How to Handle Career Gaps on a Resume

There are several reasons due to which you may have career gaps on your resume. Yes, interviewers or hiring managers do consider these things seriously, because they to make the best hiring decision for their company. However, there’s nothing to worry about as it happens to a lot of people. By following some tips and guidelines, you can deal with career gaps effectively and prove yourself as a potential candidate for the applied job position.

It’s Fine to List Temporary/ Freelance Job Experiences
Career gaps don’t mean you spent your time sitting idle. You must have been doing something during that period. Even if you were occupied with a part time job or freelance work project, you should always remember to talk about it in the resume. List all these pieces of information under the experience section. The entire point is to showcase the skills that you carry.

Using the Right Type of Resume
Usually, people with long career gaps turn to a functional resume, as it doesn’t list job experiences in a chronological order. Instead, functional resumes aim to highlight the most important skills of an applicant.

However, it may not always be an excellent idea to use a functional resume, because it can immediately raise an alarm with employers or hiring managers. So, you need to be a little careful with the decision. If you can fill out the career gap with relevant work experiences (no matter if they are part time or freelancing projects), it’s a safe option to go with a chronological resume.

Use the Cover Letter as a Powerful Tool
A cover letter is the most powerful tool that can help you deal with a long career or employment gap. If you want to use a functional resume due to a career gap, you can handle it with a well-written cover letter. Use the cover letter to discuss the reasons of your career, while focusing on the unique skills that you carry. Don’t tell a long story.

Just explain the major reason due to which you were unemployed for a long time. And show your eagerness for returning to the workforce as quickly as possible. Employers are interested in knowing the details. All they want to know is whether you are ready to accomplish the tasks that the advertised job includes.

In the Interview
Even if you’ve talked about your career gap in the cover letter, you will need to discuss it again a little with the interviewer. So, you should be prepared to handle that without getting worried or feeling negative. Always keep your answers to the point, avoiding unnecessary details.

No matter how long that career gap is, you should exude a lot of positivity and enthusiasm for taking up the advertised job position. Always be optimistic, as there are a lot of people who return to workforce after a long gap. This is not a rare case. If you can convince the employer by showcasing relevant skills on the resume, in the cover letter and the interview, you can certainly increase your chances of getting employed.