How should I explain a long retirement?

I guess I'll have to see how they feel about my retirement time. I'm thinking since they'll hire serial traffic offenders and felons, they might consider a law-abiding citizen who quit one career, and now wants to try another one.

The only reference on the topic I've seen here recently was a person who was told that two years of "homemaking" would qualify as employment. Maybe I can tell them I was a handyman/groundskeeper.

I guess I'll give search a shot, maybe I'll find someone who actually has some real experience with the subject.

If I meet someone who thinks "the real world of trucking is a walk in the park", I'll let them know otherwise." Thanks for the nugget of wisdom.

 

Good thought, yeah, that's something I can document.

 

Explaining gaps is always a fun one. The only gaps I had was due to having kids and one for about 6 months while I decided what I wanted to do, which was just before getting my CDL. I had to get letters from two people that knew me but were not related to back up my claims for the 6 month period.

 

Serial traffic offenders and felons don't get hired in the industry. That's a complete misconception. We've had a lot of people on this forum go through school and get their CDL only to find that no one will hire them because of their driving record or criminal background.

 

You should simply call yourself, self employed! Do not...I repeat, Do not call yourself retired for ten years. This will hurt you in the eyes of potential employers. I think you would be honest in calling yourself self employed.
There are ways to satisfy the guberments requirements for wanting to know your whereabouts for the past ten years...tax forms, letters from people you have done business with etc.
You must be an enterprising person to be able to take off for ten years. You must also be a smart person to pull it off. Therefore you need to think on your feet and create a ten year profile that reflects your ambition.
If you decide to just call yourself retired for that ten years, you will raise red flags such as, you don't need to make a living, you are not a go getter etc.
Like it or not...if you came to me for a job with the story that you have been retired for ten years, I would have questions as to your ambition to do this difficult job that is trucking...call it human nature, skepticle that is.
Just my two cents.

 

I'm not sure what you're implying by "working the system". I worked hard for 25 years, starting straight out of high school, made some good career and financial decisions. Things have changed with the recession; like a lot of folks here, I'm adapting to change.

I don't know if it's a mistake or not. I've read enough here to know there are two opinions on the subject. There seem to be plenty of ads for truckers, including some I've seen recently right where I live.

Unlike some others here, I don't have my back to the wall, I'm not going to spend a lot of money getting my CDL, I don't need immediate success, and if it doesn't pan out, I'll look for another deal.

One thing I've seen here for sure is a lot of resentment from people who've been in the industry, had their apple carts upset, and are having a hard time dealing with the new reality. It happened in the industry I used to work in as well; I think it's happened in most industries in this company.

I'm really not concerned about what used to be, I'm just dealing with what is today.

 

Thanks Lilbit, that's the kind of facts that'll help.

 

Just tell them you served ten years at the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, for murdering the last recruiter who wouldn't give you a job.

You'll get hired, trust me.

 

Of course I don't believe there's any kind of blanket amnesty. On the other hand, I've looked at a lot of trucking company websites that have a laundry list of various offenses, and what time periods have to lapse before they'll be considered.

 

LOL, maybe I've been approaching this from the wrong direction!