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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Health Care |
Employable at 30? |
i had worked at a couple of varied jobs before age 21. i then became homeless and traveled around for 10 years, working occasionally odd jobs such as harvesting, landscaping, gutting and demolition, cleaning house and babysitting. all of them have been under the table all over the country. i also dont recall the names or addresses of those employers. i became pregnant and came back to my hometown and enrolled in nursing school. i have tried before, in various towns, applying for regular jobs such as kitchen work, etc, and have been turned down. probably due to lack of previous employment on my application. i am scared that even with the nursing degree i will not gain employment. do you think that volunteering would make me more employable? plus i cannot work very much now that i am very pregnant and in school full time. Gaps in employment do raise flags for Human Resource people, but I don't think it has to stop you from getting your career on track. I work in HR, and was a bit of a "late bloomer" myself. Volunteering is an excellent idea, because right now you need to be making contacts. Good references and recent experience in your field will go a long way to resolve your work history issues. The first thing I would suggest is to look at what the nursing program you're enrolled in offers in the way of internships or volunteer opportunities. The school should have career guidance people on staff to help you find opportunities that match your current availability. The second thing I would look for is for nursing-related volunteer opportunities with local hospitals, blood banks, and nursing homes. Even if you draw nothing more than bedpan duty, you're at least getting yourself known and building up a work history in your field. You may well have to take a lesser opportunity until you prove you are a steady worker. You might also look to see if there are any local opportunities through the city or state or federal government - such as a V.A. hospital, state mental health hospital, etc. With a little luck, by the time you finish nursing school you'll have several months of practical experience and several solid references to bolster your resume. Emphasize that in your resumes, rather than relying on a chronological employment history. You want to bring attention to what you've done well, not to what's missing. The gap will still be there, but you'll be putting yourself in the best light. If asked about the gap, answer honestly but keep it brief. You want the interviewer to understand that you're a good candidate for the job, and whatever missteps you made in the past aren't going to affect or aren't relevent to who you are now. Best of luck! In nursing school, you should most likely have a practicum or internship that you must complete. This will at least give you some real life experience in the field. Nurses are also in very high demand at the current time. However,if you are really concerned about it, I would take up volunteer work at a local hospital or nursing home (depending on your interests) as I am sure they will have something available for you that will at least give you some experience. However, you may want to wait until after your baby is born as it would not make sense to start volunteering for a month or so and then have to leave to take care of a baby and then go back. |
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