All is Not As Well As They Keep Telling Us

...tried to formulate all of the working world into a step by step process.
Reviewing resumes and applications with an eye toward eliminating bad candidates rather than finding gems from among the sea has become the norm. It's a simple process demanding no skill and little insight. Anything... ANYTHING that may be a negative can't be on your resume or application.

Don't lie but volunteer nothing that could be negative.

Blank fields due to self-employment and illness and family responsibilities

translate to blank fields. It's not that there's ANYTHING that's negative,

it's that there isn't anything there. Blank.

...about that period of time as to what you handled and accomplished, it may be a positive to add that. If you have experience as a suit salesman and took time off to care for a family member and worked part time in landscaping that may be irrelevant to returning to suit sales but it may look better than just a blank space in that stretch of time.

Thanks for your help. I mean I'm doing that, I've prepped my
'elevator talk' as they say. It's better in person. On a corporate
online form, all the blank fields have to be filled in before it will accept
the application. I do run an eBay business for more than 12 years.
It's had trouble growing, but it's been every month, and I built it from
nothing.

I really don't ever expect to work for someone else again. That's not a
statement of defiance or choice, it's just the way things are breaking down.

I guess I have to see what verbage I can shake out to fill all the fields in the
forms. But employers are not pleased if consistent, monthly, yearly independent
documentation of employment is absent. There are no supervisors, no references.
I have a reference from an elder support group. When i go to apply to that specific
job, one of the stay at home care businesses, they want ... work, references,
etc.

As the years went by, I didn't think about it. I was busy, with no time for a career.
When I got back to it, it would all fall into place.

People tell me to focus on a worthwhile career. Ok, I do have sales in mind. It's better
than an occupation like office work where the jobs have been squeezed out by computers.
Though I do have the sense that what office workers remain sometimes double as impromptu
salespeople.

But mostly I just try to land a job, any job within 35 miles. A stepping stone, and from the few
interviews I've had the employers are very sensitive to someone over-educated - they fear
you'll leave, or stay and tell everyone what to do. So they move on to someone else. Very
few applications receive any reply at all. I got 2 in the last 8 months.

the blank fields
Don't leave them blank. If they don't apply, enter "N/A". If an explanation or your relevant details don't fit a 1 inch box, enter see attachment. If there's no option to attach anything, enter will supply separately.

your ebay business
Collect any info you have from paypal, old bank statements and/or the site and summarize your sales in terms of dollars and cents. Something professional with an eye toward what a finance or accounting person could understand might give you an advantage. If you can highlight growth, even better.

references
I always try to avoid giving references before an interview. Here's a thought: if you've cared for a sick family member, check first but, you may be able to use the physician involved as a reference. Having Dr ~~~~ as a reference never looks bad. Your rapport with doc will generally dictate how to approach that.

recruiters
Try to find a few to work with. They often have early info on openings that aren't yet really open and may be able to get you first in line. They (recruiters) also advertize on the web.

strategies
Have you considered temp work?
Are you talking to people you know socially that may have leads you can use?

Hope this helps

These ideas might break a few logjams. I'm printing that out and putting it right along
with my interview cheat sheet and reference list.

I never interviewed with a recruiter. I've submitted a few resumes with no response.

My resume, incidentally, has been tweaked with GoodWill Employment site ideas. It reads
smoothly, has some meat, but the parts - education, experience, objective don't jive well.
That's not likely to change until I land a job!

I did office temp work for years early in life. I have submitted my resume for more than a few positions
but no response. Temp agencies don't advertise much anymore, or I should say much of the
temp work advertised is factory work. I think they'd be swamped if they advertised office work.

I don't know a lot of people, but i have talked with them. One suggested visiting main street
merchants and chatting them up. Another knew a guy who wanted some kind of
construction labor. I don't think either one is going to help me.

Your suggestions much appreciated. I will follow them closely for a few weeks and see what can
be generated.

and managed to fill in all the blanks, or at least appear to.

The app is targeted to high school kids. 3 references, if no job references
then personal references, but not friends - only neighbors and teachers. I have
neither of those either.

So I submitted my one letter of recommendation - not a friend, not work related -
service related - and glossed it into the three lines for references.

They'd be crazy to hire someone they can't checkout, but i do have the sense
they want someone very soon without putting time into the search, and there
were few if any other applications. I actually got 2 minutes with the manager.

They will interview this week, he said.

And really, they will do a credit and background check on anyone hired. If the credit
is good (it is) and the background is spotless (it is), what more do they need, what more
can an employer expect?

Keep us informed.

Don't stop; keep searching. If one place will want you then two or three will. It's a great place to be in to have choices.

Hoping for the best for you.

The easiest application forms ever. Didn't take me 1.2 hours,
no psychological test where they ask you 96 questions and no
answer is correct.

There are more opportunities, though not of high quality for the most part.

I'm learning to throw applications at anything, lie about my desire to stay for
a long time because I need income.

Late August is a very slow time for employment listings. As soon as Sept 1
there will be more as companies plan for the fall and realize half their talent
left to go back to school

I can't serve coffee? My bachelor's degree counts for zippo?
All my business courses not relevant to supervisor or management?

Companies have so many applicants they can choose 22 years olds with
waitressing experience over older workers.

Another corporation from which I will never buy anything.

The list is long.