¿Cómo haces que las brechas en el currículum se vean positivas y muestren tu crecimiento y aprendizaje?

While it can help to be upfront about a gap, we also need to make sure we're honoring our own personal information, ensuring we're keeping confidential information, confidential. For example, perhaps we were burnt out from our previous job. Or we experienced trauma due to a toxic workplace. Sharing this on our resume could expose us to unwarranted bias. Instead, we can simply use a one-line explanation like: "Took temporary, planned leave; ready for next role."

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝. Many people were let go after very long tenures while countless others had to step back to care for loved ones. This may or may not be the case for you. If you have a gap, this can be briefly touched on in the cover letter... then redirect why you are uniquely qualified for the job for which you are applying. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝" 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥!!!

Filling a career gap with activities other than job searching can be helpful. Especially if you're learning new skills related to your target job or refreshing skills related to your target job. Share the courses you've taken during the career gap with one or two bullets during the timeframe of the career gap. Example: Mar 2023 - Present - Took temporary, planned leave; ready for next role - Completed courses in [topic], [topic], and [topic]

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.

Normalize gaps by listing them like a regular experience in a reverse chronological way! Treat your "gap" like a employment entry on your resume/profile. Include bullets of what you did to gain new skills, to meet new people, to work short-term gigs, and other professional initiatives alongside the brief personal reason for your gap (only if appropriate). Don't try to hide your gap using a functional format. People without a gap use a reverse chronological format--and only people with gaps they want to hide typically use functional formats. So you end up bringing attention to what you want to hide with a functional format.

No, we don't want to use a functional resume as readers don't like them. Skills are best highlighted when backed up with accomplishments that demonstrate how you used the skill, and context to show when and where you used that skill.

Readers and applicant tracking software don't like functional resumes. They want to know what you did and where you did it. I personally like to include core competencies at the top, however, also share where you used them in your accomplishments.

We address the gap in the cover letter. A simple sentence will do. Addressing it leaves the mystery out of the gap. -"Took the past six months off to care for my aging parent who faced a health challenge. They are now settled into their new home and doing well." - "Spent the past year on a passion project, a freelance consulting business, that allowed me different insights into several different industries that interested me including this one ___" - "During my year away from XYZ industry, I actively volunteered with two non-profit organizations that helped sharpen my leadership abilities and project management skills." It's a great place to show off any new skills you learned as well.

Consider that many recruiters don't read cover letters. So be sure to have the gap addressed in all the ways a recruiter may digest your background: resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter email (not a traditional attached cover letter), etc...It is important that you write a resume that can stand alone, without a cover letter, and still address the gaps and messaging you want said about you.

Confidence really is key and you have everything to be confident about. If a company doesn’t understand your gap in work they likely aren’t the company for you. It’s your journey. Be proud. Show your commitment to what you did during the “paid work” gap. After all, it’s about respect.

Everyone is human and life happens! Taking time off work to be a carer or parent are things that most people have to do at some point, especially women. Remember that any employer who sees this as a negative is not an employer you will be happy to work for. Because if you need time off again to care for someone you want somewhere who will provide support and understanding.