How to explain Gaps in Employment

 

Why is there a gap in your employment? 

 How to explain gaps in employment ?  This question makes many of us to think what to say the reason which is acceptable by the interviewer to consider for the opportunity.

Gaps in employment is a period of time when the job seeker unemployed for many reasons.  Many of you were unsure what to write in resume the right reason or the convincing reason for the employment gaps.

 

How to explain gaps in employment ?

In this article, I will talk about whether this is something important that you should be worried about.  And how to justify the gap in your employment.  is the gap in your employment really important?

The short answer is yes.

In fact, it’s probably more important than you think.  It’s in fact a major problem. It’s one of those things that just kill so many opportunities before you even know about it. Let me explain why I had to say that.  

See, in an ideal world Hiring Managers, wouldn’t really care much about it. For me it’s all about skills, relevant experience, and character traits. Fairly simple.  Even if you have a 2 year gap in your resume, as long as you have enough relevant experience and skills that are still fresh, there is no reason why I would care at all.

HR unfortunately eliminates a lot of resumes if there is a major gap in the employment record. The reasons are two fold

1) They want to impress the hiring managers with the profiles they present.   Right? So, they don’t want to take a chance on someone who is unemployed and potentially lost all the skills

2) Because you have been unemployed for a long time, they think that you must have attended all these interviews and failed them.  So, if you are unemployed for a year, then they think OK you must have had at least 20 interviews and you failed them all. Otherwise, why would you be unemployed?

  Even if you justify it in your resume somehow, they still most of the time don’t need to take that chance. They actually don’t have to take that chance because your resume is probably 1 in 1,000 resumes received for that role. 

So, what happen? 

This is what happens; your resume gets reviewed by the HR and immediately trashed. They won’t have the need to even get in touch with you to ask “hey why is there such a gap in employment”. Immediately, trashed. Then they make an analogy, and consider you as almost unemployable.

So, what to do. In this case, we have 2 scenarios.

Scenario 1) your resume goes directly to Hiring manager. In this case, I strongly suggest you be as honest as you can be.  May be you cared for your family member, raised a family, or even traveled around the world. These are awesome qualities. It will only give you sympathy points for hiring manager.

Scenario 2) HR. If you know that your resume is going to be seen by HR. Then, here is what I would do if I were in your situation. Just so we are clear I am not suggesting you do this, but I am merely saying that this is what I would do to give reason for gaps in employment.

You know that your resume goes in chronological order right from the most recent to oldest. So, that last record of employment, you know from this date to this date; I would just leave the end date blank.

 I wouldn’t say “present” but I wouldn’t put the end date either.  By this way, you know that some 22 year old HR right of college won’t eliminate your CV because of that gaps in employment.  Ok, I understand this is a bit unethical.  But hey, if it’s between “a bit unethical “and “proper healthcare”, I will choose proper healthcare any day of the week…

We are done.

 

Now Question to you What do you think the other best way to answer or write in the resume or How to explain employment gap on resume  ?  Please Comment below.

 Hope this is a very short post...Thanks a lot for spending your time here!

 Cheers!

 

Reference : Denizsasal Career Mastery and YT Influencer.

www.youtube.com/c/denizsasal

 

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