If your resume has gaps this could be for a couple of reasons. Perhaps you were ill and needed to step away from working for a bit, or you simply could have been caring for a loved one or raising your child. Whatever the reason, 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!!
Like omg gaps?
It’s really no ones business if you have gaps, as long as your not sponging off the system, it’s no ones business.
I sincerely thank you for this insight.i will be redoing my cover letter and resume. I feel confident already.
Thanks a bunch every little trick helps.
Thank you but I completed it for some reason all of those things that I put on it didn't stay on there so I got to do it again
I just did not include my employment with Gateways Hospital because it’s only for a short period, October to mid December 2017. After my employment with them, I have a scheduled trip to the Philippines for almost a month and came back January 2018. Currently, I have a part-time job with Westside Stone.
I have the typ of experience that no one can pay for or go to school to obtain. I have owned and operated other businesses over the years. Because of starting construction as a carpenter in the early 80,s there just wasent enough work to feed my growing family. So I did anything I could to provide for my own. By the time I reached 42 I had 3 houses a commercial business of my wife's family due to my father in-law passing away.god rest his sole. But because of the emence amount of obligation to help aid my mother in-laws business to keep her with an income. I know without question what a company really needs. Now at age 60 it's even harder to find a company to work with.. I said WITH. This is a problem in the sense that if your wanting to be a member of the term you might become to competitive for the others on board. So I am very seriously inclined to think that if you know to much. Enough to run there company. You end up being over qualified. That's me.. Old and over qualified. But seriously as an expert in my field of construction I bear the integrity of many jobs over many years. I love to build for people who can't. And there's nothing like it when with gratitude shaking your hand they say thank you so very much I can't believe how you did it all...
What happened between June 2014 and July 2015? I don't really care, I just find it amusing that you call out every member for having resume gaps, yet you have a 13 month gap within the past few years.
Your resume has gaps! If your resume has gaps this could be for a couple of reasons. Perhaps you were ill and needed to step away from working for a bit, or you simply could have been caring for a loved one or raising your child. Whatever the reason, 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!!
the reason for the gaps in my resume is probably because I have worked for Ecolab for the pass 21 years and are applying for a different position with the same division.
Excellent response..Thank you