Addressing gaps in your work history

Raise your hand if you or someone you know is currently unemployed! In my work as a professional resume writer and career coach, I often speak with clients who express concern about periods of unemployment that show-up on their resume as gaps in their work history. With multitudes of Americans who have fallen victim to corporate downsizing and mass layoffs, more and more job seekers are wondering how to minimize any ill-effects of work history gaps on their resumes and more importantly, how to answer interview questions about periods of unemployment.

First, let me set your minds at ease with a reminder that even in the best of economic times, many professionals experience periods of both voluntary and involuntary unemployment. It is not uncommon for employees to take leave to care for an ailing spouse or parent or to care for preschool children. Some professionals choose to move or must follow a partner who is being relocated by his or her job. Others may leave a job in order to pursue an alternate career path or to return to school. And, of course, there are those unfortunate times when an employee is laid-off or even terminated from employment. Whatever the reason for the gap in employment, in most cases, a potential employer is most interested in how you spent your time during the time you were unemployed. The burning question is whether you used the time to your advantage and were proactive or if you sat on the sofa watching Days of Our Lives and eating Bonbons.

Job seekers are often compelled to include explanations of a gap in employment on their resumes. Phrases like, “left job to raise a family” often appear on resumes. While this may seem like a good strategy, I am inclined to advise clients against giving those kinds of details on a resume. Short gaps in your work history (one or two months) may need no explanation at all. Longer gaps (nine months or longer) are likely to pique a hiring managers interest and will probably require an explanation. My advice to savvy job seekers is to take a proactive stance to filling in the unemployment gap. Here are three excellent ways to make the most of your time off.

Update your skills.
Taking a class or attending workshops and seminars is an excellent way to augment your skills. Professional organizations, especially those related to your career field, are a good source of continuing education opportunities. In addition, these organizations are a “ready made” networking outlet and are often a great avenue for learning about job leads. Community colleges and adult education programs are available in most communities and offer courses at very reasonable rates. Seize the opportunity to learn a new computer program, to enhance your sales skills, or to work on your public speaking skills.

Volunteer
Volunteering is a very effective way of keeping your skills sharp and up-to-date while making a valuable contribution to your community. Nonprofit organizations and philanthropic foundations are often in need of professional services such as marketing, fundraising, and accounting. Find an organization whose mission you support and offer your expertise. And, don’t forget to list the volunteer work on your resume.

Conduct a Strategic Job Search
Finally, a strategic job search is a full-time job in itself. I recently had the pleasure of working with a client who I can only describe as a superstar job seeker. Natalia McNeil describes herself as a marketer for hire. As a very active job seeker, she is not merely passively applying for jobs and waiting for her cell phone to ring. Natalia is a mover and a shaker, so she is putting herself out there in every way imaginable. Natalia became my client through a connection on Twitter, a social networking tool that Natalia is using to maximize her job search efforts. In addition to reaching out to contacts via social media such as Twitter and Linked-In, Natalia is attending networking events hosted by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Networking Group on Linked-In. While she has been unemployed for longer than she might like, Natalia is conducting a strategic job search, meaning that she is looking for a career opportunity that is a win-win for both her and the employer. She is making smart career decisions based on her long-term career goals and learning from the entire process. Natalia is talented and intelligent, and because she is so completely engaged in her job search, I have no doubts that she will land her dream job in no time!

In a perfect world, none of us would experience glitches in our work histories. We’d all love every minute of every job we ever worked. And, we’d all be paid six figure salaries and have unlimited vacation time, which we’d seldom take because we loved working so much! Sadly, that is not the case, so we must put a positive spin on whatever circumstances life hands us and learn the lesson presented. As football coach Lou Holtz once said, “Life is ten percent what happens to you, and ninety percent how you respond to it.”