how many of these do you really know?), “motivated,” “team player,” “problem solver,” “results oriented,” “dynamic,” and many other phrases are examples of overused words.

To avoid creating a resume complete with fluff, try to turn to marketable facts and quantifiable accomplishments.

1. Don’t Rely On Terms That Describe Character (Soft Skills)

Replace the use of terms that describe character with specific content to demonstrate how you accomplished or achieved something. Shed some light on your method of execution. A resume should not include soft skills.

For instance, to show you were “results oriented,” indicate on your resume how you increased sales in your department by XY percent within a year or increased the number of attendees to an annual conference by XY percent compared to previous years.

If you don’t actually have numbers, you can approximate percentages: “Introduced new procedures that slashed cycle times approximately 20%.”

These are examples of quantifiable accomplishments. Don’t be afraid to quantify your results on the job and prove you’re the best fit for the position.

2. Use Numbers And Symbols

Numbers and symbols quickly jump out at employers so use them whenever you can. Resumes have their own special rules and always show all numbers as digits as they catch the eye. Percentages are always best as they show the impact of your efforts.

For example, saying “increased sales $750,000 over prior year” is nice but to some companies that is petty cash and your company might not like your giving out their private information. It’s better to say, “Increased sales 43% over prior year.”

Simply avoid words that aren’t specific, such as “many,” “few,” and “several.”

3. Don’t List Responsibilities Of Your Previous Jobs; Demonstrate Outcomes

The problem with writing responsibilities you held on the job is it doesn’t tell an employer how successful you were at executing your plans. An employer only cares about how good you did your job and how what you did can apply to the job they are offering.

Rather than list responsibilities, demonstrate your performance.

Are you the most senior member of your team?
Do people turn to you for the more challenging issues?
Is your productivity level higher than your peers?
Do you resolve issues on the first call versus others needing 2-3 calls?
Is your level of accuracy and the quality of your work at the highest level?
Have you demonstrated the ability to meet aggressive deadlines?

Statements like “consistently recognized for delivering quality results at less cost than budgeted” showcases your effectiveness, especially when you back that statement up with approximate numbers.

4. Only Detail Specialized Technical Skills

Today’s employers expect candidates to know basic computer skills and programs, so only list specialized technical skills that are relevant to the job. An employer does not need to see you know programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

Also, when you do list any technical skill, tell an employer how well you know the specific program by detailing what you may have created or done with it. Simply listing a specific program will not help an employer understand how well you know it or what your capabilities are.

Fill your resume with performance statements instead of fluff and you will see a dramatic improvement in your job search results.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

The No. 1 Job Interview Thank-You Note Mistake To Avoid

June 5, 2023

Sending a thank-you note to the hiring manager after a job interview is not only a kind thing to do but also a job search best practice. However, what you write in your thank-you note can significantly impact your chances of moving on in the hiring process.

If you make common thank-you note mistakes, the hiring manager might note consider you for the job. And there is one job interview thank-you note mistake that you should avoid at all costs…

#1 Thank-You Note Mistake: Recapping The Interview & Trying To Resell Yourself

@j.t.odonnell No. 1 Job Interview THANK YOU NOTE Mistake #thankyounote #thankyou #jobinterviewthankyounote #jobinterview #jobinterviewtips #interviewtips #interview #interviewtipsandtricks #mistake #mistakesweremade â¬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

The number one mistake that people make when writing a thank-you note is recapping everything they talked about in the interview and trying to resell themselves to the hiring manager.

In your thank-you note, you do not write an epic novel. You don’t tell them why you think you’re the best candidate for the job. And you definitely don’t mention something you forgot to talk about in the job interview.

A thank-you note is to do one thing: give thanks.

Here’s the simple thank-you note formula you should use after every job interview:

Dear [hiring manager’s name],

Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you about the XYZ position. I really enjoyed talking with you about [something you specifically talked about]. If there’s anything else I can provide to further my candidacy, please let me know because I would love to work with you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

That’s it. Three sentences.

And just in case you’re wondering, send a thank-you note to everybody that you met with during the job interview.

Since your thank-you note is only three sentences long, you have the time and the ability to personalize that second line where you talk about what you enjoyed speaking with them about. If you met with three people, send three thank-you notes that are short and sweet, like the example above. You are showing your follow-through and your consistency, but also respect for the fact that your time to sell yourself was in the interview.

Your thank-you note is for showing appreciation. Don’t make the mistake of recapping the interview and trying to resell yourself. If you follow the formula above, you’ll write a thank-you note that will surely get you bonus points during the interview process.

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This FREE Career Assessment Quiz Will Help You Thrive At Work

May 30, 2023

What if we told you there was a magical FREE way to determine which careers you should be pursuing in your job search?

