Understanding Gaps in a Career
A gap in a career is a period of time when an individual is away from employment either by choice or due to circumstances. Sometimes, an individual intends to upskill to improve his job prospects, or the current job mandates upskilling to be eligible for the promotion. For a few individuals, it is the overwhelming feeling that they are neglecting their hobbies or something they are passionate about. The feeling is so strong that they prefer to give up their jobs and pursue their passion. This can be for a short period of time or for an unspecified time, or simply till the pockets pinch again and are forced to take up employment. Various other factors for taking a break include layoffs, pandemics, and personal health, among others.
Explaining Gaps in a Resume
Since gaps are inevitable in most cases, it is imperative to be prepared to explain the gaps in a resume. Alternately, the gaps can be removed from focus and not highlighted in a resume to prevent unnecessary attention and discussion during the interview process. If the break in the employment is not recent and was for a brief amount of time, it is advisable to avoid mention of the gap in the resume. However, if the break is for a longer duration and is apparent while writing about tenure in previous organizations, it is best to be prepared with explanations.
Irrespective of the reasons for gaps in employment, it is best to stick to honesty and not lie to prospective employers. Also, lengthy explanations and minute details should be skipped while presenting the reasons for the gap in employment. The reasoning is that the more lengthy the explanations, the more deviation from facts and hence the tendency to lie or veer off-course from the truth. This could hamper a prospective job opportunity, as the employer can verify the details by contacting the previous organization.
Presenting the Gaps
Presentation of the gaps in a resume is equally important and will prevent the need to provide explanations to the interviewer. There are two ways to present the gaps in a resume:
1. Utilising the wordings in the covering letter
2. Changing the format of the resume
The covering letter is the ideal place to mention lengthy gaps in a resume. Choosing the right words and being upfront about the gaps will help create a positive impression. For instance, a positive spin can be provided by stating, “I improved my communication and teamwork skills while being the primary caregiver to an aging relative.” This is preferable to stating that, “I was the caregiver for an aging relative and hence took a break from employment.”
Secondly, the format of the resume can be altered to state only the years and avoid the date and month of tenure in a firm. For instance, the resume can state Mid-2019 to Late-2020 as the dates of unemployment rather than June 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020. Alternately, presenting the most recent employment first focuses the HR attention on work experience. Then, the rest of the employment dates can be stated in reverse-chronological order.
While changing the format of the resume to hide glaring gaps, functional aspects can be presented. These include education, volunteer work, and skills. This will shift the focus away from work experience and gaps.
Creating a Strong Resume with Gaps
To conclude, a strong resume can be created with gaps by being prepared for the possible questions of the interviewer. This will include focusing on strengths and upskilling that can be tied to previous work experience. By doing so, a positive and confident atmosphere can be created when discussing the gaps in employment.