And before your current employer closes, be sure to get personal contact information for your supervisor and even some co-workers who can serve as references later on. It’s so easy to forget to do that, and then find yourself not able to get in touch with them down the line.

You might also try to get a letter of recommendation from your current employer so you can present it as part of your next job application.

So sorry this is happening to you. If you have resume questions, feel free to ask them here!

Start by making a list of all the relevant skills you have. That might include your computer skills, as well as abilities such as project management, organization, and team work.

Then write down specific activities where you used those skills and abilities. Whenever possible, state those activities as accomplishments, using numbers to quantify your results.

You can draw from your military and Post Office experience, as well as your personal activities. Lots of times, we develop some of our best skills from unpaid work, such as volunteering for an organization, doing personal projects, and even family management.

I think you’ll be surprised at how much you have to say on your resume that relates to your new job in administration. You might even consider using a combination resume format to highlight these relevant skills.

And you could have a Community Service section for some of those unpaid experiences.

Good luck with your career change from the Post Office into administration. Let us know how it goes!

Best of luck!
Susan

It will be helpful to first resolve this two-year gap in employment on your resume. I assume you’ll do this by using some volunteer or personal activities that are relevant to your job objective. If not, you’ll probably list something such as travel or caregiver or something that shows good character such as independent study or volunteerism — even if it’s not relevant to your objective.

If you do a good job on your resume of mending the hole in your work history, you may not have to mention it at all in your cover letter.

If, however, you feel you need to mention it, do it with dignity or even humor. In other words, don’t be apologetic. It’s not your fault the economy headed south.

And you don’t have to use the word “retirement.” You could refer to that time as a career break to do such-and-such. And now you’re back!

Play with a few drafts. And if you want to share some of them here, feel free. We can give you feedback, if you want.

Best of luck on your re-entry!

Here’s something I try to do when I feel really overwhelmed: I take a deep breath and then make a list of what needs to be done to move forward. Then I try to take just one step at a time. Of course I keep the end goal in sight, but I try not to take in the whole picture, just put one foot in from of the other in as steady a pace as I can.

In your case, you need to write a resume for your next job. Here are a few steps to help you get started:
- First decide what kind of work you want next. The same type you were doing in your recent job? Something new? Knowing what you want to do next will help you figure out the next step:
- Decide what resume format to use.
- Use a resume template for that resume format. The reason I especially recommend a template for you is because it will remove a lot of the work of organizing your information, which I think is part of what’s making this so hard to approach. You can pull up a template and use it as a foundation for inputting your items without having to fool around with formatting.
- First fill out the info for your Heading. That’s easy to do and you’ll get an immediate sense of accomplishment.
- Then enter your work history job titles, dates, and employers. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to say anything about why you left your last job. Not on your resume, at least. You may have to on your job application, but that’s later on so don’t worry about it now.
- Go through the template section by section filling in the structure.
- When you’re done, ask someone whose judgment you trust to look it over and proofread it.

At any point along the way, feel free to ask me a question here. I’d be happy to give you my two cents.

Most important, know that you’re not alone. Many people get terminated from their jobs. It doesn’t mean you won’t get a good job this time around. And you certainly can move on to a have a wonderful career.

We’re rooting for you, so go for it… at your own pace.

I would appreciate some help with a cover letter to accompany my resume. How do I explain the gap in my employment history and my need to return to work.

Thank you

I was intrigued by your story, and found that, as it is for most job seekers, the key to answer your question is right in front of you! You are interested in pursuing a position in the renewable energy field, and your most recent experience is with your solar water heating company – perfect! The renewable energy industry is thriving right now, and by its very nature requires a motivated, entrepreneurial spirit, which you clearly possess. I would focus your resume on the accomplishments you’ve achieved in your current job, and list fewer accomplishments at the other businesses. In those previous positions, include the achievements that are related to doing installation and repairs, as well as other tasks and projects that would be relevant to your future employer.

Also, it would be extremely helpful to include a Summary or Profile section at the top of your resume, and highlight your experience in renewable energy, your leadership and initiative, and your ability to “develop new ideas and projects,” as you stated.

Good luck!
Beth

Note from Susan: Beth Brown is a senior resume writer on my team and the author of the soon-to-be-released book, The Damn Good Resume Guide, A Crash Course in Resume Writing, 5th Edition.