From the course: Writing a Resume

How to tackle large gaps and longevity

From the course: Writing a Resume

How to tackle large gaps and longevity

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- Why do employers care about gaps in your employment history? The main reason is related to your skills and the relevance and applicability to the job you've applied for. If you say you have a particular skill but you haven't used it in a year, do you really still have that skill? Are you as marketable and competitive as someone who has been using that skill consistently for the past five years? An additional consideration is the type of job or the industry in which you work. A gap and accounting might not be seen as detrimental as a gap in website design. One changes very quickly while the other doesn't change much at all. Therefore taking the spotlight off the gap and placing it onto what you did in that gap is very useful because it should highlight either the consistent use of an old skill or the process of acquiring a new and also relevant skill. Since your gap could occur for any number of positive reasons let's explore a few. I've interviewed men whose gap in their resume was due to their decision to be the parent who stayed home to take care of the children. When that happens there's sometimes the assumption that the only reason he stayed home was because he couldn't find a more traditional nine to five job. But thank goodness those assumptions are changing, but not fast enough. Sabbaticals are an excellent reason for a gap in employment. They are becoming more widespread as an employer perk and increasingly acceptable to actually use. And if you were lucky enough to be in a position to be out of the workforce for an extended period of time for a non-company sponsored sabbatical, present it that way during the interview. Depending upon the length of the absence, another explanation may include volunteering in order to learn new skills as you attempted a career change. Adding an explanation within your work history gives an immediate explanation for the gap rather than making the person have to hunt for the information in a job application or in a cover letter. If your gap is due to an inability to get a job after a layoff, you might want to view the video on handling common hurdles for the long term unemployed. But what happens if you have been employed for too long? Is such a thing even possible and is it really a hurdle you have to overcome? If you've had one employer for a very long time there's a low likelihood that you've been in the exact same position for the entire time. But how do we define a long time? A few years ago I might've said 10 to 15 years, but times have changed. Loyalties have diminished and perceptions are different now. The hurdle, should we decide to view it that way, is that you might not be as adaptable as someone who has had, say, three jobs in the past 10 years. If you've remained within the same company for 20 years you will need to provide examples of your versatility and flexibility. Show that you've had promotions that came with increased responsibility, that you've had the opportunity to manage others, and that you've lead projects. Title changes that were deserved and not just handed out as part of our company wide reorganization are another indication that you progressed in your career and did not remain static. Ambition is an admired and desired trait. All of these examples demonstrate the point that though you've worked within the same company you never simply had one single job. In this instance you can treat your different job titles as separate jobs with separate duties and responsibilities as shown here on the screen. Whether it's a large gap in your employment history or too much longevity, I hope you are now better equipped to provide your future employer with the answers to the unspoken questions that may arise as they are reviewing your resume.

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