How To Explain Gaps On Your Resume
May 6, 2009 by Darlene McDaniel
Filed under Jobs
If you have gaps on your resume, don’t make the assumption that organizations will give you a pass. You need to have an answer about gaps. Preparing how you will answer them prior to the interview is very important. If your gaps are real and
you didn’t work, say so. However, if you did work. Than you want to account for the time by communicating what you were doing during the unaccounted for time on your resume.
Keep in mind, if you were working and you didn’t include that information on your resume or application, you will then create questions about what you are trying to hide or why you weren’t completely forth coming. It is better that you account for all jobs prior to the organizations seeing a gap. Error on the side of communicating all pertinent information to a potential employer, rather than making them ask a question and then creating a question mark about your candidacy because you weren’t completely candid up front.
If your gap was due to a sickness, that should be a simple explanation. You don’t have to give all of the details, but give them enough information to make an assessment about the validity of what you are saying.
Whatever you do, remember that by omitting information you could potentially create questions about your past by having unexplained gaps in your work history. Volunteer work is a credible explanation. If you were doing volunteer work while you were looking for full time employment, include that information on your resume and/or applications. You definitely want to include volunteer work that is consistent with your skills and abilities.
Back to my original thought, how to explain gaps on your resume – Don’t have gaps. Account for all jobs, both paid and unpaid jobs. Don’t omit jobs even jobs you worked for a short period of time. It is better to be upfront about what you have been up to than for the hiring manager or recruiter to ask about a gap and now you have to explain both the gap and why you chose not to include the information on your resume.
Image Credit: sxc.hu
