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How to Cover Gaps in Employment

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.

Write a Resume That Helps You Land Your First Job

Many people writing a resume for their first job make these mistakes:

1. They try too hard to be clever and stand out by using fancy fonts, colors, clip art or even video resumes.

2. They think that volunteer work, summer jobs and school honors or adult-ed courses do not count.

3. They are not clear about their career goals; they apply for everything and expect their resume to get them “any job.”

4. They do not research what employers want.

Your resume helps you land your first job by presenting you at your best to recruiters and hiring managers who are looking for someone with your achievements, skills and education. Here is what your should be doing in your resume to land your first job:

1. Forget about clever paper, fonts and presentations. Companies are not impressed by an origami resume. Focus on skills and achievements and you will quickly grab their attention.

2. Recognize and embrace the value of your experiences and education. One of my clients worked the same summer job every year and showed enough skill in that short time to win two promotions. Another client who wanted to become a training manager wrote her thesis on “Mentoring in the Workplace.” A future sales person helped sell tickets to a nonprofit’s fundraising event. These are all important achievements.

3. Write your resume for the job you want, not “any job.” Do you prefer to work in a forest or an office? Do you like to travel and meet people, to work in a team or to work at home alone? Did you take courses in biology or art? Apply for the jobs that you are prepared for and that excite you.

4. Find out what employers want. Read the ads. Talk to people who already work in the job or industry that appeals to you. Read books about your chosen field. When you know what employers want, you can write a resume and cover letter that shows how you meet their needs.

Applying for your first job is difficult enough. I have years of experience helping people in exactly your situation with resumes that land the job. Give me a call today.

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