By Perri Capell
From CareerJournal.com

Question: I am thinking of seeking a new job after eight years in a family business. I am concerned about looking as if "daddy" gave me the job. What is the best approach? Who should be my references?

Answer: You may be leaving because you can't advance further, a new family member is going to run the company, or it's being sold. Whatever the reason, if you don't make your relationship to your bosses an issue, prospective employers aren't likely to, either.

They're more interested in your skills and accomplishments and why you want to leave your employer than whether you worked for a family-run company, says Susan Baumgartner, vice president of human resources for MPC Computers in Nampa, Idaho.

"The question is why are you leaving that business to look for something else, not whether it's the family's," she says.

Even if the company's name is the same as yours, Ms. Baumgartner says, she wouldn't assume it was a family business, and she wouldn't ask you that question. So don't point it out to interviewers. Instead, emphasize your career progression, track record and successes.

Your resume also doesn't have to say you worked for a family company, says Marty Weitzman, president of Gilbert Resumes in Marlboro, N.J. He says he writes resumes for at least one job seeker monthly who worked at a family business.

To present their value to employers, such candidates typically need to create a career track that shows their upward progression through the company to their present jobs, he says. This makes their careers more relevant and valuable to interviewers accustomed to resumes from job seekers with no family employment connections.

"Usually people like this start working for their parents right out of college, but they have real jobs," says Mr. Weitzman. "We build a career track that brings them to whatever role they have now."

For instance, in an eight-year period, a family member who started as a sales, marketing or management trainee will move through a series of jobs to become a manager. "We show areas of responsibility, challenges and accomplishments," he says. "It's no different than for an employee at any other company."

When describing your employer, cite its industry or service but don't mention that it's family owned. However, be prepared to provide that information during an interview. Then, to counteract any impression of favoritism, describe your actual positions, the skills you learned and your accomplishments, says Ms. Baumgartner. "It's a tell-tale sign if you just ran errands and filled in for others," she says.

Also have an answer ready for why you are making this change and why you might want to move to a different-size company, she says.

Worth remembering is that salaries may be higher or lower at private and family-run companies. Be sure to research market pay rates for the position you're seeking in your geographic area. [You can start by using this salary-search tool.]

If they are significantly different than what you were paid at your recent job, explain to employers that you are seeking more or less money because your company was private and didn't pay at market rates.

As to references, there's no reason why a family member with a different last name than yours can't serve as an employment reference. But again, tell the truth about your relationship if you are asked and have the name of another reference handy. Customers and vendors can fill this role, says Ms. Baumgartner.

Have a question about job hunting or career management? Send it to Perri Capell. If you don't want your name used in our column, please indicate that. Due to the volume of mail received, we regret that we cannot answer every question.