How to address gaps in employment on your resume
Many people are heartbreakingly discouraged due to their unemployed status of more than a few months and meager chances of employment in near future. This discouragement affects their job-seeking process negatively. Good news for all such people-a recent survey of top managers proves that they understand extended unemployment due to recession and won’t consider you “damaged goods” only because you have been unemployed for more than three months.
But this is, by no means, a solution-or rather a complete solution. You are required to:
- Make the best use of this time. We understand that looking for a job is a job in itself, but you aren’t occupied every minute of the day. Take up some thing that will add to your value as a professional and helps you remain in the main stream. Just because you are unemployed doesn’t mean you can’t stay current and marketable. Take up class, for example, as they will add to your value.
Whatever you chose, be it classes, volunteer work or a project, mention it on your resume along with how it adds to your worth.
- Explain your absence from the employed section. Just because there is recession and massive layoffs, it doesn’t mean your absence should go unexplained. In fact, you can use it sway the recruiter by mentioning the fact that you were laid off by no mistake or inadequacy or yours. Explain it and add the productive way you used your time. And don’t leave it for the last line of your resume; your resume will be forgotten before it is time to go to that line. They want to know what you are doing presently so include it at an appropriate place.
