Work Gaps On Your Resume. 5 Ways To Handle Them
Work gaps happen. Whether you left a job, were laid-off or Covid happened, these gaps are a reality, and they may need to be addressed on your resume. Work gaps will not eliminate you from consideration but employers may want to know what happened. Explaining it will eliminate any doubts about what happened. Here are some ways to handle your work gaps:
You can opt for a functional resume focusing on skills vs. job experience. Unfortunately, when answering jobs online, this type of resume may not make it throught the applicant tracting process.
Be truthful but don't over explain. If a hiring manager wants more information, you can discuss it during the interview.
Identify the issue concisely: Layoff, Caregiver, Medical Leave, Sabbatical, Maternity/Paternity Leave.
If you moved to a new city, make sure you list the city/state on all your jobs so that a hiring manager can easily see the new location.
Start freelancing as soon as possible and list the jobs as Consulting/Freelance work.
Work gaps happen. Be honest, and be able to discuss it in a positive manner during an interview.
