Homeless for a 4 year and 2 year period. No employment longer than a few months, after leaving service.
Answers
Antonio,
Thank you for your service.
Everyone goes through hard times, it's all about how you use your abilities now and then.
Employers want to know you can do the job they need done.
If you aren't working now you have time to volunteer to show commitment and use skills that an employer would want.
Consider volunteering enough so that the organization is able to give you good projects but not so much that you don't have time to do the job search you need and develop the mentors and network to help you move forward.
volunteermatch.org is good on the west coast, I would check around where you are for opportunities, or if you know of an organization that you respect their work, offer your services.
Good luck,
Hi Antonio, thank you for your service. This is a great question. It’s about focusing on your strengths and talking about your past experiences in a way that the employer can relate to. For example, if someone worked at Burger King the employer of the job your applying to may think it doesn’t apply. But, if you say things like “I managed my time effectively” “I ensured health and safety standards were followed” “I balanced the cash drawer” “I closed down the business at night” the employer can see how those past skills relate to the job your applying to.
You can talk about gaps in a way that’s true but doesn’t share private information the employer doesn’t need to have. You can say things like “I was focused on my family (which includes you)” “I’ve tried several different jobs to figure out what kind of work I like” “This was a hard time in my life, and now I’m in a different place and ready for a long-term job.”
The application is a legal history of your employment where you have to be honest about gaps, getting fired, etc., and the resume is a mini commercial of you, where you get to highlight your best side as an employee (you can be selective about what information to include).
I can work with you on how to create a solid application and resume that employers will respond to, if this feels helpful. Your local workforce center can also help with this, if having someone in person is better. Or I can help long distance - just let me know what’s helpful. Good luck! Beth
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