Time gaps in your resume do not have to ruin your chances of landing your dream job. Time gaps can be presented in a positive light that do not reflect badly on you. The key is to highlight the positive aspects of every period of unemployment without being dishonest or leaving anything unexplained.
If the time gaps in your resume are only short, then you do not need to draw attention to them at all. Rather than listing the month and year when each position started and ended, you can just list the year. This obscures a time gap of a few months and leaves more space on your resume where you can elaborate on your experience in each position. However, be prepared to clarify the dates during the interview if it comes up.
Explain the situation that led to the gap. Thanks to recent economic troubles, having a time gap of more than a few months on your resume is not completely unusual, and it does not necessarily exclude you from applicant shortlists. If you have an obvious time gap on your resume, include a brief explanation in your cover letter to let the hiring manager know what happened. However, avoid writing a lengthy explanation that dominates the whole letter. Your achievements and suitability for the role are always the most important parts to convey.
Depending on what you did during the period of unemployment, you might be able to turn it into an asset. One great way to make use of an employment gap is to spend the time retraining or volunteering in a field relevant to your career. You can list useful experiences that you had during this time on your resume, explaining how they helped you to develop skills that the employer is looking for in candidates for this job opening.
On a similar note, do not discount any work that you did during the employment gap. You might think that the freelance work, volunteer work or part-time job that you took on to make ends meet may not look very impressive, but including these positions shows that you maintained your work ethic during the period of unemployment. Jobs that are not relevant to your chosen career path can be listed under a heading of "Other Experience" if you do not think they deserve a prominent place in the employment section of your resume.
By acknowledging any time gaps on your resume and being prepared to explain them, you can avoid being caught out by a period of unemployment. Remember, time gaps affect many highly competent and successful professionals, so there is no reason why they should exclude you from qualifying for the job you want.
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