Ask the Expert Dr. Kathleen Wells is a professional career coach and Director of Coaches That Care. She has coached thousands of clients through the stages of successful career development. Relocation and Changing Jobs Q: I just relocated to a new state because of a career move for my husband. I have been a stay at home mom for the past six weeks and have decided to go back to work. I was have worked in the medical field for the past five years. For the past 2 years I have been a account rep and billing manager's assistant. I want a career change and feel this would be the best time for it. But, I am not sure what would be the best "new" career. I was thinking about administrative work. Do you have any ideas that would help in my career change. - Tina S. A: You have two issues here with which to contend. First being a stay-at-home mom for six weeks and secondly changing careers. Both are easy to "fix." First, on the resume you use, you need to be careful about gaps in time and also giving away information best kept private (at least until your face to face interview). I recommend a resume style that omits the dates of employment. It will still be a complete history of work, but not raise red flags because of time off. Certainly being a stay-at-home mom for a time is a great thing, but you do not want to blatantly point out that is what you were doing because you will raise a red flag of who cares for the new baby. This information is best disclosed at the interview (and then only if directly asked) after you have made that all-important first impression. You will then be able to ensure the interviewer that you have more than adequate child care arrangements made because your child is very important to you. Because of these excellent arrangements, there is always care available for the baby. The second thing is the change in careers. What you put into your cover letter and resume are your transferable skills. In other words, highlight the skills that made you good at your old career that will also make you good at the new one. For example, as an account rep and billing manager you needed excellent organizational, communication, and supervisory skills. You probably used good computer skills as well. All of these would help in administrative work. If you are also detail-oriented, self-motivated, etc. you can also expound on those traits. Your job is to sell them on yourself and the fact that you were good in this other life and you’ll be good in this one, too. Approaching an interview with transferable skills is crucial and it works! I helped many soldiers who drove tanks or were infantry sell themselves to new employers in totally new career fields by using this method. If you are not quite sure what you want to do, go to www.keirsey.com and complete an online Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Read the information on the site about that type. Then get the book "Do What You Are" and read about your personality "type" and various careers that fit that type. Both of these will help you sort out what you might enjoy doing. You can also read an excellent book called "Do It! Let's Get Off Our But's" by Peter McWilliams to help with goal clarification. Good luck!