How do you update your online presence and social media profiles after a resume gap for personal reasons?

I always stress this to those who reach out and are worried about a gap: you have likely been using and developing skills relevant to the job during your “break”! Volunteer work counts and should be included in your “Professional Experience” section! Remember: potential employers need to be shown how the skills they want are part of your skillset. Make the connection easy to see and they’ll bring you in for an interview. There you get to shine by showing skills through stories of your experiences. You’ve got this!

Career breaks are natural: 62% of Americans have taken a career break at some point during their career. I advise my clients to show their break visually in their resume through a career note. Examples: Career Note: Served as primary caregiver for 3 children from 2010 - Present. Key accomplishments include serving as PTA Vice President and raising $25,000 in school fundraising campaign. Career Note: Completed PMP coursework and volunteered at North Hills Community Food Bank in 2022.

Career gaps are very common and there is no need to shy away from them. There are two approaches - one is that you simply leave that gap in the chronological listing of jobs. The second is that you name it - "personal leave". In either case, this can be addressed in a cover letter. Many think that a resume should have every last thing a person has ever said or done represented. This is not the case. A well written resume should reflect your value proposition clearly and succinctly and leave the reader interested enough to invite you for an interview. It is then where you can further explain any gaps in work history.

I'm a resume writer who works with a lot of caregivers returning to work. While I used to recommend a functional format, I no long do thanks to applicant tracking systems (ATS). For most job seekers, a hybrid resume-- one that combines the skills-first format of the functional resume with the reverse chronological format of a traditional resume-- works best.

Additionally, as a job seeker, you should turn off “people also viewed” in LinkedIn. Those individuals are potentially your competition and your goal is to keep a recruiter on your page. Make sure all your content on your page is engaging and informative… again the goal, just like resume, is to be brought in for interview!

Look for business owners and leaders in your network that can introduce you to new opportunities. These people can be advocates that will talk about the great work you did during your career break, leadership skills you demonstrate naturally and reasons why your personality fit the company’s culture.

LinkedIn is fantastic for expanding your network. Follow companies that you want to work for in the future and connect with current and past employees. Search for alumni from your school or university that are working in the field that you are interested in for your next career move. You can share the insights from your informational interviews on LinkedIn to support other job seekers.

There are still not enough on-ramps for job seekers who are returning to paid work after a break. Maintaining and growing your network throughout your career break is one of the best ways to ensure a smoothe re-entry into the paid workforce. Especially when you factor in that as many as 80% of jobs are filled through a personal network connection.