Okay, so it’s not exactly “magic”âbut it’s pretty close.

It’s Work It Daily’s Career Decoder Quiz.

This career assessment quiz will help you determine your workplace persona. This key piece of information is incredibly helpful to have as a working professional. Here’s why understanding your top personas is helpful for your career…

It Will Help You Market Yourself To Employers

Here at Work It Daily, we like to say that you are a business-of-one. That means you need to know how to market yourself effectively and build your personal brand. Taking this career assessment quiz will help you determine your professional strengths so you can market yourself more effectively to employers.

It Can Help You Pinpoint Your Career Path

Knowing exactly what makes you happy on the job will make the job search much easier. You won’t be wasting your time applying for jobs you think you’d like; you’ll be focusing on careers you know you’d love.

It Will Help You Articulate How You Add Value

You could really wow your potential employer by telling them what value you’d add to the company. This quiz will tell you your professional strengths and how you can capitalize on them in the workplace.

This Career Quiz Only Has 20 Questions

I’m sure you had tests in high school that were longer than this quiz. It only has 20 questions, and you can take your time answering them. Plus, the questions aren’t hardâjust answer them honestly! You’ll be glad you did it. And remember, there are no wrong answers!

You’ll Learn Something New About Yourself When You Take This Quiz

via GIPHY

Knowing this important aspect about yourself will help you in the long run. The more you know yourself, and how you function in the workplace, the better off you’ll be.

So, what are you waiting for? An important piece of your personal brand is waiting to be revealed!

Take our Career Decoder Quiz today.

So, what are you waiting for? An important piece of your personal brand is just waiting to be revealed!

Take our Career Decoder Quiz now.

How To Choose A Career: Tips For Picking The Right Path

May 25, 2023

Figuring out how to choose a career can be quite intimidating. Even though itâs an incredibly important decision, youâll often get conflicting advice on how to begin! This guide breaks down the simple steps you can follow to decide on a career and move forward with confidence. Table of contents 1. Do Some Self-Reflection 2. […]

The post How To Choose A Career: Tips For Picking The Right Path appeared first on Career Sherpa.

How To Answer “Tell Me About A Time You Went Above & Beyond”

May 25, 2023

One of the hardest and most important job interview questions is, “Tell me about a time you went above and beyond.” Here’s the perfect technique to ace the answer every time.

Step 1: Think About A Time You Exceeded Expectations

The first step is for you to sit down and think about a time when you exceeded expectations on the job.

Imagine the times when you were given a lot of praise or maybe you got a promotion or even a raise. Think about what made you earn these things and ask yourself how exactly did you go above and beyond in order to get that appreciation and that recognition.

This is going to help you flesh out the stories that you’re going to want to tell in order to validate your experience and your ability to go above and beyond.

Step 2: Break The Story Down

Now, step two is for you to break that story down into what we call the “Experience + Learn = Grow” model for answering behavioral interview questions like, “Tell me about a time you went above and beyond.”

You want to think about the experience objectively and factually. Explain to the hiring manager everything that happened leading up to you earning that praise or that promotion or that raise.

Then, you want to talk about what you learned. As a good employee, you always want to be thinking about those experiences and what they taught you.

Lastly and most importantly, you’re going to talk about how you grew as a professionalâhow you’re going to take what you’ve learned and apply it going forward. This is going to demonstrate how employers like them could benefit from this added expertise that you’ve developed.

Step 3: Practice Your Delivery

The third and final step is for you to practice your delivery. You do not want to walk in and wing it. It’s super important that, in addition to writing out your answers, you play them back to yourself.

What do I mean by that? Well, I suggest grabbing a mirror and talking out the answers, looking at yourself straight in the eye with a smile, or asking friends or family members to do a mock interview with you. Even recording yourself and playing it back on a video will do the trick.

Doing these things repeatedly is vitally important in job interview preparation, especially when it comes to answering a question like this. “Tell me about a time you went above and beyond,” can seem like a daunting interview question, but all you have to do is follow the three steps above to answer it effectively.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Work It DAILY’s Top 6 Free Career Resources

May 24, 2023

Work It Daily has an amazing library of free resources for professionals at any age or job level. No matter if you’re looking for help with your job search, career change, or professional development efforts, Work It Daily has the career resources you need.

Here are Work It Daily’s top six free career resources, plus a few additional resources you might find helpful:

1. Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp

Today, if you want recruiters to call you, your resume and LinkedIn profile need to stand out.

Our Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp is a free workshop hosted by J.T. O’Donnell, founder & CEO of Work It Daily, and Christina Burgio, Director of Training Development & Development, that can help you write and optimize your resume and LinkedIn profile to get noticed by recruiters.

