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Son needs expert advice to guide him toward career path

By Joan Cirillo, Globe Correspondent, 10/24/04

I am at my wit's end. My college graduate son is working as a salad maker at one of the retail restaurant chains in the suburbs, and living in a room in someone's home. He majored in criminal justice and thought he would become a police officer. He seemed to change his mind. But instead of pursuing other fields associated with his major, he has decided that working for $7 an hour is the right fit for him. I want to scream. I am afraid if I say too much, I will only put him in a deeper funk. My husband and I are watching our $100,000 investment going south and it is killing us! We are so upset. Is there anything you can suggest?

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I think you need to use a ''soft touch'' here. Money may be his greatest motivator. There will come a point when he will watch his friends passing him by financially. He will see them getting good jobs that pay well, living in nice houses or condos, and getting married. He might then realize he needs to move forward with his career.

Until then, I would wait to offer some positive suggestions. For example, you might look up the closest One-Stop Career Center. If you key in www.detma.org and click on ''Visit a Career Center'' it will help you find the nearest one. There are 37 One-Stop Centers in Massachusetts. Many of their services are free of charge. Your son could see a counselor at least once for free and that might help him sort things out. Print the information and hand it to him at the right moment.

If you are willing to make an additional investment, I think your son could benefit greatly from a career counselor. An experienced counselor can get him back on track to a more appropriate career path. Referrals are one of the best ways to identify a good counselor. You might also check out www.iacmp.org, an organization that will provide referrals. Click on ''How To Find a Career Services Expert'' on the far left of the screen. Another source is www.careercounselorsne.org. Click on ''Who We Are'' and at the top of the next screen it will say ''Search our Database. Find a counselor in your area!''

Career counselor could help explain gap in work history

I have been looking for employment for the past nine months with very little success. I have certificates in medical assisting and office technologies. I have been at home with my child and have not worked since 2001. I am having a very hard time just getting an interview. I put in my cover letter that I haven't worked because I've chosen to stay home with my daughter, who is now four. My question is: Should I keep that information in the cover letter?

How did you handle your absence from work on your résumé? I am sure there is a three-year gap in your work history or perhaps, you have no work history at all. This could account for you not getting many interviews. Here is where a skilled career counselor could be helpful. He can rework your résumé and help narrow your job search to jobs that are appropriate for your skill level. Remember, many of their core services are free.

I also want to address your skills. You said you have a certificate in Medical Assisting and Office Technologies, but it sounds like you have not touched a keyboard in three years. This could be the primary reason that you are not getting interviews. I think a refresher course would be invaluable. Employers need to know that you are familiar with the latest technology and have kept up with your keyboarding speed. I would call the school where you took your training and see if they would allow you to take some kind of a refresher course. If not, ask if you can go in and practice your keyboarding. I would also try to meet with the placement officer at the school and see if he can help you.

Volunteer at your favorite nonprofit organization. This would give you a chance to freshen your skills, be in an office environment, and have a current reference for your job search. It will also give you something to talk about on interviews when you are asked what you have been doing while you are looking for work.

Inevitably, the interviewer will ask you to take some tests to determine if you have the skills needed for the job you are seeking. If you do not have the proficiency needed for the job, you will be disqualified.

Once you are at a good skill level, you might want to register with several temporary agencies in your area. More and more companies are hiring candidates through temporary agencies, seeing if they work out, and then extending them an offer, rather than putting them on the companies' payroll from the start. One temp agency told me that 40 percent of their jobs convert into full-time opportunities for their candidates.

You may not find the job of your dreams right away. Right now, it is important that you find work and establish a history. You need to build a résumé. When you do land a position, work hard. Be a sponge and learn as much as you can. When you master your job, begin to look at the requirements for the next job.

Use mock interview as tool to help job seeker in search

I am a career counselor who needs advice. I have a client who is quite bright, articulate, and affable. He has held several professional jobs, but for the last several years he has been unable to find work. He has had to take menial jobs just to stay afloat and this doesn't look good on his professional résumé. He is also experiencing some health problems. I think one of the key barriers preventing him from finding work is that he loves to talk. I am convinced that he is sabotaging himself on the few interviews he gets by talking too much. I have tried telling him this many times but it does not seem to connect for him. Do you have any suggestions about how I can help this candidate?

First, try to set up some mock interviews with some human resources colleagues and your candidate. Ask your colleagues to treat this meeting as a serious job interview. Encourage them to ask the same questions they would ask a candidate looking for work at their companies. Explain to your candidate that he should treat this as seriously as a real job interview. Afterward, ask your colleagues what areas the candidate did well in and what areas he needs to work on. If all your colleagues mention how much he talks during the interview, you have concrete evidence that this is an area that he must get serious about fixing.

Another technique is to videotape him in a mock interview. It might be the kind of proof he needs to see so that he can adjust his behavior.

Marketing, sales, or customer service positions that require telephone contact might be an excellent match for him. He may no longer be able to call on customers physically, but he may be able to use his proclivity for talking for these types of phone positions.

Job interviewer was insensitive and his comment was illegal

My mother has developed Parkinson's disease and needs work. She does not have enough money to live on and, unfortunately, we are not in a position to help her financially. Recently, an interviewer said to her, ''you should be locked in a room the way your head keeps bobbing. I can't possibly hire you.'' My mother came home so demoralized. She has sobbed for days. Do you have any suggestions about how I can help her?

Yes, I would have her call the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission and schedule an appointment to see a vocational rehabilitation counselor. The commission works with people with disabilities and can provide counseling that I think will be invaluable for your mother. They can make suggestions about appropriate work, as well as provide some training if they think that would make your mother more employable. There are 27 Vocational Rehabilitation Offices statewide so call for the office closest to you. The number is: (617) 204-3854.

Another excellent resource is the One-Stop Career Centers. Someone at each center works with people with disabilities and helps them find the best resources to meet their particular needs. See my first answer to locate the closest Career Center.

I also feel compelled to address the disparaging comment made by the interviewer. It was not only inappropriate and mean-spirited, it is also against the law. I recommend that your mother call the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and speak to a counselor. The number is: (617) 994-6196.

Joan Cirillo is the executive director of Operation A.B.L.E., a non-profit organization that provides employment and training opportunities to adults age 40 and older.

Need advice about managing your career or workplace? Our specialists can help. E-mail questions to ; fax to 617-929-3183; or mail to Job Doc, The Boston Globe, P.O. Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819.

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