January 5, 2011

How to address unemployment gaps on your resume

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By Kristen Fife
NWjobs

Q: A friend sent me an article discussing the perception that the "unemployed need not apply" mentality among recruiters is changing for the better. What are your thoughts? How do you suggest I address unemployment gaps on my resume?
-ZC, Puyallup

Kristen says: The article is a good indication of how hiring practices are finally catching up realistically to high unemployment numbers. Recruiters and hiring managers are starting to realize that many great candidates may not be employed right now, and a longer period of unemployment than in years past is not a reflection of performance issues, but probably due to overall economic factors.

Your resume is a reflection of your professional experience, and that includes long- or short-term consulting or contracting opportunities, educational or training programs and volunteering that uses your professional skills. We are lucky in the Puget Sound that many of the tech and manufacturing companies such as Microsoft and Boeing have been using staff augmentation and temporary staffing as a regular part of their business models for years. Most recruiters don’t have a negative view of these types of employment when evaluating a candidate. If you are consulting or have a series of shorter-term contracts doing basically the same thing, treat them as one entry on your resume. List the types of projects or jobs that you have worked on, and make sure to highlight any accomplishments as bullet points. If you are in training or education programs, put them at the top of your resume and indicate whether you are following a full-time or part-time program. Internships or class projects that are using real professional skills can help sell the fact that your practical skills are up-to-date.

Volunteering can be approached a couple of different ways. If you are volunteering in your professional field, I would recommend putting it at the top. Instead of titling the section “Employment History,” try “Professional Experience.” For volunteer experience that isn’t related to your career, put it in the section you use for community service or interests, but highlight any major accomplishments in your professional summary.

If you've been out of work about six to eight months and you haven't been contracting, volunteering or taking classes, it's time to start exploring these options, because you will come across as unmotivated to recruiters and hiring managers. For volunteering opportunities, try volunteermatch.org. It is also possible to work a part-time job while still receiving unemployment insurance, which will help give you an updated employment history as well as extend your unemployment benefits. WorkSource is a great place to learn about reporting part time hours, and exploring training or retraining options to help you get out of that “gap.”

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2 Comments

Paul Anderson on January 5, 2011 5:03 PM | Reply

Great advice Kristen,

I love how you give the readers multiple ways to address this.

Best,
Paul Anderson

Diane on January 7, 2011 1:22 PM | Reply

This was an extremely useful post, since just today I had a phone screen with a recruiting firm for a particular job, and they went over the differences in my employment/job history as listed in my LinkedIn profile, and as indicated on my resume. I had good reasons why certain positions were left off the resume intentionally, primarily because the number one skill required by the job at hand was not utilized in certain other jobs or volunteer work, so my resume was condensed to focus on that primary skill set. In fact, below the sub-text of what I was being asked, was a search for answers as to why I had not been employed... with your clear advice, I can answer that forthrightly. Keep up the practical recommendations. I have some additional ideas on how to get your career mojo back on our own blog, at http://www.mojo40.com, and would value your own feedback if you wish to look there.

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