Don't Let Gaps in Your Work History Stop You

Economic crises or unexpected life changes often lead to years of unemployment or temporary hires, creating a patchy work history that makes many companies hesitant to investigate your potential. However, you can overcome questionable employment gaps by demonstrating the efforts you have taken to strengthen old skills and learn new ones. Maintain your industry contacts, and find outlets to show your professional expertise, so you can frame employment gaps in a positive light.

1. Be Upfront in Your Application

Hiring managers are likely to have questions or opinions about employment gaps from the moment they read your resume and cover letter, so your best option is to control the story early on. Keep your explanation short and direct, such as “left to care for a relative” or “resigned to start a small business.” If you don’t feel comfortable giving details or lost your last job for a performance issue, simply explain that you took time off for family reasons or to explore new professional interests.

2. Nurture Professional Relationships

When you have employment gaps for health reasons or family obligations, everyday pressures may replace your professional drive and make you less likely to maintain relationships with colleagues. Yet, former bosses and co-workers have firsthand knowledge of your abilities and ethics. They are a valuable source of recommendations and information on job openings and current industry trends. If you show genuine interest in colleagues and offer your professional expertise when they need it, they have deeper motivation to support your return to the workplace.

3. Look for Learning Opportunities

Use employment gaps as opportunities to complete further training in your field. Pay attention to industry shifts to determine which skills are most important to employers. Take educational courses, especially if they lead to a new certification. When formal education doesn’t fit into your budget, focus on gaining knowledge through industry journals, seminars and expert online tutorials.

4. Market Your Skills and Experience

Hiring managers mainly want to know that you can handle the job with reasonable training, so make it easy for them to see your value. List any freelance, consulting, volunteering or temporary work you performed during the employment gap, and use interviews to describe how the skills you developed translate to your target positions. You can even mention related recreational pursuits, such as writing a blog or planning community fundraisers, to show that you take initiative and seek improvement even when you’re not in work mode.

5. Confirm Your Commitment

Depending on the reason for your employment gaps, hiring managers may question whether you are likely to have attendance issues in the future. In interviews, make it clear that your past situation has changed and you’re eager to move forward in your career.

Career counselors may suggest camouflaging employment gaps by using a functional resume or career dates without months, but good hiring managers are experienced at spotting subtle tricks. Instead of hiding an unconventional work history, show potential employers that your time has not been fruitless and your career detours only add to your professional assets.

Photo courtesy of suphakit73 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net