How to Put a Positive Spin on Your Employment Gaps
Job gaps are a chapter of life that nearly all employed workers will experience at some point. For personal, economic, or other reasons, these gaps can occasionally be stigmatized by prospective hiring executives. However, in the proper light, you can turn job gaps into effective, positive differentiators that demonstrate your resilience, adaptability, and skills acquired. Here’s how to put a positive spin on your employment gaps, complete with examples.
Embrace Your Employment Gaps
The primary step to making an employment gap work in your favor is to accept it. Whether you were raising a child, nursing a family member, traveling, pursuing further studies, or addressing health concerns, accepting these facts can make your resume more human and relatable to potential employers.
Example: Sarah, a marketing professional, stayed at home for two years to care for aging parents. Instead of disguising this break, she included it on her resume and highlighted the skills she gained as a caregiver, such as patience, time management, and empathy—skills that are valuable in any career.
Emphasize Skill Development
Employment gaps can also be opportunities for personal and professional growth. If you used that time to take courses, learn new skills, volunteer, or engage in activities that contributed to your growth, mention these in your resume and cover letter.
Example: John, an IT specialist, was laid off and experienced a year of unemployment. During this time, he took online courses in cybersecurity, volunteered at a non-profit, and attended industry seminars. When applying for new jobs, John showcased his proactive measures to stay current with industry trends and his commitment to lifelong learning.
Use Freelance and Independent Contract Work
Freelance and contract work between jobs can demonstrate initiative and commitment. You can gain diverse clients and projects, which can be added to your resume and professional portfolio.
Example: Maria, a graphic designer, freelanced for 18 months after moving to a new city. She worked with several small businesses on website design and branding projects, which she included in her portfolio. This showcased her versatility and ability to meet diverse client needs, even during a period of non-traditional employment.
Emphasize Transferable Skills
Employment gaps can lead to diverse experiences that develop transferable skills. Highlight the skills you learned during your time off that apply to the position you seek.
Example: Alex, a former teacher, took three years to start a small business. Despite its eventual failure, Alex learned valuable skills in project management, marketing, budgeting, and customer service. When returning to education, he demonstrated how these skills augmented his teaching and administrative abilities.
Put A Positive Spin On The Gaps
In interviews or cover letters, frame employment gaps positively. Discuss the growth and experiences you gained rather than focusing on the gap itself.
Example: Emily, a project manager, spent a year traveling. She highlighted how this experience enhanced her cultural awareness, problem-solving skills, and ability to work with diverse teams. This positive framing showed that her time away was a learning experience that added professional value.
The primary step to making an employment gap work in your favor is to accept it.
ERIN KENNEDY
Network and Seek Recommendations
Networking can effectively explain and justify employment gaps. Ask for recommendations from those you worked with during your gap, such as freelance clients, volunteer coordinators, or course instructors.
Example: Raj, an engineer, took two years off to complete his Master’s in Environmental Engineering. During this time, he volunteered with environmental organizations and managed several projects. He obtained recommendations from professors and volunteer coordinators, which helped cover the employment gap and endorsed his skills.
Demonstrate Resilience within the Gap
Employment gaps can showcase your resilience and ability to thrive during challenging times. Employers value this trait as it indicates you can handle difficulties and emerge stronger.
Example: Lisa, a sales manager, had a debilitating health condition that caused a significant employment gap. She detailed her efforts to stay updated with industry changes during her unemployment and marketed her resilience and commitment to her career, turning a potential red flag into a testament of personal strength.
Add the Context in Your CV
Providing context for employment gaps in your resume can prevent misunderstandings and demonstrate transparency. Briefly explain the gap and what you did during that time.
Example: Mark, a software engineer, experienced a nine-month employment gap due to a layoff. He included a note in his cover letter about the layoff and his activities during the gap, such as contributing to open-source projects and completing a cloud computing certification. This honesty helped prospective employers understand the gap and appreciate his efforts to remain relevant.
Reframe The Narrative
Shift the emphasis from the gap to the growth and accomplishments during that period. This helps create an engaging story aligned with your career objectives.
Example: Laura, a financial analyst, took a two-year break to start a family. She highlighted the financial planning and budgeting skills she developed during this time and the online courses she took. By focusing on her personal and professional development, Laura crafted a positive and forward-looking narrative.
Get Ready for Questions in the Interview
Prepare concise, honest, and positive responses to questions about employment gaps. Practice your answers to ensure they highlight your growth and experiences during the gap.
Example: When asked about the two-year gap in his resume, software engineer James explained how he spent the time traveling and freelancing on coding projects. He highlighted the variety of projects, programming languages he learned, and how these experiences made him a more well-rounded developer. By preparing a well-crafted response, James turned a potential red flag into a demonstration of his continued professional engagement.
Landing the Job
Employment gaps need not deter your career progress. By recognizing the gap, focusing on skill acquisition, leveraging freelance work, highlighting transferable skills, framing the gap positively, building networks, demonstrating resilience, providing context, reframing your story, and preparing for interview questions, you can turn employment gaps into a powerful component of your professional narrative.
These strategies not only minimize the visibility of gaps but also make them beneficial for your overall professional development. Remember, everyone’s career journey is unique, and employment gaps are just chapters in your story. When handled properly, gaps can illustrate your adaptability, continuous learning, and resilience, making you an attractive candidate to prospective employers.
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