'So, about This Gap in Your Resume ...'
March 19, 2008 (10:05AM) by Rick Saia, CPRW
It's happened to most of us: You weren't collecting a paycheck for awhile because, well, you weren't working, for one reason or another. And as you list your work experience in typical "reverse chronological" order on your resume, there's this time gap that a potential employer will ask you about if you're called in for an interview.
But don't go into the interview unprepared; be ready to explain the gap. Even if the interviewer is not bothered by the gap but wants to see how you answer the question, you need to answer in such a way that it will not derail your chances at landing the job, and maybe even enhance them.
There are two primary reasons why there might be a gap in your employment track record:
- You stayed out of the workforce by choice, or
- You were let go from a job and didn't get another one for awhile.
Now, how might you answer if an interviewer calls you on this gap? Here are explanations for both situations:
You stayed out of the workforce by choice:
Typically, this kind of gap involves something personal in nature. Without going into painstaking detail, explain the reason. For instance, you may have taken care of a sick relative, had a medical issue, or taken an extended vacation. By law, U.S. employers cannot ask you about your personal life, but if you volunteer the information and it alarms the employer, it might make them wary of hiring you (though they would never admit that as the reason for denying you the job). Explain the gap factually, but briefly. Hold back the urge to volunteer details best left private – anything that might create an impression in the interviewer's mind that you are unsuitable for the job. Then, explain what you learned from the experience if it will help improve your chances at landing the job. For instance: During that time, I developed practical skills for dealing with difficult people, which paid off in my next job as a customer service representative in a high-volume call center at ABC Company.
You were let go from a job:
You had taken a job you were qualified for and approached it with great enthusiasm, only to be let go after three months because of a personality clash with your boss. Listing the tenure may be enough of a red flag for the hiring manager, and maybe three months wasn't a sufficient amount of time to note any accomplishments on the job. Regardless, explain it with just the facts and focus on what you did accomplish – if anything – and how the experience prepared you for the job you're being interviewed for. If you were laid off as part of a business decision to cut expenses, turn that into a positive by explaining how the layoff caused you to rethink your career goals and how your skills and background will be a good fit for the job you're being interviewed for. (Note: If you omit a previous job on your resume and a new or would-be employer asks you to fill out an application, it's best to err on the side of full disclosure and include that job on the application. And, mention it to the hiring manager before you sign an offer since some employers – should they investigate the gap – might equate an omission with lying about your background.)
Of course, every situation is different. But if you follow these general guidelines, you can change that resume gap from a potential hindrance to a help.
Everyone has a resume gap at some point. A potential employer's chief concern is that hiring you won't turn out to be a mistake. Help them along by showing that you were productive during your downtime, learned new skills, and are now 100% ready to go.
Do you have a resume gap that you had to explain or have found hard to explain? Share your experiences with us.
Thanks for the advice, very helpful and appreciated!
I have a problem explaining my gaps in employment to employers in an interview.
Although I took jobs out of my career, I managed to stay until I could find full-time employment. What suggestions do you have for someone like myself who needs to articulate my gaps?
Hi Carmel, and thanks for writing! I'm not completely sure of the reasons behind your employment gaps, so I hope you write back with more details. But here are some general guidelines: (1) If you left a job because of a layoff, firing, or you just decided to quit for what you believe was a good reason, articulate that without expressing any bitterness toward your former employer. Be honest and forthright, but don't say anything that could hurt your chances of landing a job.
(2) If you did something constructive during a gap, such as volunteer work, mention it and explain how it enhanced your skills, especially if they might help you land the job.
(3) If you had to tend to family or personal issues during the gap, say so but make sure you emphasize that the issue or issues have been resolved, that they won't impact your ability to do the job. Hope this helps! Feel free to send along more detail!
~ Rick Hello Rick,
I came across your post after an internet search, and was hoping that perhaps you may assist me in finding a best solution for handling large employment gap in my resume. I’ve been out of work for a number of years now, as I’ve been the primary care giver for my grandparents who are suffering from a number of long term illnesses. They’re now under the care of professionals and I’m eager to get myself back in the job tube. However, as I’m revising my resume, I’m not sure if I ought to include the fact that I’ve been caring for my grandparents as part of my resume. Last time I have had a “job” so to speak is back in 2001. I have done few volunteer jobs when I could, and I intend to include them in my resume, but should I also include my care giving “experience” in the same section with my other work experience? Or should I put them together under the section with my volunteer experience, or, should I put everything, including volunteer, care giving as well as my actual work experience under the same title: “Work Experience”? Moreover, is it necessary to actually address the employment gap by way of stating that I was a care giver in a resume, or is this something that should be mentioned in a cover letter, and let my resume only show my job and volunteer experience (even if it ends up being that my potential employer will clearly see that I haven’t worked since 2001).
