employment gap | Robin's Resumes (r)

Returning to the Job Market: How Resumes Have Changed

Nov 08 2015

There are many reasons you may not have competed for a job in the last several years. The most common is that you have been employed in the same company for all those years and were not searching. However, you may also have dropped out of the job market because of family obligations; because an economic downturn left you among the long-term unemployed; or because of other changes in your situation.

If you have not competed for a job recently, you may be unaware of these changes in the job market and the role of resume:

First, unemployment itself is no longer as great a problem as it used to be. Because so many people have been affected by economic downturns or changes in family circumstances, your absence from the job market is not itself a red flag. If you used that downtime to start your own company or volunteered or took classes during your absence, wise employers will actually be impressed by your initiative.

Second, sending out a resume is only part of a job search, not the entire focus. You must also have a presence on social media. According to recent statistics, 90% of companies search online for information about you. In fact, they may search online for candidates long before they post a job opportunity. Therefore, it is very important that you have a professional online presence.

Third, except in the smallest companies, resumes are fed into an applicant tracking system that searches for keywords. They are passed in-house from computer to computer, not necessarily from hand to hand. Therefore, your resume must be compatible with computers and applicant tracking systems.

Fourth, your resume must be customized to what companies in your field are looking for. Your resume should immediately tell hiring managers and recruiters that you are a perfect fit for the company’s requirements and culture. It should contain specifics that make you stand out from the competition.

As a professional resume writer with over a decade of experience, I write both resumes and social media profiles; they are always customized for the job you want and formatted for electronic processing, including applicant tracking systems. I write resumes and social media profiles that remove any lingering doubts by future employers concerning your employment gap. If you are ready to enter the job market after a gap or after years with the same company, please contact me.

How to Cover Gaps in Employment

Apr 01 2012

At some time in our careers, we will all have a gap in our employment history—maybe a few weeks or months, maybe a few years. A gap can occur because of a layoff, a family emergency, a health issue, a desire to further education and many other excellent reasons. How do you handle an employment gap on your resume?

First, it is not necessary to give the starting and ending months for a job. If you held one job from January 2003 to April 2010 and held the next from June 2010 to the present, simply omit the months from your resume. List only the years (2003-2010, 2010-present). In a long career, a gap of a month or two is of no interest to recruiters.

Second, if you left the workforce to further your education, those years should be covered under the “Education” section of your resume; or you can add a single line in the employment section to indicate that you spent the gap pursuing a degree.

Third, if you worked as a volunteer or consultant during the gap, by all means include that information. Volunteer and consulting work is work.

Finally, you may want to explain a gap in your cover letter or email. The explanation should be very brief, no more than one sentence. Recruiters do not need details about your family, health or other issues. If asked about the gap during a job interview, use the same brief explanation. You want to convey that the situation is over and you are focused on rejoining the workforce.

If you have gaps in your employment that worry you, please contact Robin’s Resumes®. I have years of experience helping job applicants handle problem resumes honestly and forthrightly.