Dealing With Depression
by Kate Wendleton and Dale Dauten

“Kate & Dale Talk Jobs” is a nationally syndicated newspaper column appearing in The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The New York Post, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle and approximately 100 other newspapers.

Dear Kate & Dale: You recently wrote about a woman who took three years off work and was worried about the effect on her job prospects. You said employers will assume the worst, wondering what's wrong. You said she has to have a positive story to explain her
absence, making it clear her time away from work was voluntary. When I read this, I wanted to find a high bridge to jump off. Where’s my positive story? Living with undiagnosed depression for five years, I held three jobs, leaving each one voluntarily. Six months back, my doctors put me on disability and I am still trying to get back on my feet. But I'm convinced that any career above flipping burgers is out of reach. (I used to work in
advertising/PR.) Have either of you seen a way to rebound from something like this? —Karen

KATE: As you probably know, Karen, one in five Americans can expect some form of depression in their lifetime, with one in twenty having a depressive disorder each year. Sometimes it can take a while to get the medication right, but if you hang in there, your name can be added to the list of those who thrived despite depression, a list that includes Winston Churchill, Ted Turner, Barbara Bush, Mike Wallace and many others.

DALE: There's no reason to settle for a second—or third-rate job; in fact, finding a mediocre job can be as hard as finding a first-rate one.

KATE: Sometimes harder. Odds are they won't want you as a burger-flipper because you won't fit in. So stick to advertising, Karen, assuming that you still have a passion for it. When you're ready to go back, it doesn't matter why you were gone, what matters is that you have a good story.

DALE: Although it would help if the "why" and the explanation were related, as in those movie statements, "Based on a true story." The explanation you give employers for your absence should be truthful; however, remember that you are NOT obligated to tell the WHOLE story. Rather, go in knowing that it's a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for employers to even inquire during hiring interviews about disability-related issues, including mental ones. However, because the goal is to get a job, not a lawyer, I hate to even bring up legalities. I mention it so that you understand that when you're ready to go back, all you need to do is to go in prepared to explain briefly what you've been doing PROFESSIONALLY during the past year—your personal life is none of their business. Your skills and experience are what matters, and that's the whole point of your "story," to allow the interviewer to stop assuming and get back to what matters.

Dear Kate & Dale: What techniques could I use to make my resume stand out? —Mel

DALE: When the job market was soft, there arose a fascination with job search gimmicks. The fad reached the zenith of questionable taste with job hunters putting a resume in a tennis shoe and mailing it with a note saying "Now that I have my foot in the door...." While it may have worked once, it mostly came across as strained and desperate, and that's how some people react to ANY ornamentation on a resume. I've seen resumes that were pieces of art, but they make you wonder if the person is trying to inform or distract the reader.

KATE: The average resume is only looked at for ten seconds. Rather than waste those seconds on colors or art work, you want to make sure the reader's eye is pulled right to your strongest qualifications. This can be done with simple elegance by the use of placement of lines, boldface types and underlining. If you rank order what you want people to see, and keep that ten-second clock in mind, you'll find yourself designing a resume based on the reader's eye rather than the writer's pride.

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Kate Wendleton is the founder of The Five O’Clock Club ( www.fiveoclockclub.com and author of several books including Targeting the Job You Want. Dale Dauten is an entrepreneur, speaker and author in Phoenix, Arizona. His latest book, on how great bosses and great employees find each other, is The Gifted Boss (William Morrow). Please write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 235 East 45th St., New York, NY 10017, or email Kate@FiveOClockClub.com. Copyright, 2000 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.