How to Talk About a Gap in Employment

Posted on 06/12 by Erin Helms

No one ever intends to have a large gap on their resume between jobs, but it is something that will raise eyebrows when you look to rejoin the workforce. While it’s true that a potential employer will want to know why you stopped working for a while, there are ways to talk about that gap that can actually help you in the long run.

Start With Honesty

If you were out of work because you wanted to stay home with your children or care for a relative, that’s a personal decision that will be met with empathy and understanding. If you were out of work for a different reason, be honest about it without sharing your whole life story.

A Brief Gap

If your employment gap is not recent or very brief, you might omit it altogether. Maybe you’ve been working steadily for five to ten years, but 15 years ago, you were out of work for a while. The same is true for a gap that lasted maybe a few weeks or months—if it was within the same calendar year or began at the end of one year and ended early in the next, it might not be worth mentioning at all.

Highlight Your Experiences & Strengths

Soft skills, like communication, organization, time management, leadership, and other abilities that are not job-specific, are easily transferable and can be in high demand in busy workplaces. Consider the work you’ve done along the way and what you’ve learned there, including computer skills or specialized training, and be sure to call those out on your resume when listing your abilities.

LaborMAX Wants to Put You Back to Work

If you’re still not sure how to address the gaps in your resume, or if you’d like some help finding a new job, call LaborMAX. Our recruiters can help you get a clearer image of how your experiences meet the expectations of our partner companies and we can help polish your resume and practice interviews so when the next job comes along, you’ll be ready. Start by taking a look at the open jobs we’re working to fill right now.

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