Thank you for any advice or help that you may be able to provide me with.
Sincerely,
Kat
Hi Kat! Thanks very much for writing. I commend you for dedicating so much of yourself - to the point of staying out of the workforce - in caring for your grandparents The only option, as I see it, for including your care-giving experience is if it were to be a help in your efforts to land a job. For instance, if you were seeking a job as a home health aide or maybe a physical therapist. Otherwise, I would address your situation in the Objective section of your resume, something like this: "OBJECTIVE: To return to a full-time ___ position in the ___ field, working for an organization that can benefit from X years' direct experience as ______, as well as the organizational, logistical, and time management skills developed during the past X years as an elder-care provider and volunteer." If an employer calls you in for an interview, you can go into more detail at that time. But close that explanation with something to the effect of "That situation has been resolved and I'm ready to return to the workforce." Same sort of thing with the volunteer experience: If it's relevant to the position you're seeking, by all means include it. However, I wouldn't lump the volunteer and care-giving experience together. Bottom line: Be prepared to explain the time gap in such a way that the employer is very clear on your intentions: to return to work. And it would be a good idea for you to ask hiring manager if he or she has any concerns or questions about hiring you and what transpired over the past seven years. Best of luck. I'm interested in knowing how things turn out for you.
~ Rick Hi Rick, I had a question on how I should approach the current gap in my employment. My gap is a mixture of voluntary and involuntary situations. 1) Laid off through massive company downsizing from my last company in May 2007. 2) I'm in a financial position where I was able to take some time off. My elderly mother also had an operation shortly after my layoff, but she is fine now. 3) During my time off, I have been "selectively" interviewing in trying to land a good job I can hold for several years. I received 4 high paying offers during this time and was the runner up with two other companies (they selected internal candidates). I declined all 4 of the actual offers I received for varying reasons. Either of the two jobs I missed out on I probably would have accepted had the offer been presented to me. I am now in a situation where I'm beginning to interview with a couple more solid companies. I'm confused at this point as to what to say. I was thinkig of saying that I chose to take some time off and also care for my mother...but do I mention the other offers I've had???? On one hand I would think not to mention the other offers but on the other hand, I want the prospective company to realize have in fact been interested in me during this gap.... Thanks for any input! Hi Bob! Since you've been out of work for more than a year, the gap will be noticeable. You can explain that your position was eliminated as part of a downsizing initiative, and, you've been looking for the "right fit" since then. And you can say that while this was happening, you took time to take care of a major family issue that has since been resolved and that you're ready to resume your career. As for the offers you rejected, I believe it would be OK to mention them in a general sense (e.g., "During the last year, I was offered full-time positions at several places but turned them down because of ______"), provided you can cite a couple of good reasons why you turned them down that won't jeopardize your chances at landing a job you'd really like to have. At the least, that can create an impression in the hiring manager's mind that your talents have been in demand and that - if they want you - they should extend an offer as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, if you're serious about returning to work, be clear in communicating that so they feel confident they can land you. Hope it all works out well.
