A job seeker on the Dice discussion boards wrote about being out of work for nearly 13 months, and feared potential employers wouldn’t consider him because of his gap in employment. “When interviewing, what do you tell employers about the gap in your work history?” he asked.
Here’s how to handle it:
Close the Gap
An old recruiting theory suggests it takes one month for every $10,000 in annual salary earned to find a new position. So, people earning $70,000 a year can expect to need seven months to find a new job. If you have numerous gaps, or gaps that exceed the typical marketing time for your position and salary level, managers may be suspicious, and wonder if you’re unmotivated, under qualified or have been unable to work for some reason. Be prepared to detail the specific reasons you’ve been unemployed, so you can close the gap between the interviewer’s perception and reality.
Shoot the Gap
Don’t accentuate your employment gaps by using a chronological resume format; use a functional format that emphasizes your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses. Check out the sample resumes on Dice for examples.
Bridge the Gap
How you represent your activities during your period of unemployment is vital. Describe how you optimized your job-hunting time to get a new certification, learn new software, read a book or do some paid and unpaid consulting. In other words, you want to show you are committed to your career and your professional growth, and that you know how to make the best out of a difficult situation.
Tags: Job Hunting, Unemployment
