Q: I graduated with bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and chemical engineering in 1994. I began working for my family’s small retail business. Now, 13 years later, the business is dying and I’m beginning to think about going back into my “educated” profession. I live in a town full of engineering jobs, but they all require three years’ experience. – Kevin

J.T.: You are lucky to live where there are jobs that match your degree. So let’s leverage that. Start by using your friends and family to get meetings with people doing the kind of work you’d like to do. You are not asking for a job, just looking to understand what it takes to get into the field. Let’s not forget that you have 13 years of work experience, so, unlike a new college grad, you’ve got more skills that can help you “hit the ground running.”

Dale: However, there’s a danger of running into a wall. What I don’t want, Kevin, is for the people to see a failed entrepreneur with dusty diplomas. If they see that, then your employment potential will be less than that of a new college grad. Instead, prepare for those conversations by getting current – attend professional meetings, read engineering publications and perhaps go back for a college course. Then, when you start networking, you can make the case that you have what the recent grads have, plus something extra. Smaller, privately owned firms might be especially open to your situation. What you need is someone who would enjoy mentoring you, the kind of company where the hiring rules are whatever the owner says they are.

J.T.: The key is to convey enthusiasm for the new career. If you show any signs of mourning the loss of your old career and the perks that came with it, hiring managers will opt not to hire you. They want to see that you’ve closed that chapter and are excited about taking on a new direction.

Q: To make a long story short: I am legally deaf, 40 pounds overweight and have an accent that belongs in a category of its own. I worked in a plastics factory for two years and quit because management and co-workers kept making fun of me. I asked them not to, which only made it worse. I didn’t take it to the labor board because I didn’t want them to get in trouble. Now, how do I answer the “Why did you quit?” question without badmouthing my previous place of employment? – Robin

Dale: I’m biting my tongue, Robin, trying not to second-guess your decision about the jerks at the factory.

J.T.: Good, because this might be a situation where you can turn old negatives into a new positive: Tell interviewers that you struggled with being made fun of on the job and since you didn’t want to make waves by filing complaints, you decided to find a better place for yourself. This lets the hiring manager know that you are willing to solve problems yourself.

Dale: OK, perhaps this is the one time when “badmouthing” actually might work. Naturally, you’ll have to keep it upbeat. Meanwhile, getting into interviews will be made more difficult by the particulars of your situation. However, don’t lose hope: Your description made me think of all the great bosses who tell stories about hiring people that other employers pass over.

J.T.: And we’re betting that yours will be one of those stories, Robin – let us know so we can pass it along.