In this free bootcamp, you’ll learn:

What recruiters want your resume to look like
How to make sure your LinkedIn profile is optimized
Tips for making sure BOTH tools are set up correctly

Get instant access to our Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp today!

2. Career Decoder Quiz

Are you ready to take the first step toward unlocking your true professional potential?

The Career Decoder Quiz will help you determine what your workplace persona is. That means you’ll get a sense of who you are as a working professional and what makes you thrive at work. You’ll find out how you like to create value and what your professional strengths are, which will help you find the right career for you.

Knowing who you are as a working professional and what makes you happy on the job will help you be successful in your career or job search.

Don’t waste another day not knowing your professional strengths.

Take our Career Decoder Quiz today!

3. Workplace Communication Style Quiz

Have you ever wondered about how you communicate with others?

How you interact with others plays a major role in both your career and life in general. It can be hard to categorize yourself, but it’s extremely helpful to have an idea of how you communicate with others and get a sense of how others perceive you.

The Communication Style (ISAT) Quiz allows you to understand your communication style so you can work more effectively with others. It has 18 questions about your personality and how you handle certain situations.

Take our Workplace Communication Style Quiz today!

4. How To Choose Your Career (In 5 Simple Steps)

Do you feel stuck in your career and don’t know what to do next? You are not the problem. Thousands of people (just like you!) feel professionally stuck because school never taught us what career best suits our needs.

In this 60-minute workshop, J.T. O’Donnell, founder & CEO of Work It Daily, and Christina Burgio, Director of Training Development & Development, break down step by step how to choose a career that suits your unique combination of professional strengths.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

How to choose your next career path
Why working “in” your job is hurting your career
How your unique personality is impacting your success
How to determine which strengths to use to build your dream career
And so much MORE!

Get instant access to “How To Choose Your Career (In 5 Simple Steps)” today!

5. Professional Strengths Bootcamp

Understanding who you are as a worker is the key to achieving career satisfaction.

Our Professional Strengths Bootcamp is a free workshop hosted by J.T. O’Donnell, founder & CEO of Work It Daily, and Christina Burgio, Director of Training Development & Development, designed to help you learn how to unlock your professional strengths so you can get what you want from work.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Why working “in” your job is hurting your career
How your unique personality is impacting your success
How to determine which strengths to use to build your dream career
And so much MORE!

Get instant access to our Professional Strengths Bootcamp today!

6.Â How To Break Through Career Burnout

Want to learn how to get unstuck and feel happy in your career again?

In this 60-minute workshop, J.T. O’Donnell, founder & CEO of Work It Daily, and Christina Burgio, Director of Training Development & Development, will teach you why burnout occurs and what you can do to motivate yourself to get back on track so you can regain the professional happiness and satisfaction you want and deserve.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

How burnout occurs and why it’s so common
The path you’ll want to take to overcome burnout
What high-payoff activities will make you successful
The steps you’ll need to take to get the right results

Get instant access to “How To Break Through Career Burnout” today!

Additional Free Resources

7 Mistakes You Can’t Afford To Make On LinkedIn

In this free training, you will learn:

The 7 mistakes executives can’t afford to make on LinkedIn anymore
How to avoid looking like a narcissist on LinkedIn
The one change in your LinkedIn settings that will get you more profile views
How “curating” the content you share on LinkedIn impacts your reputation
The 3 places on your LinkedIn profile you need to care about the most

Get instant access to “7 Mistakes You Can’t Afford To Make On LinkedIn” today!

No. 1 Way To Get A Job Without Applying Online

In this free training, you will learn:

Why an “interview bucket list” is the secret weapon to securing a good job
Which tools you need to update and use to get noticed by recruiters
The right way to network on sites like LinkedIn to get in front of hiring managers

Get instant access to “No. 1 Way To Get A Job Without Applying Online” today!

8 Reasons TikTok Will Be The Hottest Way To Hire (And Get Hired) In 2023

In this free training, you will learn:

Why not just Gen Z but all generations are finding their next employer on TikTok
How using TikTok will make it easier (yes, easier!) for companies to recruit on other social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
How talent searches for employers on TikTok and “discovers” the best places to work nobody knows about
How companies will use TikTok to recruit without having to start a company TikTok account

Get instant access to “8 Reasons TikTok Will Be The Hottest Way To Hire (And Get Hired) In 2023” today!

Want More Help With Your Job Search & Career?Â

4 Ways To Keep Your Job Search Going During The Summer

May 24, 2023

Every season is job search season if you want it bad enough. However, there are some that view summer as a time of rest and ease up on their job searches. That’s the last thing you should do!

