subject: Don't Fall Into Time Holes On Your Resume! [print this page] The recession has been brutal on workers and now many people who have never seen a day of unemployment are faced with joblessness lasting months. When preparing a resume, those gaps loom like sink holes just waiting to swallow up job seekers. You don't want to look like you decided to take a mini-vacation that turned into months of play, and you certainly don't want to ignore the gap. Resume readers seem to zero in on those gaps like a laser seeking a target.
Skip the Word "Unemployed"
The word "unemployed" has so many bad connotations in our culture. It's a word you really don't want to appear on your resume, yet you should not lie either. Obviously the solution is to find another way to say "unemployed" .
The best way to handle a time gap on your resume is to convert the time spent unemployed into productive unpaid time. If you are unemployed and have not done so, this is a great time to take a class, attend workshops, develop new skills, expand on a hobby that has income potential, or indulge in some personal development. The gap on your resume then becomes time spent improving yourself, increasing your skill levels, expanding your chances of meeting career goals, or developing your true potential.
In other words, during the period you are unemployed it is important to have other activities that develop skills you would use during employment. Did you join a local club and then get elected to be an officer because of your leadership skills? Did you take a computer class and can now handle higher levels of work?
An employer will recognize there is a period of unemployment, but will also see that you did not just sit home and collect unemployment checks. You prove you are motivated and energetic and sincere about keeping your work skills up-to-date.
Don't Skip the Explanation
When there is a work history gap on your resume, it's important to address that time period. Though you want to avoid the use of the word "unemployed", you don't want to avoid explaining how the time was spent. In fact, you should mention why you lost your job with a few brief words like "laid off" or "company closed" after the name of the employer. Anyone reading your resume is sure to ask about the circumstances of your unemployment so addressing the issue up front can relieve a lot of anxiety and curiosity.
An unemployment gap can stay out of the limelight if you use a functional format. In a functional format, job experience is described and sorted by job functions and abilities. There is much less emphasis on dates of employment and much more focus on what skills and abilities you have to offer the company. This is exactly want you want when there is an employment gap.
Another advantage of the functional format for a resume is that you can include the skills learned even during your unpaid or volunteer activities. For example, you can enhance a description of your team leadership skills by describing your participation on project teams and as the head of a group of volunteer charity workers.
Don't Elaborate Too Much
Unemployment is a difficult topic for most people. There's a natural tendency to talk too much about a life altering occasion. But you don't want to emphasize the fact you are currently unemployed or have a large work gap in your employment history.
Keep your explanations of your activities while unemployed as brief as possible. Gaps in your unemployment history don't have to lead to your resume being tossed. It's all a matter of presentation of the information a prospective employer needs to know in order to learn about your real and true value to the company.
