Explaining absence from the workforce

Dear Bob …

I have been unemployed for some time now (over a year) and am trying to get a full-time position once again. Of course, many, if not most, employers are reluctant to hire someone who’s been out of the workforce for a while, especially IT folk such as myself where that can mean a deterioration in skill.

Long story as short as I can make it: between dealing with severe depression, alcoholism, Asperger Syndrome, and a very rocky relationship, I haven’t been in a position to hold a full-time job for a while, although I did start my own home-based craft business and have been doing some IT consulting work here and there for various individuals. I’ve also been working on the other matters as well: addressing the problems with my partner, taking meds for the emotional problems, and being sober for some time. In sum, although I was not in a condition to work for quite some time, I feel that I am now.

Needless to say, the circumstances surrounding my “vacation” aren’t something I care to advertise to a potential employer, even if I thought it was any of their business (which it isn’t, beyond determining my ability to do the job). I’ve been trying to paint it all in as positive a light as I can: that I became disabled for a while but am now recovered, that I’ve been doing things IT-related during my absence, and that I’ve been continuing to keep my skills sharp in various ways as well as reading all the trade rags and the like.

I have been getting interviews, in some cases being one of only half a dozen or so candidates called out of several hundred applicants, so I assume I’m doing at least something right. I’ve also followed the advice of several people regarding my résumé, particularly in explaining what I’ve been doing since I last held a full-time position.

But I’m still getting comments, particularly from my headhunters, that a lot of people don’t want to talk to me because I haven’t held a full-time position in over a year. Any suggestions?

– Back in the saddle

Dear Back …

Sorry to hear you’ve been having such a tough year. The good news is that you’re getting in the door some places – not everyone manages that.

The answer to your question is deceptively simple, and you said it yourself: Your personal business is nobody’s business but your own. You’re under no obligation to blurt out your shortcomings in an interview, any more than a software vendor is obligated to point out the shortcomings of its product line.

So when anyone asks what you’ve been doing for the past year, say, “I spent the last year trying to succeed as an independent contractor, but I found that while I did well in the assignments I was able to land, I overestimated my selling skills. That’s why I decided it’s time to re-enter the workforce as an employee.”

You’re likely to be asked, “Without a lot of assignments, what did you do to fill in the time?” Your answer: “I made a lot of phone calls, of course. My wife and I also started a small craft business. It’s been fun, and I learned a lot about what it means to run a business, but it hasn’t been particularly lucrative. Now tell me more about what you’re looking for.”

You’re also likely to be asked to describe one or two of the consulting assignments you did work on. Be prepared for that, too: Dress ’em up so they’re ready for public viewing.

It’s probably dopey to say this to someone battling depression, but the last bit of advice is to keep a good attitude. By this I really mean, keep the left half of your brain in charge – the one that thinks serially, grammatically, and logically.

In a sense, hope – a right-hemisphere activity – is your enemy, because the flip side of hope is disappointment. Go into every interview confident that you’re a great choice for the position, but don’t go into any interview hoping to get the position. The former helps you have the kind of professional conversation among equals that helps persuade the other person that you’re the right choice. The latter puts you in the role of supplicant during the interview, and afterward, if you don’t get the job (more likely because you’ve placed yourself at a disadvantage), you’re more likely to lose your balance.

And by the way … the exact same advice would hold true if you were going to continue to try selling contracting services.

Good luck. And don’t hesistate to correspond if you need more advice, or just a pep talk.

– Bob

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