Providing Complete Work History

Dear Deb:

I had a phone interview today, and the employer said that for further consideration, I must provide the following by the end of the week:

* Complete work history going back to date of graduation.                  

* Complete dates for all jobs.

* Salaries for last five years.

My dilemma is that my career started in 1985. This will show that I am 52 years old. I know in the high-tech industry this will be an issue. Secondly, I took a career break from 2005 to 2012 to stay at home with my kids.   When I returned to work, I accepted a job at a much lower salary. I think providing these details will end my candidacy. Are these questions fair? How should I handle?

Thank you,

Carol

Dear Carol:

In a job search, you must follow the employer’s specific instructions for application if you wish to be a candidate.   In some cases, an employer will review resumes submitted and identify candidates in which they are interested. During that phase, employers may ask further questions to further assess candidates. In this situation, the employer has made this information a requirement. In other words, if you remain interested in this job you must provide the information.

However, you can do this on your terms by updating your resume to include this information so you can share the information in the best light. I’d recommend the following based on the facts that you shared:

* Go back to your career start. If the first job was during college, write this next to the job title. “Support Representative, while full-time college student (1985 - 1986)”

* Add a graduation date to your college degree so the employer can see that what you are showing is your entire history, as they requested.

* Add your early history as requested. Use the reverse pyramid format. This means as you write about positions further back in history, show less detail. Show more detail about the recent, more relevant positions.

* Don’t be tempted to lie about dates. It will be discovered at some point. For the career break, you can insert a simple one-line statement that you chose to take a hiatus from your career to raise your children.

* Be sure that your resume is tightly focused on the needs of this particular company. Take this opportunity to update your resume accordingly.

The good news in your scenario is that your initial resume was effective in that it earned you a first interview and the company’s interest is ongoing based on their request for more information.

All the best,

Deb