3 Easy Steps
How to fill in employment gaps on a resume is one of those things that we get asked to do time and time again.
How to fill in employment gaps is all about relevance
If you are a mum returning to work after having a baby or a dad who has gaps due to illness – the gap can loom large like an elephant in the room.
But don’t worry, we can help you.
Here are 3 simple steps to follow which will help you fill in that employment gap together with some employment examples.
How to fill in employment gaps on a resume
Step 1 – Perspective
Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you are going to get!
Gaps in employment are very common so don’t worry – all gaps can be explained because they are part of life and more importantly they are part of your life and they make you who you are!
Employment gap reasons include e.g. illness, redundancy, family responsibilities, travel, burnout, pregnancy etc
How you deal with an employment gap tells an employer a lot about you, and about how you react and deal with things when they do not go to plan so in fact it is a great opportunity to showcase your mindset and skills
When you are looking for a job you might well wonder ‘How to fill in employment gaps on a resume’ – is it really so important?
If you are returning to work for example, how to fill in employment gaps on a resume is one important aspect that employers and recruiters are interested in …but only to a point
If you have spent 2 years finding yourself in India, you can state that you were travelling and highlight the top 3 relevant aspects on the trip. You do not need to go into detail – keep it relevant.
Dr Phil says you get more of what you focus on
An employment gap is only a gap if you make it a gap. Gaps and changes are part of a normal healthy life – it should not be a big deal. An employer will only care about a gap if you make it a big deal.
Put your gap into context – it’s part of you, it has changed you, you are different because of the gap – embrace it – do not apologise for it
Examples how to explain career gaps – Reality vs Relevance
How to fill in employment gaps on a resume
Step 2 – What is the Employers problem?
If there is a vacancy then you know that the employer has a problem that they can not fix with the people they have and this is your chance.
How you deal with an employment gap tells an employer a lot about how you react and deal with things when they do not go to plan.
So explain your gap (keep it short and punchy), if you are asked at interview, explain it in a positive way, explain why you think you can do the job and that you would be an asset to the team.
How to fill in employment gaps on a resume
Step 3 – Presenting yourself as the solution
We now know that employers have a problem which they can not solve without new people.
So you have to present your self as the solution to their problem.
If a vacancy is looking for experienced shop assistant with customer facing skills – you need answer their problem
Solution: 6 years experience working in customer facing retail roles
Your gap can also help
During your employment gap, think about who you met, what did you do that you would not have done otherwise? Is it relevant to the job you are applying for?
Travelling to find yourself is probably not relevant to the employer but the fact that you taught English to over 10 different nationalities, understood big cultural differences and learnt different ways of effectively teaching different people maybe completely relevant.
Taking time off to have twins and being at home for 8 years if probably not relevant to an employer but the fact that you organise an annual fund raiser for your twins school and an active member of the Parent Teachers Association talking with local authorities about education standards and league tables may be relevant and something you can talk about at interview.
You have a wealth of knowledge and highly relevant skills to put on your resume – but maybe you do not value what you are good at because it comes easy to you.
Spin your gap in a positive way. Highlight skills you have learnt because of your gap.
Click here top 5 CV or Resume Killers
Other articles:
- How to explain career gaps examples – Reality vs Relevance
- Career Gap Reasons
- Explaining a Career Gap after an illness
- Best CV Formatting
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