Have you been asked why you have an employment gap in your resume? How well did you handle this question? Are you worried that due to your employment gap, some employers might neglect your resume? Here are some tips:
Be Honest and Prepared
Be honest when answering this question, you do not want to lie. If you have been taking some time off in order to take some extra study, certification, or due to family matters, be honest, and explain the situation.
Briefly Explain the Situation
For each employment gap, review and prepare your answer carefully. When explaining to your interviewer you do not want to go too much in details, simply state what you were doing. Here below are some examples of reasonable reasons for having employment gaps:
Caring for a sick family member
Due to a health issue
Due to work relocation
Due to further education or certification or other professional training
Started your own business
Reassure the Interviewer
Some interviewers might have concerns due to your employment gap. Reassure them that during that time you were able to keep your skills fresh by either attending conferences, extra classes, certifications or online courses. You want to highlight any new skills or knowledge you learned during that period. It does not need to be all hard skills, but soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, etc.
If the reason why you have a long employment gap is that you decided to take some time off to travel, or do extracurricular activities, let your interviewer know that you are now ready to get back to work.
Keep Your Skills Up to Date
In between job searches, take this opportunity to keep your skills and expertise up to date. Contact one of our advisors to find out the courses, training or qualifications you could undertake in order to specialize in your field.
At Advisory Group, we help on daily basis candidates with an employment gap get back to the workforce. Contact us today at 050-1741-0090 and let us help promote your skills and experience to future employers!