This part 4 of a story about Ken continued from the previous section.
To start reading Ken’s interview for success question from the beginning visit Job Interview Preparation.
Question summary:
Ken, is having a difficult time getting hired for a management position because he has not worked in management for the past nine years.
Don’s Answer to Ken – Part 4
It’s okay to lie on your resume, not really, that’s really bad interview etiquette. But a resume is not a confession and there is nothing wrong with omitting places you worked at if you feel they could be detrimental to you getting hired somewhere, but you need to be able to close the employment gap with something.
I never lie on my resume about what I did or where I did it, but I will leave certain things out because they can be too difficult to explain and possibly cost me the job. Also, tailor your resume to the type of job you are seeking. I always had three different resumes, with each one tightly geared towards one of my specialties.
In my opinion, your entrepreneurial experience is your biggest asset. You have all the skills any company would want in a manger, but you just need to paint a clearer picture of yourself to them. If they have half a brain, they will hire you on the spot. I would.
There is always a risk when you start juggling too many things around. When you start lying on your resume, you’re likely to forget what you did and will probably get caught.
In your case, I think 9 years of being a service tech overshadows your entrepreneurial and management experience and is detrimental to pursuing a career in management.
If it were me and without a doubt, I would stretch my work at Advanced Pay Phone to the present day and get Verizon service tech off my resume. I believe you only ever accepted work as a service tech because you had to, and not because you wanted to. If it’s not helping you get the job you want, then it’s a hindrance.
You’re not obligated to list Verizon on your resume if you don’t want to, but you need something to fill the work history gap and that would be consulting with Advanced Pay Phone.
I think if you have a resume that shows 18 years of entrepreneurial and management experience, you won’t have a hard time finding a job.
I’m not sure how long you have been looking, or how many phone calls you get on your resume, but if I were interviewing candidates for management and came across your resume and noticed that all your previous work was unrelated to the job at hand, I would pass you over. I would not look back to see what you were doing 9 years ago.
As far as background checks go, there are many different degrees of checks and it depends on the type of position and the company. If you are interviewing at a bank, you can expect a more through background check than most places. Or any position that deals with or has access to sensitive or confidential corporate information will get a more through background check.
Since they are having a private firm conduct a check on you, expect them to call your past employer, college, check criminal and driving records and you may have to submit to a drug test. I don’t believe they have access to the state department to check your W2 status because that’s private information. I also don’t believe they can check past income tax returns because they are also private, plus that would be bad interview etiquette on their part, unless you are running for public office.
For now, focus on getting this job, if it’s the one you really want. Focus on convincing them how good of a manger you are. Give them examples from your past of how you had to learn new things to overcome certain hurdles. Show them, using your past experience, that you are a good leader and that you know how to get things done and back it up with examples from your past.
If you don’t get the job, consider the reasons why, and make the necessary adjustments and try again.
You have just read a transcript of real problem posed by Ken, who is having a difficult time getting hired for a management position because he has not worked in management for the past nine years.
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