Diverse Resume May Cost Job-Seeker Career Opportunities
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have multiple passions and actual skills, but I feel like I'm constantly being shamed for having a career path that doesn't fit neatly into one box. My parents seem disappointed because they expected me to choose one clearly defined profession and stick with it. Employers seem similarly confused by my resume, which spans several industries and types of work. What they don't see is that I have excelled in every role I've held and have consistently left jobs with glowing recommendations. I may not have followed one straight path, but I've built a broad range of skills and know how to adapt. Unfortunately, with the economy struggling and the job market so competitive, I'm increasingly being overlooked because my experience doesn't make sense to people who expect a linear career trajectory. How do I embrace the way my brain and career work while learning to communicate my value to people who seem to understand only a straight path? -- Winding Road
DEAR WINDING ROAD: Sometimes it's the narrative that accompanies a resume or bio that can help illuminate who you are. When you apply for a job, learn everything you can about what it entails and the company behind it. Be prepared to describe how you can be an asset to them. After all, at the end of the day, an employer is looking for an employee who can fulfil whatever need they have. If you can illustrate how you can do that, your meandering resume won't matter nearly as much. Come prepared to show them who you are and what you can bring to the table.
DEAR HARRIETTE: Please extend my sympathy to the writer calling herself "Deformed." She wrote that after a car accident scarred her face, her toddler now looks at her as if she were afraid. Very small children are still learning empathy and are unfiltered in their reactions. They pick up on negative feelings -- like stress, grief and pain -- but don't always understand the context. Above all, though, they love their mothers and want them to be OK. In this case, it may help for the writer to reassure her toddler that she is OK and her scars don't hurt, they are just how her body is healing from a bad injury. I would encourage her to let her child ask questions and feel her scars, and for her to be honest (in an age-appropriate way) about how she feels, too. "I'm glad I'm OK. I'm glad I'm safe here with you. I am not hurt anymore, but these marks look kind of strange to me, and I'm not used to them yet." This is a little child who almost lost their mother. I hope the mother can find some comfort for herself in walking her toddler through the changes. -- Compassionate
Copyright 2026, Harriette Cole
COPYRIGHT 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication. This feature may not be reproduced or distributed electronically, in print or otherwise without the written permission of Andrews McMeel Syndication.
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