4 years with no job to list...
Hi! This is my first post so bear with me if I stumble.
I am newly disabled. I was struck with a debilitating condition and had to stop working (luckily, I had a disability benefit with my employer for a bit). During my leave, I had an experimental surgery that improved my condition by about 50-60%, enough to have me contemplate a return to work.
So my question: not wanting to lead with my disability, how do I account for the 4 year gap on my resume? My most recent position ended 4 years ago, so this gap is at the very top of my resume and therefore is easily noticed.
Do I lie? That’s kind of how I’m handling it now - I say I have been freelancing. Is that bad?
Any insight would be really appreciated.
Diane
Hi Diane Guettler Your resume shows what you've done and having long gaps in your work history can give employers the wrong impression.
Here are some things you can do to minimize those gaps!
Use dates When listing dates on your resume you don't need to list the month/year if you were in a position for over a year or if your position spans multiple years. For example, you could say 2014 - 2016 (rather than May, 2014 - February, 2016) which would give you some room to cover the gaps:
• Customer service rep, DFH Company 2014 – 2016
• Sales Associate, ABC Store 2012 – 2014
The resume doesn't specifically say when the candidate started and ended employment, which can cover an employment gap.
Remove what doesn’t matter Omit any jobs that aren’t relevant to your job search and the companies you are applying to. There is no rule saying you have to include all the jobs you ever had on your resume. You decide what goes in there!
Include Other Experience Gained During the Gap What did you do while you weren't employed? Did you freelance or consult at all? How about volunteering? All those experiences count as work and can be included on your resume. List them as you would list your other jobs - with job title, company name, job description, and dates of employment.
Tell the Truth It goes without saying, but make sure, to be honest! Employers verify work history and if you put incorrect information on your resume and they happen to verify it, that will be the end of that potential job.
Wow them with your cover letter Write a great cover letter that will stand out (to outweigh the resume). The cover letter must indicate your knowledge of the company you are applying for as well as how you are going to add value to your prospective new company. Tailor it to the job you want and avoid using a generic template. Show them you are invested in the company and that you want the position!
Good luck!! Please let me know how else I can help!
Hi Diane, I am sorry you had to go through something like this, and glad to know you are doing much better. As a professional resume writer, I've never encountered a situation like this so I had to think about it for a bit. While I never encourage lying on a resume, this might be an exception. I guess there are two ways to deal with it. You could be totally honest with the dates on the resume and go into details about your recent illness in the cover letter. I assume anyone or any company who would discriminate against you or not want to hire you due to a disability is not a place you'd want to work for anyway, so being honest is one way to weed out the idiots. If, on the other hand, this gets you absolutely nowhere, you really might have to say you were freelancing. Just make sure it is something that makes sense if you are asked about it in detail and why you're looking for a job now. This is a tough one. I wish you the best of luck.