Having a gap in your work history can pose a problem to anyone aspiring for a new job. To the employer, it can be a huge question mark especially if it spans quite a few years. Don’t let this be a hindrance for getting your next job. It’s not a perfect world you know.

Sometimes life changing events may arise that can affect your life greatly causing you to leave your job. But don’t drown yourself in doubt because of this. Overcome gaps by addressing it. Plain and simple.

The best way? make sure you include a brief explanation in your cover letter as to why you were not working during a certain period, but only when it matters. If the gap is just about two months or if its over 10 years ago, then who cares? That’s definitely not something you’d want to mention or highlight in your resume. A better way of keeping this in check would be to make use of the time when you’re jobless to hone your skills.

Do volunteer work or keep your skills up to date. Attending trainings and seminars or conducting one can be a positive addition to your resume as well. So, if you’re out of a job right now start doing this and be productive while you’re taking your time off. This would give you a better chance of getting back into the workforce with ease as this would reflect that you’re still at par with the current industry. Also, keep a list of contacts from previous jobs as this may come in handy when finding your next job.

Always be mindful of the gaps in your work history and whenever possible, try to stay ahead of it. A gap will never cause a problem if handled with care.

Tags: career cahnge, cover letter, gap in emplyment, resume writing, work history

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 10th, 2010 at 12:25 am and is filed under Applying for a Job, Cover Letters, Free Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.