HHS2019 t1_izzuyr0 wrote
Thank you for doing this.
I'm an American who studied economics and have spent the past few years working overseas in international development. Not long ago, a parent became very ill and I returned to the US to provide care.
In the process, I've sent out resumes to local organizations and companies trying to find a way to make ends meet. I rarely even get confirmation that my resume was received. I explained my situation in my cover letters, saying that I wanted a career change. Given the radio silence in response, I am convinced that instead of looking at my time abroad as a sign of initiative, cultural sensitivity, and managerial experience, I was deemed a professional leper. Meaning, HR staff perhaps thought: we don't do any work in (name of polysyllabic country), we don't want anything to do with that.
It is almost as though I would be better off just listing my college education and leaving that part off -- a multiyear gap in employment would at least not get my resume put in the "square peg" pile.
Can you guide me on how to adapt my strategy or at least get in the door for an interview?
hrmagnet OP t1_j00dx9u wrote
There have been anagogical experiments of resumes with a gap and without a gap. The results were that the same resumes that had a gap did not fare as well in screening. A solution to this is to "fill" that gap with listing it as a "sabbatical", caregiver, or projects you might have done. If you put caregiver in and they ask, just say you had to deal with a family situation that has now been resolved. That way, it keeps their mind at ease.
Radio silence is not uncommon as there tends to be many applicants who apply. Employers might want to keep the doors open in case they have a vacancy on short notice and call you later. This disincentives them from telling you that you didn't get the job. It may or may not be due to the gap at all.
When you meant "local", did you mean USA or another country? Other countries may have different resume conventions, so you may want to look into that. For example, in some parts of Asia and Europe, it is not uncommon to attach a headshot in the resume. Certain countries may expect certain personal information as well. In France, it is considered strange to talk about yourself in first person in the cover letter (I'm not sure why, but it is the standard). These practices are the opposite in UK, USA, and Canada.
If you're not getting enough responses or invitations for interviews, you might need to revise your resume and application strategy. If you had interviews but not enough offers, you may need to revise your cover letter. Your cover letter is usually reviewed at the later stages.
Without looking at your resume and based on the post, it may be possible that you need to emphasize the transferrable skills and align yourself more with the job posters to be more compelling. I would not delete your international experience, as that would put you in competition with new grads.
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