Mind the Employment Gap: Explaining Time Off to Hiring Managers
Posted March 26, 2014 & filed under Interviewing, Job Search
Do you view employment gaps as a blemish on your resume? Most people have one, and they stand out worse than a pimple on picture day. You just have to confront them with confidence and poise.
Deception is not the better part of valor
Employment gaps don’t have to be stashed away like a dark family secret. Lying or trying to cover them up is as foolhardy as faking proficiency with certain skills. So don’t try to pull one over on the hiring manager by buffering the start and end dates on the surrounding jobs. That is a surefire way to get yourself thrown out of consideration from the job.
Confronting the elephant in the room
When it comes to confronting employment gaps during the interview, simply tell the truth. Everyone at some point in their career has taken time off to resolve a family crisis, fight through a serious illness, or nurture young ones through their nascent stage of life. Even if you were the victim of an untimely layoff you should still fess up to the fact.
Most hiring managers understand that life happens. Regardless of the reasons behind your absence, the number one thing on the interviewer’s mind is whether or not you are the best person for the job. In the hiring equation, employment gaps are a single variable of an algorithm the length of a chalkboard.
Pull out the silver lining and wear it as a badge
Employment gaps have their benefits. While you may not have been active in the industry, that doesn’t mean you were off in a galaxy far, far away. Did you pick up any skills during your sabbatical from the employment club? Did you volunteer, do any side projects, or read up on new technologies? Instead of focusing on what you weren’t doing, focus on what you did accomplish. Just because you didn’t collect a paycheck for your services doesn’t mean that you weren’t still advancing your career.
Whether you like it or not, that employment gap is never going to vacate the premises of your resume. But that doesn’t mean that you should give up hope on your job search. Our recruiters see them on resumes constantly, and they know how confront them when submitting your history to employers. Contact them today.
By Kevin Withers
