1. Position the gap as a career decision. Let the interviewer know that your leave from the work force was a conscious decision about your life direction. This says that you are someone with a firm plan in mind. Perhaps:
"Yes, I chose to spend the last six years as a stay-at-home mom after my children were born. My plan was to continue with my professional career at the end of those six years because that is important to me as well as raising a family."
2. Focus on accomplishments and skills used during the gap. Remind the interviewer of volunteer activities or personal accomplishments you mentioned on your resume. For example:
"Of course, during this time I handled many of the same responsibilities one faces on the job. For instance, I served as the chairperson of the PTA fund-raising committee for one year. I organized the committee, developed a mailing list of possible benefactors and coordinated a publicity drive. The campaign earned $15,000—a 15 percent increase over the previous year's effort."
3. Play up professional affiliations. Be sure to mention your continued involvement with any professional or trade organizations related to your field. This lets the interviewer know that even though you've not been in the work force, you're still in touch with current industry issues and developments.
Older, Wiser—But Never Employed
Many women who have never been professionally employed find themselves in need of a job in their 30s, 40s, or thereafter. If you're in this situation, you understand what an uphill battle the job search can be. You know you can handle the job, but employers can't seem to get past your nonexistent employment record.
For you, it's doubly important to dress, talk and act like the consummate professional during the interview. When mentioning volunteer or community activities, be sure to focus on specific tasks you performed.
Instead of saying:
"I've been an active member of the Sunshine Hospital Volunteers for 15 years."
Say:
"From 1993 to 1994, I managed the budget for a city-wide hospital service organization. I collected dues from more than 200 members, kept formal accounting records, handled tax issues and developed the next year's budget. I’m proud to say that during that time, the organization earned 5 percent more interest on our savings funds because of banking decisions that I made."
"Have you ever been fired or laid off?"
Explaining a layoff or firing requires careful footwork. If you were let go because of corporate restructuring rather than for nonperformance, it's important to mention that fact. What if you were fired because of some gripe on the company's part? Keep in mind that potential employers probably will contact past employers to verify your credentials, at which point, the truth about whether you were fired or laid off will come out.
So don't lie, but don't reveal all the details, either. You might say something like, "Of course, I wasn't happy about being fired, but the job simply was not a good fit for me or for the company. So it was best for both of us in the long run that we part ways,"
"Hey baby, how about dinner?''
Although the world is becoming far less tolerant of such behavior, sexual harassment has not vanished from the interviewing office. So it is not out of the realm of the possible that you may find yourself on the receiving end of an interviewer's suggestive leer or, worse, hand.
What to do? If the interviewer is to be your direct supervisor or even department manager, the best choice is probably to grit your teeth, end the interview as soon as possible and scratch the position off your list. The situation is not likely to improve after you're on the job. Of course, you always have another option: to report the sexual harassment to the interviewer's higher-up, if there is one.
If you're really interested in the company, you may want to investigate job possibilities in other departments. Then again, you may want to think twice about a company that permits such behavior in any of its personnel.
"Are you a family woman?"
The law forbids employers from basing hiring decisions on your marital or family status. That doesn't stop most employers from asking about these issues. You don't have to answer, of course. But where will that get you? Out the door, most likely. Let's say that the employer does mean to discriminate. If you refuse to answer, the interviewer will assume that you're "one of those women's libbers" or that you won't answer because you do in fact have family conflicts that might hinder your job performance. Either way, your defiance will be a big black mark against you.
Now let's suppose that your interviewers are simply ignorant of the law. Should you enlighten them? Well, if you did, they're likely to either become embarrassed or defensive—and neither emotion is conducive to building your interview rapport.
It's no secret that many employers believe that women who are wives and mothers miss work frequently, are reluctant to travel and often quit to follow their husbands to a new job location. So if you are a wife or a mother or both, how do you answer questions about your family status without damaging your chances for the job? By keeping the employer's true concerns in mind.
Questions about your family life really represent a hidden objection. The interviewer doesn't really care that you have a loving husband or that you've chosen to have children—your lifestyle isn't the issue. The issue is whether your lifestyle will affect your ability to do the job in any way. That means that the best way to answer such questions is to say something in the order of the following:
"Yes, I do have two children. I have great childcare arrangements, too, so you don't have to worry that my family might interfere with my work. We even have a backup plan in place so that if our regular caregiver is sick, I don't have to miss work to be with the kids."
Or:
"Yes, I do have a family, but I make it a point not to let it interfere with my work. In fact, at my last job, I never missed one day because of family problems or sick children."
If the interviewer really starts to focus on your personal life, you can usually put a halt to it with a simple statement such as:
"You know, I sense that you're concerned about whether my personal life will keep me from performing well. I can assure you that this has not been the case in the past and it won't be so in the future. Now that we've got that resolved, what other questions can I answer for you?"
This same approach is effective when interviewers ask other types of discriminatory questions, too. Just for the record, the law restricts employers from basing hiring decisions on your age, ancestry, or race, as well as on many aspects of your personal life, including your religion and your sexual orientation.
After the Interview
An interview is hard, stressful work. So the first thing to do when you walk out of the interviewer's office is to relax a bit! But then, there are a few important follow-up measures to take.
Write a Thank-You Note
Always write a brief thank-you note. Thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you, and restate your interest in the company and position. Try to incorporate mention of some part of the interview—ideally, a particular need the interviewer expressed and how you might address that need. But keep your letter to one or two short paragraphs. Type the letter in business style, and be sure there are no typos or spelling errors. Look at the following sample:
Dear Ms. Kranz:
Thank you for taking the time to discuss the position of store manager with me yesterday. It was a pleasure meeting you and learning more about Everyman's Pharmacy.
During our meeting, you mentioned that you'll be shopping around for a new computerized inventory system soon. I've been recalling my own experience with inventory systems at Webber Drugs, and I have a few ideas about which systems might work best for you. I'd be happy to share my thoughts with you at any time.
Again, thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you and to the possibility of joining your staff.
Sincerely,
If you were able to arrange the interview because of a tip or personal introduction from a colleague or networking contact, be sure to drop that person a note of thanks as well.
Evaluate the Interview
Replay the interview in your mind. What went well? What could you have done better? The point is not to berate yourself for what you did or didn't say; you did the best job you knew how. The point is to determine which things worked and which didn't, and to use that knowledge in your next interview.
Study Your Resume Again
Did the interviewer have any questions about information on your resume—questions that could be clarified by a slight rewrite? Did you find yourself mentioning important accomplishments or skills that you neglected to put on your resume? If so, you should revise your resume accordingly.
When to Call Back
Especially in corporate America, the hiring process moves at an amazingly slow pace. So don't panic if a week or two passes and you don't hear anything from your interviewer. No news may indeed be good news.
During your interview, make it a point to ask when the hiring decision will be made. If you don't get word about the job by that time, it's perfectly acceptable to call the employer to inquire about the status of the position. If the job has not yet been filled, you can use the opportunity to remind the employer of your interest and your qualifications.
Don't, however, be a pest. If they're not ready to make a decision, they're not ready to make a decision.