~ Rick Right now as I'm job hunting (in my late 30s), I have two related gaps on my resume to explain: 5 years ago my department was laid off after the dot-com bust so I spent the severance check throughout the following year (all of 2004) living and backpacking through South America while also attending Spanish school. I then returned to the USA and did some IT project management / independent consulting work for two years (all at a different company), until the end of March '07 and then returned to school in South America until April this year. So, a current gap of 15 months. Also, it wasn't a formal university program but I'm proficient in the language nonetheless. However, I'm ready to return to a permanent, full-time position but I need to figure out the best way to sell this (especially with recruiters, as my resume seems to get a lot of views but few calls/emails). Prior to my travel/language adventures, I had a straight chain of 10 years of uninterrupted employment. So, should I address the recent employment gap in the initial "summary" section of the resume? Save it for the cover letter(s)? Play up the language skills or just mention them in passing and focus on the IT-related stuff? Thanks for any advice! Hi Dan! It looks as if you like to be productive, even when you're NOT working. The big question you need to answer is this: Would your experiences during those two gaps have any bearing on the type of job you're seeking (bilingual tech support specialist? IT consultant to a company in a Spanish-speaking area or project manager of a bilingual team?). If your experiences during those time gaps would be an asset in helping you land your next job, then I think it's good to mention them in both the summary and cover letter, as well as the resume. If all that is secondary to what you want, explain what you did between jobs in the cover letter. That at least demonstrates that you have nothing to hide. Hope it all works out! Best regards,
~ Rick Hello Rick, Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry for not being able to thank you sooner. Right now, I'm looking into getting a paid and volunteer work. Reason being, the volunteer work is in an industry which I would like to get into: health, reasident care aide, therapy etc. However, I have to eat too. So that's why I'd like to get job in a coffee house which I love. I've already sent in an application for the volunteer work, and am busy updating my resume. I've decided to include in the main body of my resume the following: my time spent caring for my grandparents under the title: Home Support Aide, plus my volunteer experiences as well as my paid job before I began taking care of my parents. Would this be the way to go? A number of different sites offer opposing views as to whether to state a position as "volunteer" or not. Should I acutally state a position as being "volunteer" or simply leave as is, without identifying whether it was a paid or non-paid position? Thank you ever so much for your time and help. Looking forward to hearing from you again. Sincerely,
Kat PS: Thank you for this site. You have no idea how much it has meant to me to have a place like this to ask questions that are not often easy to ask. Thanks! Just a comment. I just read several articles where HR people stated without remorse that they toss out any resume with gaps regardless of job history, and I cringe. Do they realize that this indiscrentionary process discriminates against (mostly) women who have stayed home to care for children or sick/elderly spouses? It also discriminates against someone who was laid off with little notice or someone who had to move to a new area without having a job, etc. etc. I understand that we live an a litigious society and everyone wants to make sure they don't wind up in hot water from the actions of a shady employee. But first off, just because someone has a perfect resume and references doesn't mean they aren't going to cause problems at your company--remember that some people give references just to quickly get rid of someone they want gone. And second, I would think that admittedly casting off resumes of otherwise qualified people because they have a gap would be even more litigous. Could you shed some light on how widespread such practices are and if they are in fact based on statistical proof that gaps lead to problems, or if they are just based in HR urban legend? @ Kat -- Thanks very much for the kudos for Pongo and the blog. Happy to help! Regarding your new question: If the volunteer experience is relevant to the position you're seeking, I would advocate either of these two options: (1) Include it with paid experience under a heading: PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE, and indicate which was professional and which was volunteer. (2) Include it with paid experience under a heading: WORK EXPERIENCE, and indicate which was professional and which was volunteer. If you have more volunteer experience than professional experience in the job you're applying for, I'd still add another section called, maybe OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, to indicate what kind of work you did before. Hope this helps!
~ Rick
Hi Kelly! Thanks for your comment. Truth be told, I've never heard or read anything about HR blindly dismissing candidates with gaps in their resumes. Personal opinion: Anyone who does is only doing themselves a disservice. But as I stated in the post, if you have a gap in your employment history, be ready to explain it. HR and/or hiring managers will want to know. So, if you can explain it factually (e.g., layoff, personal time off to tend to a family situation), that should be acceptable to any reasonable hiring manager. I would more than welcome any other views on this topic. Thanks!
~ Rick Hello again Rick and everyone... I just wanted to post some follow up feedback regarding my post above (with my year long gap), Rick's response and also touch upon what Kelly is stating regarding HR dismissing folks with a gap. I applied for a job recently and got a call very quickly for an HR phone screen. HR on the phone seemed a little put off by my gap, but the interview outside of that was strong. The hiring manager wanted to still have me in and I ended up doing a face to face with 6 folks, including HR. My face to face interviews with the team went very well and I'm told I'm being brought back for a second round. Now, the important point I'd like to get across to everyone is that the "Only" person to bring up my gap in the face to face series was in fact the HR person whom I only spent a short time with! No one else seemed to care and were more concerned with chemistry and job qualifications. Over the last couple of days, I've also been contacted by two other companies I've applied to to come in for interviews. So my feedback does not mean it's the way it is for all situations, but IMHO, a gap may be more of an HR hangup than across the board with all hiring managers, etc. I think it's worth it to be prepared to explain the gap if necessary, but to also do whatever you can to get past HR because it may just be a mute point once they are out of the picture. Thanks - Bob Thanks for dropping in again Bob! And congratulations on the gains you've made in your search!
I wholeheartedly agree that you must be prepared to explain any employment gap. The fact that the it wasn't a big deal to the people who really mattered in this case (with all due respect to HR professionals) is truly encouraging and may well indicate that they don't see a gap as a stigma but rather commonplace in today's working world. Yet at the same time, I'm sure there are HR pros out there who would react differently from the HR rep you encountered.
I'd welcome comments from the HR ranks on this issue.
~ Rick
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