Selling the Gap

Chances are you will have or at one point experience a gap in employment.
It is very common for people to have taken a year or more off of work to care for a loved one, travel, not be able to find work, etc. 

I recently received a resume from a colleague of mine.
While reviewing it I read that he had taken time off from working to travel the world.
This was interesting to see on a resume, but I understood why it was there - his choice was either explain the gap in his employment history or leave a gap on his resume.

What do I do if I have a gap in my employment history?

Gaps in resume are an interesting topic for sure and everyone looks at them differently. I have had hiring managers not mind a year gap if they explain what they did, but yet the same hiring manager looks down on the person for only staying in a position for a year even when they have great reason for leaving. I think on resumes if you can explain the gap that is what helps with the initial screening. I see a lot of took a year off to care for ageing parents. I think we will see more and more of this as the baby boomer generation continues to age.

- Tyler Paldi, Director of Recruiting

It is important to always be honest - never fudge your employment dates to try to "cover" any gaps. Employers do verify the information you state on your resume. You may be able to present the gap in a positive way - but always be honest.

- Cathy MacKinney, HR Coordinator III

It depends on 2 things, the length of the gap and what you were doing during that time. If a gap is a couple months I don't look much into it however, if it's a year or longer that's when questions arise. No matter what the gap was for it's important to talk about it honestly and in a positive light. I always appreciate when someone turns a tough situation like being fired or having to leave a job to take care of a sick family member and were able to learn from the experience or take time for self-development at the same time.

- Shideh Andideh, Recruiter

I interviewed a lot of people in the 2012-2013 time frame, where people had lost their jobs in 2008 and had trouble finding employment for 3-4 years. I understood how hard it was to get a job in that time, so I felt for these people. What stood out was a commitment to improvement. Some people just waited around for unemployment to dry up (and said this in the interview) and other people went back to school, took side jobs, took care of family members, etc. As long as someone had a reason for the employment gap or showed that they were trying to get back to work, I was fine with it. Succinctly, showing an attempt at forward motion or active decisions were the important things to me.

- Drew Felker, CEO / COO / Principal

 

Here is a great example of selling that gap in your employment history.