Minding The Gaps: A Positive Spin
On Breaks In Your Employment History
Contributed by Rob Siders
Like many people, both in and out of the tech sector, you may have a gap or two in your resume. If so, you’re not alone. The technology-driven economy, the same one that created seemingly instant millionaires on a little more than a big idea, got turned practically upside-down in April of 2000 when the bottom of the market fell out.
This was further exacerbated in the wake of September 11. The jobless rolls seemed to grow by six-figures every month, which contrasted sharply with the six-figure salaries–plus fancy titles and stock options–that dotcoms handed out like peppermints at the reception desk.
No matter what your story, gaps in your resume need not be the end of your working world.
Be Proactive
One of the surest ways to turn what prospective employers could see as a negative is to be the first one to mention it. Yes. You read that correctly.
You may be saying to yourself, “Why would I do that? It seems that I’d be cutting myself off at the knees.”
That’s understandable. Most of the time we want – as the song says — to accentuate the positive. It’s a great strategy. But the fact remains that the gap in your resume will be the “elephant in the room.”
There’s no sense in thinking no one will notice, because they WILL notice. When you’re called in for an interview, make sure you’re prepared to answer questions about it. Be brief, but thorough enough to answer the question.
In fact, you should be the person to bring it up. Going a step further, if your gap was recent or rather lengthy, consider mentioning it in your cover letter.
Which brings up the next pointer...
Be Honest
This is fundamental to making sure you put yourself in the best possible light. It really goes without saying; your integrity is at stake.
So what does this mean? Plain and simple: if you spun your wheels while unemployed before finally figuring out your plan, then say so.
If you took your layoff as a sign and backpacked the 750-mile Colorado Trail for two months, tell them. Losing a job, especially one you worked hard at and were proud of, is stressful and many people understand that.
In all fairness, the person doing the hiring will appreciate your candor. And it could be what wins you the job.
Be Creative
This pointer, on the surface, is seemingly at odds with the last one. Being creative, however, isn’t a license to fabricate. Not by any stretch.
Take the experience you had while not working and relate it back to a tangible benefit to your future employment.
For example, if you are a stay-at-home-parent now returning to work, use the skills you use and learn at home—event coordinator, fundraiser, financial planner-to open doors that would otherwise be closed.
If you were the one who took that backpacking trip, what are the things you learned while on the trail?
Well, a trip like that requires keen project management (you can’t carry eight weeks worth of food so it must be delivered to you at specific drop points). It also requires task diligence–properly respecting natural resources and wildlife areas is paramount–and persistence.
Potential employers can’t see the third alternative until you see it first.
Be Marketable
This is an important pointer. Your resume, even if you had no gaps in it, is nothing more than a marketing tool. It’s a way to sell someone else on you.
With gaps in your employment, it’s a more difficult sell. But it’s not an insurmountable feat.
If it helps at all, ask people you know and who can be objective to help you brainstorm things that set you apart. In other words, find your unique selling proposition.
When writing your resume or cover letter, spend time using strong action words when describing your achievements. Use the same active voice during your interviews.
An example?
“I coordinated the daily schedules for four busy people with divergent interests.”
means
“I got one kid to soccer practice, another to piano lessons and drove my spouse to the airport.”
Bringing It Together
A gap in your employment doesn’t have to mean the end of your professional mobility. In fact, you may find the experiences you have while away from the nine-to-five world make you a better-rounded employee.
So don’t let a gap get you down. Use it to your advantage by being proactive, honest, creative and marketable.
About the Author:
Rob Siders is a freelance writer living in Denver, Colorado.
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