Have you got a work-related problem? In this series we invite you to send in a short description of your predicament – so that other readers can offer solutions

I was working very successfully in a position related to the construction sector. I made my way up to manager and was very happy. Then, in the 2008 crash, my profession evaporated overnight. I returned to college and sought work in a different sector; it was going well until my boyfriend was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2012. It was utterly devastating, as you can imagine. I was beside myself. I found myself often crying at work and it made others uncomfortable. I ended up unemployed for about three years. Since then I have slowly recovered but my CV is terrible – it looks like I’m totally irresponsible and flaky. I find myself stuck in tedious, low-paid administration jobs. How can I make it clear on my CV that I am capable of so much more?

• When leaving a message on this page, please be sensitive to the fact that you are responding to a real person in the grip of a real-life dilemma, who wrote to Working It Out asking for help, and may well view your comments here.

• If you have a problem at work, this is your chance to get some advice. Email your dilemma to Working.It.Out@theguardian.com (up to 150 words, please; no attachments), or set it out below. Every fortnight we’ll ask readers to advise on one of them. We’ll also print some of the best suggestions in G2 every other Wednesday. And don’t worry about your boss: we won’t use your name.

• Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions: see http://gu.com/letters-terms