How do I account for the fact that I am just seeking my first adult employment?

by Anonymous
(Robbins, TN)

I am disabled seeking part time work... haven't worked in years. How do I get a job? I worked when i was a teenager. When I was 18 I was declared legally disabled because of a genetic condition. I was told by family members that I couldn't work or I would lose my benefits.

So I eventually became a stay at home mom. Recently I did some research and was made aware that I could in fact work part time with no adverse effects on my benefits.

I have always wanted to work and now that I know i can i have been actively seeking employment... unfortunately, I have no job experience to put on an application, except for when I worked in 1995.

I'm not even sure I should list that. I have no clue what to list or how to list it. I really feel that I have been passed over for employment because of my disability status... Any suggestions please?

Answer: Well, first off... good for you for being so motivated and actually wanting to work! I think you have to consider yourself to be just like a teenager, going out to work for the first time.

In such situations, you're not going to have a lot to put on a resume under the work history section. I would list any jobs you had as a youngster, though, as that's better than nothing.

Then, you need to think about transferable skills. You say you've been a stay-at-home mom, and that's a great place to mine for skills, as mothers and homemakers always have lots of skills and experience to draw from, even if you never got paid for any of the work you've done.

For instance, what about your organization and planning skills? Or maybe ability to teach and train? Or how about your ability to do research on the Web? You have to think about your specific situation, but I'm confident you can come up with more than a few things.

These transferable skills should be discussed in cover letters that go with your resume. You also need to figure out ways to deal with an employer's worry that you lack real work experience. Perhaps you can offer to work for a week as a volunteer, or for a probation period at a lower rate of pay, until you prove yourself.

Good luck! I'm betting on you!