Dear Kate & Dale: I am a retail manager of a gift store at a university. The store is being bought by a corporation. I’ve been looking for a new job, with no luck. The new employer offered me a job, but I am wondering if I should take it. I feel that working for a university has hurt my chances of getting an interview with a “big-box” retailer. – Crystal

Dale: I’d say that the new employer’s offer is a gift from the career leprechauns, Crystal. You just might find a new career path within the new company. If nothing else, being employed by a corporation will help your job search. You’d think that employers would reason, “Hey, people are people; management is management”; however, every industry thinks of itself as unique and wants to hire from within the industry or from a related one.

Kate: Yes, wow, take the job … for now. Once you do, you can, if you like, take the university off your resume. But here’s the question: How many “big-box” retailers have you actually met with?

Dale: Ah, that steely gaze is coming into Kate’s eyes. It’s time, Crystal, for a you-haven’t-really-looked lashing. Don’t take it personally – it happens whenever people tell Kate that they can’t get interviews.

Kate: I’m guessing that you haven’t met with any “big-box” retailers, right? I bet you’ve been sending your resume in response to ads, and no one has called you. You haven’t worked for a “big box” retailer, and it’s unlikely that one is going to call. You need to do more than answer ads. For one thing, use the job ads to see who’s hiring, then contact those companies directly. Plus, you need to make a list of 40 stores where you’d like to work. Stop in the stores and meet the store managers. Say, “I’ve been working in a gift store, but I would love to work for a place like yours.” They’ll tell you to fill out an application. Chances are, they won’t call. You must call them and follow up. And follow up again. And again.

Dale: Sounds pretty dreary, right? That’s good news, because very few people will work that hard. But, there’s better news: The people who actually follow Kate’s “Rule of 40” often report back that they came to enjoy getting out and meeting people. It becomes a time of enormous personal growth, the foundation of being well-connected in the retail community, moving you from outsider to insider. You’ll learn a lot, and it will make you a better manager and a better job candidate. You’ll end up making more, because you’ll be worth more.

¢ Dear Kate & Dale: I worked for a state senator for five months as a senatorial aide. I chose to resign only because I did not want to give her the opportunity to fire me, for which she is well-known. I got along well with the office manager, but the senator is an abusive person, with no respect for staff. I am returning to customer-service work, which I did for 10 years. Should I put the senatorial job on my resume, or leave a gap in employment? – Robert

Kate: You have the option of leaving the job off your resume, but you must include it on any employment applications you are given. If you are worried about a gap in employment, you can lump jobs together into an overall heading on your resume and thus show that you were working, while de-emphasizing the senatorial job.

Dale: It’s all about emphasis. You have 10 years in customer service, and that’s what matters on your resume. I’d list the Senate job, de-emphasized. Then, if that job comes up in the interview, you merely say, “I’m interested in politics and thought the job might be educational, but it made me realize that I belong in customer service.” Then you add, “I loved working with …” and you’re off talking about your best job instead of your worst one.

– Kate Wendleton is the founder of The Five O’Clock Club, a national career-counseling network. Dale Dauten is the founder of The Innovators’ Lab.