Sure, you should take time to relax and go on vacationâjust don’t abandon your job search goals completely. Here are four ways to keep your job search on track, while still enjoying your summer:

Update Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile

A new season is a time for renewal, so it’s important to make sure your resume and LinkedIn profile are current and up to date with projects, contributions, and achievements. Summer is a great time for reflecting on the work you have done over recent months and leveraging those accomplishments to have a results-driven resume and LinkedIn profile.

While your resume takes precedence, you should still give your LinkedIn profile a good look because it’s public and is viewable by a greater geographic population. Do not underestimate the power of LinkedIn for your job search potential.

Attend Networking Events

Summer is a great time to be more social. Attend professional events, go to business happy hours, and ramp up your networking opportunities. Connect with old colleagues over lunch outdoors in casual attire, and seek out the potential for informational interviews at companies. Since things are more casual and laid back in the summertime, ramp up the opportunities and seize them.

If you can’t attend any in-person networking events, there are still ample opportunities to network online!

Refocus Your Strategy By Volunteering

The beautiful summer weather is great motivation for engaging in new volunteer and community service opportunities. Consider the potential for making new connections and adding volunteer projects to your resume and LinkedIn profile that you are already updating during the summertime.

Remember, summer days are longer. Use your time wisely, and to your benefit!

Re-Evaluate And Reach Out

Spend the summer re-evaluating your current role. What skills are you developing in your current role? What skills do you want to build upon? Consider reaching out to recruiters or your professional network, people who can help bring your next role to fruition. LinkedIn is a great resource for connecting with recruiters and seeing if new projects or opportunities are available to expand your skills.

Don’t let the summer weather be a distraction or setback for you. Focus on reclaiming your brand, take a break or a vacation, and regroup on where you would like to go next in your career. Remember one important thing: the year is already halfway over, so it’s important to seize the moment and the opportunity.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

How To Work With A Recruiter To Find A Job In 2023

May 23, 2023

Working with a recruiter is something that many job-seekers consider at some point. After all, having someone help you find a job can be quite appealing! But is it worth it? This guide will help you understand the role recruiters play, if they can help you, and how you should approach your working relationship. What […]

The post How To Work With A Recruiter To Find A Job In 2023 appeared first on Career Sherpa.

How To Explain A Career Gap Due To Cancer

May 22, 2023

If you’ve been out of work because you’ve had a life-threatening illness or cancer, I am so happy that you’re okay. That is the first priority. Who cares about your gap in employment? Let’s get you healthy first. And the fact that you are looking for work means you’re on the other side of it. So to me, that’s the story to tell.

The sad thing is 20 years ago you couldn’t admit you had a life-threatening illness because people wouldn’t hire you. Is that still happening today? I know it is. It’s unfortunate. It stinks. But I’ve worked with a lot of people in your position, and I’ve found that if we can get the right verbiage and find the right way to answer this employment gap question, it can work in your favor, as opposed to it being a negative.

You might be wondering if you should lie when answering the employment gap question. I’m not a fan of lying, and I also don’t think you need to. But, at the same time, I’m not a fan of shock value.

So here’s my advice…

How To Explain A Gap In Employment Due To Cancer

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @t.a.m.m.a.m.a.y How to explain your career gap due to cancer. â¥ï¸ #gapsinemployment #cancersurvivor #howtoexplain #jobadvice #jobtok #gaps #employment #careeradvice #careertiktok #jobsearchtips #jobtiktok #careertok â¬ Unstoppable – Sia

When the hiring manager asks why there is an employment gap on your resume, respond with, “That’s a great question,” because that way you’re immediately going into this conversation with a positive tone. And it’s the truth. It is a good question because you’re going to answer it with enthusiasm.

Here’s how to structure the rest of your answer…

“It’s a (blank)-year gap because I had a life-threatening illness. I had cancer. And I am so happy to say that I’m here because I’m on the other side of it. Being sick for (blank) years, getting through cancer, and being a survivor has taught me (blank). I feel (blank) about work now. This is why I’m excited. I want to leverage (blank) skills. And I know I’d have that opportunity at this company.”

In summary, when you explain a gap in employment due to cancer, talk about:

The things you’ve learned
How you feel about work now
Why you’re excited about this employment opportunity
The skills you want to leverage

Show the hiring manager that you’ve taken this very powerful experience in your life and you’ve dealt with it. You’re amazing, and now you’re on the other side of it and ready to go. This draws them in. Now they’re your champion. Now they want to place you in that job.

So there’s a right answer to this employment gap question. There’s a right story to tell. And with the right practice, you can get to the interview and tell it with enthusiasm and get them on your side.

I hope this helps because you are amazing. If you’re reading this and you survived, you are amazing and that means we can get you hired too. Go get ’em!

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