Divya Gnanasekharan
Hi ,
I have a career gap of 5 years. So finding it difficult to get into work force. Can anyone help me in arranging some interviews. Also because of the gap am looking for entry to mid level position as Cisco voice/Voip engineer , unified communications engineer, macd engineer kind of profiles. ( looking for jobs in New Hampshire or Massachusetts). Also I have work authorization to work for any employer in US.
I have over 5 years of experience in Cisco Collaboration Solutions including Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Unity Connection, Unified Contact Center Express, Cisco Voice Gateways, VG224. I have worked as a Senior Analyst (Voice) at HCL America Inc for 2 years between 2012 and 2014. During this time, I was part of a team responsible for maintaining the Enterprise Collaboration Infrastructure of a Fortune 500 client and I handled the day to day administration of their UC Solution.
Prior to that, I was based in India and I worked as a Network Engineer in Eljay Engineering India Pvt Ltd for 3 Years. As Network Engineer in a NOC, I was responsible for handling Incidents and MACD's for multiple clients with different Network Topologies. I also worked with multiple Providers/Vendors for circuit issues
Thanks & Regards
Hi Divya Gnanasekharan !
Here are some things you can do to minimize the gaps in your resume.
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
Notice that 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 your 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! Check out some tips on how to do so [here] (https://www.jobcase.com/conversations/c4ba7a86-a1d9-5484-ae09-b9e408617965)
Wishing you the best of luck.