To handle employment gaps in a resume is a very crucial and technical stage. You can either make it or break it like a pro. It entirely depends upon how you handle such things. Where it may be very difficult to handle such things, there you need to understand the cost of lying.
Be sure that you do not lie because hiring managers always know when you are lying and fabricating stuff. So, it is better that you treat things authentically rather lying.
Moreover, if your employment gaps are from the distant past then there is no need to mention them anyway. Also, we present you some good reasons that you can mention to justify your employment gaps at the end as a bonus.
Write about voluntary work
If you feel like the voluntary tasks you did between this gap was of no importance. Then, you are wrong. If you did some voluntary work and you were unemployed this whole time then it is preferable to write in your resume about that than to leave this impression that you were not doing anything and was free this whole time.
It can be unpaid internships as well. But, one thing should be kept in mind that those internships and voluntary tasks should interlink the needed skills for the job in the right manner.
Try a different format
Although, this is very risky, so that makes it not highly recommended criteria. You should use this tactic at the most crucial moment. Try using a different format in order to make the gap less obvious.
Mostly, the hiring managers condemn such tactics since it becomes obvious that the employee is hiding something or he/ she is simply unaware and silly. So, make sure you have a lot of guidelines while doing this.
Format dates a different way
This is something the tactic which I would highly recommend. If your employment gaps are not more than a year then you could use this way in which you format your dates in a little different way. And that is to skip out the months and rather focus upon years only.
Meaning if you worked from August 2016 – May 2018 only and the rest of 7 months from 2018, you were unemployed. Then, you should phrase it in a different way such as 2016- 2018. You see, in this way you will certainly eradicate the 7 month employment gap that you have experienced.
Cover employment gaps through skills
Now, this is a clever way to hide your employment gap. You can certainly list down your skills that are appreciative and mostly concern the job you have applied for.
You can enlist all your skills in a bullet form right above the career section. That should definitely impress the hiring managers. A good hiring team would try to emphasize your skills rather than your experience and give you a chance.
Cover up with accomplishments
Exactly like you would certainly write your skills in a bullet form, exactly like that you should be writing about your accomplishments in the workforce in bullet form and that greatly impresses the hiring managers.
Sound as if you were waiting for the right opportunity
Do not sound as if you have not given any interviews this whole time. Sound as if you were waiting for more of a good and beneficial option rather than first come first accept the job.
Show them that this was one of the reasons that you had to face an unemployment gap and that your skills are good enough for the jobs. Make sure you do not seem apologetic since it shows as if you are hiding something.
Note: It is always nice if you write a reason in a very short paragraph of why did you have to face an unemployment gap. Good hiring managers would definitely understand.
Also, if you were having break for one of these reasons below then it was for all the right reasons:
- Taking care of an elder
- Taking care of a child
- Pursuing education
- Relocation
- Contact work
- Medical issue
- Restlessly finding a perfect job
