Readers Get Feedback On Popular Questions
Letters; I get letters and phone calls and faxes and e-mail. This correspondence is edited.
Reader: I was laid off from my job as a legal secretary and have been working full time for pay running the office for my husband’s small company. I want to go back to work as a paralegal. Should I put on my resume the time I’ve worked for my husband?
Comment: Yes, mention it. It counts! You certainly don’t have to mention on your resume that the business is owned by your husband, but you should bring it up during the job interview. Working for your husband doesn’t mean you didn’t work hard or perform as a professional. In fact, you probably worked harder because you have a vested interest in the company.
Reader: I notice only a few companies still state in their want ads that they are equal opportunity employers. As an older black woman, I don’t apply to companies that don’t state it. When I interview, I’m acutely aware of whether the company has a mixed work force. Recently, I was on a job interview and counted two blacks and one Asian, and I immediately felt good about the company.
Comment: You’re wise to “count the crowd,” as I describe it, for women and minorities, which I do in offices, construction sites, the media and wherever I go. It’s also wise to know whether a company obeys equal employment laws.
Reader: I’m an unemployed, middle-age woman with a master’s degree in library science - an information junkie hooked on the Internet. I want to turn my obsession into a career. Can you refer me to a source for advice on courses or certification?
Comment: Fortunately, you’re hooked on an area booming with jobs. Your best bet is to stay in library science, where you may be able to browse the Internet for hours - and get paid for it. But you’ll need to update your skills. For more information, contact the American Library Association at 312-944-6780. Or you can feed your habit by accessing its Web site at http://www.ala.org.
Reader: Temp abuse - I know about it firsthand. I’ve been temping in one job for three years. Is this really a temporary job, or are they breaking the law by not making me a full-time employee to avoid giving me benefits and paid vacations? I’m feeling trapped.
Comment: You need to contact an employment lawyer to find out whether your employer is breaking state laws on contingency workers. Call your local chapter of the American Bar Association for a reference.
Reader: Temporary agencies are an answer to jobs for unskilled welfare recipients. The big ones often provide job training. I’ve never been on welfare, but I used that route when I had zero funds to go to college and bills to pay. Through temporary agencies, I received free training on important computer software programs. I didn’t earn much money at first, but I increased my skills. I now have top-notch, well-paying assignments. I think state and federal agencies should contract with temporary firms to train welfare recipients.
Comment: Congratulations: You made temporary work, which you understand well, work for you. People who turn to it because they can’t get a full-time job or want more flexible hours often are frustrated. Let’s hope welfare recipients get a chance to benefit from this important opportunity for training - and jobs.
Reader: My daughter is a manager and wants to propose a job-share plan to her bosses in order to spend more time with her family. She wants to create a proposal advantageous to both her and her employer. Any advice?
Comment: Job-sharing arrangements usually are individual. She has to go to upper management with a complete plan she has drawn up, including hours, pay, responsibilities and benefits - a plan her job sharer agrees with. For more information, contact New Ways to Work at (415) 995-9860.
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