Gaps in your work history can create challenges when creating a resume. Drawing attention to major gaps in your employment can raise concerns for recruiters and human resources as they may conclude that you were unemployable during that time. The unfortunate truth is that people will assume the worst in these circumstances especially if your gap is left unexplained.
Of course, there are times in our life where we take a leave or nature break from work to pursue other ventures. These breaks can be easily rationalized such as a leave to attend post-secondary school or going on maternity/paternity leave. Theses breaks are considered ‘normal’ and aren’t cause for any concern on your resume.
Breaks and gaps in your employment that are unusual and outside of the norm may create a barrier to getting hired. If your gap is for an extended period of time, and this is easily identified on your resume, then there is a good chance that HR will notice this and that you will not be shortlisted for the job.
If you are someone who has major gaps in your employment, here are some resume and cover letter writing tips to help you overcome this:
a) Explain it in your cover letter: your cover letter is a great place to explain some of these longer gaps in your work history. If the gap is longer then 2 years, there is a good change that HR will notice this (especially if you haven’t worked in last couple years). Take the time to explain this in your cover letter.
Warning: don’t monopolize your whole cover letter explaining this. Instead, use one or two sentences to explain. The rest of the cover letter should be dedicated to describing how your skills fit the job requirements.
b) Identify the value your learned from the break: Always focus on the positive aspects of a leave and explain the value or importance of that leave. It is good practice to think like an employer and appreciate that they will only want to hear about the benefits of this leave. Regardless of whether the leave was by force or by choice there is usually a silver lining.
c) Only list the years of experience in your resume: Under your ‘Work History’ it is customary to indicate the start and end date of each job you have occupied. This allows the reader to determine the amount of years you have spent in each job. It would look something like this:
Reservation Sales Agent March 2007 – March 2010
Walt Disney World | Orlando, FL
Instead of listing the month and year you started and ended your job, it is always an option to list the amount of years spent in that job. This is a great solution to overcoming gaps in your work history as the reader won’t be able to narrow down where the gap is. This would look something like this on your resume:
Reservation Sales Agent 3 years
Walt Disney World | Orlando, FL
Conclusion
Large gaps in your employment history can cause concern for you as a job seeker. Many employers won’t call you for a job interview if you have a major, unexplained, gaps on your resume. If you are someone who falls into this category, be sure to take the above suggestions into consideration to increases you chances of making past the resume review round and get a call for an interview.
Writing a resume is no easy task and the format you choose can help optimize your results. If you find the whole process of resume writing confusing or challenging and need some help, please have a look at our resume writing service options. We are here to help!
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