While gaps in employment are more common since the COVID-19 pandemic, they can still hinder your job search by raising red flags for recruiters. If you have an employment gap of more than 8-10 months, don’t wait for a recruiter to ask about an employment gap on your resume. Instead, take a proactive approach to your application materials to get ahead of any potential questions a recruiter may have about your recent (or not so recent) work history.
Resume Tips:
- Include short-term employment and volunteer work: Even if these roles aren’t related to your target career, they can help you showcase highly valuable transferable skills (things like communication, collaboration, attention to detail, etc.) and prove that your time out of the workforce wasn’t idle.
- Highlight any trainings, certifications, and courses you’ve completed: If you’ve spent time upskilling and brushing up on career-relevant skills, be sure to include this information on your resume. This lets recruiters know you haven’t gotten rusty while out of the workforce and will be ready to hit the ground running.
- Consider a skills-based, or functional, resume: This resume format separates your experiences and accomplishments from your work history, helping you spotlight what you have to offer without drawing as much attention to your job titles and dates of employment. While this format isn’t a favorite among recruiters, it can be useful when returning to work after several years away.
- Review and download an applicant tracking system-friendly resume template and get feedback on your format and customization from Big Interview’s ResumeAI tool.
Cover Letter Tips:
- You can address employment gaps directly in your cover letter but keep the explanation positive and concise. If you were fired from your last role, it’s best not to address this in your cover letter and instead prepare to discuss the situation in the interview. Employers aren’t entitled to information about your family or your health history, so consider whether you want to provide more detail beyond something simple like “After some time away from the workforce, I’m excited for the opportunity to join…”
- If you have a situation you want to share more detail about, such as trying to launch your own business, highlight what you learned or gained from the experience that will help you succeed in the role you’re targeting. Using a specific story or example from your experience to demonstrate what you gained will help bring your experience to life for the recruiter.
- Check out our Cover Letter Template for guidance on business letter format and what to focus on in each paragraph of your letter.
If you’d like support with your application materials as you prepare to reenter the workforce, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
