One of the biggest elephants in the room in many interviews aren’t related to what’s on the resume, but instead about what’s missing! Many modern career builders ask us how to explain gaps in employment. To make things easier, Top Applicant is sharing how you can mind the gaps in your resume with confidence!
Step 1: State Your Case
Instead of focusing on your shortcomings, we recommend building a clear vision of your career including any relevant past personal and professional experiences that apply to the position. Controlling your narrative before it controls you is the first step in the right direction. But a good story only goes so far. When you inevitably have to answer that question, this will help you in the second step for how to explain gaps in employment.
Step 2: Convince With Conviction
Maintaining a clear vision for your future adds a reference point for your explanation. If an employer asks about a year or two gap, it’s best to stay honest and positive throughout your explanation. Make sure to include only information that would be relevant to an employer. Personal reasons, like military service or caring for aging parents and young children, are common but there’s a big difference between serving your family, country, and hard time.
Learn how many years of work history you should have on your resume with this related read:
Employees Ask Extra Credit | How many years of work history should be on my resume?
For those living with a conviction on their resume, it can be immensely difficult to secure a stable job with an extensive gap. Explaining extensive gaps in employment requires equal parts honesty and vision. To ease a potential employer’s mind about a big gap on your resume, a convincing argument requires a detailed plan for what comes after the interview.
Step 3: Focus on the Future
The final piece of the puzzle when considering how to explain gaps in employment is all about your career trajectory. In every interview, employers want to know they’re investing time and money in the right person for the job. This is your chance to convince them! Merge keywords like company values and details from the job description with your past experience and future goals to assuade any gaps in employment effectively.
Even if you don’t get the first position you interview for, try to find ways to fine-tune your explanation with every interview. Practice makes progress, so perfect your resume, find new opportunities, and experience career building like never before!
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