Hey Reader,

Happy Halloween! 🎃

Welcome to issue #006 of The Next Chapter, a career planning newsletter for LGBTQ+ professionals.

This week, I'm covering:

• Rewriting the narrative about interviews
• Explaining gaps in your work history
• Following up when you've been ghosted
• Running from vs. running toward something

I'm glad you're here. Let's dive in.

Interviews don't have to feel like a horror show

Interviews aren’t exactly the chillest conversation you can have.

If you’re feeling rusty or nervous, you might feel like you're under a spotlight and being scrutinized for every word you say.

While there’s often a power imbalance, the situation isn’t as one-sided as it seems.

Yes, the interviewer is evaluating whether you're a fit for the role. But you're also evaluating whether the role is a fit for you.

How could you look at the situation differently?

• "I need to impress them." ➡️ "I'm evaluating them as much as they're evaluating me."
• "They're looking for flaws." ➡️ "They're asking questions because they're genuinely curious about how I think."
• "This person has all the power." ➡️ "They're just another human being trying to find the right solution for their team."

Quick tips to ground yourself:

• Before the interview, remind yourself of 2-3 problems you've solved that are relevant to this role.
• During the interview, focus on understanding their challenges. Be curious and consultative.
• Visualize the interviewer in an everyday situation, like walking their dog, making coffee, or vibing at a concert. Humanize them.

And if you’re the affirmation type, try this one out:

“I’m the expert they need.”

Gaps in your work history aren't that scary

Gaps in your resume can feel like something you need to hide or apologize for. But gaps are very common. They’re often a result of being… human.

Maybe you took time off to recover from burnout, have an important surgery, or explore a creative pursuit. Maybe you were laid off and it took longer than expected to find something new.

You don't owe anyone your entire personal story. You just need a clear, confident way to talk about it.

Here's how:

• On LinkedIn: Use the 'Career Break' option in the Experience section and pick the one that best aligns with what happened (and what you’re comfortable sharing). If you snoop through my LinkedIn, you’ll see I have both ‘Layoff/position eliminated’ and ‘Health and well-being’ in my history.
• In a cover letter: This can be a great place to address the gap if it's obvious and recent. Be honest and concise, then shift focus to your relevant skills and what excites you about the opportunity.
• In an interview: Again, be honest and concise. "I took some time off to focus on my health and recharge. During that time, I also [relevant activity]. I'm ready to dive back in and contribute to [specific goal related to the role]."

Own it without apologizing, and then focus on what you're bringing to the table now.

If you escaped a bad work situation and don’t want to trash-talk that employer, check out issue #003 for tips on how to lead with your needs instead.

Don't be afraid of recruiting ghosts

Ghosting is one of the most frustrating parts of job searching right now.

You have a great conversation with a recruiter or hiring manager, they say they'll get back to you with the next steps, and then... nothing.

Odds are, you didn't do anything wrong. They did.

When I worked in recruiting, the entire team was expected to maintain a high bar for candidate experience. We understood that ghosting is inconsiderate.

The thing is, recruiters are humans, too. They get busy or overwhelmed and accidentally drop the ball (trust me, I saw this happen many times). So don’t be afraid to send a polite follow-up if you haven’t heard back in a while.

Here's what to do:

• Follow up once, maybe twice. If they haven't gotten back to you when they said they would, send a brief email: "Hi [name], just checking in on next steps for the [position]. I enjoyed talking to you about [specific topic from the conversation] and I'm still very interested in working at [company]."
• If you don't hear back after a second follow-up, redirect your energy. Continuing to follow up will likely have diminishing returns. Focus on other opportunities.
• Don't take it personally. Ghosting says more about the company's hiring process than it does about you as a candidate.

Are you running from something or toward something?

In issue #004, I wrote about giving yourself options when you’re unhappy in your job. If you feel like you're on your way out, reflect on this:

"Am I running from something, or am I running toward something?"

Running from is reactive. It's fueled by something like frustration, fear, or anger.

Running toward is intentional. It's driven by vision, values, or what you're trying to accomplish.

Both can coexist. It's worth figuring out which one is the bigger driver.

If you're only running from something, you might solve one problem but create new ones. You leave the toxic workplace, but the business you start creates financial instability. You make a career pivot, but you carry your burnout into your next job.

Try making two lists:

• List 1: What am I trying to get away from?
• List 2: What am I trying to move toward?

If List 1 is a lot longer than List 2, you might be making decisions from a reactive place. It doesn't mean you shouldn't leave—it just means you need to spend more time clarifying what you actually want next.

Tell me what’s on your mind

I want this newsletter to be community-driven. It’s meant for you, so it should be valuable to you.

Future issues will look different and cover different topics. I’ll be experimenting and collecting feedback along the way, so don’t be shy about hitting the ‘Reply’ button.

Tell me what you’d love to see—it might just end up in the next issue.

See you next week.