CAREER CHALLENGE: How to explain a six-month gap on your resume
The Chateau on The Lake owner Buddy Foy Jr. discusses how small business and restaurants are struggling to hire employees in an inflationary climate on ‘Fox Business Tonight.’and there’s a gap on your resume that spans six months or more, you may be worried that this lapse in employment will raise red flags with potential employers.
Career gaps spiked 39% year-over-year in the year of 2020, according to data from LinkedIn. The good news is that the data also revealed that 79% of hiring managers reported they would be willing to hire candidates with a career gap on their resumes.and resume gaps aren’t as critical or frowned upon as they once were," John Feldmann, senior communications specialist at Insperity, based in Houston, Texas, told FOX Business. "Resume gaps aren’t as critical or frowned upon as they once were," said one Texas-based senior communications specialist. He added, "Attitudes on gaps in employment have shifted" today, given that "many people dropped out of the workforce during the pandemic."How do you respond if asked about a work gap? While it’s important to address the reason for any lapse in employment, there isn’t a need to go into great detail, Feldmann advised. Instead, he suggested that people focus on the productive ways they spent their time during the break. Did you do volunteer work, network with others and/or read industry publications?"It’s more important to direct attention to your experience, skills acquired during the break and what you can do for a prospective employer going forward."CAREER CHALLENGE: WHAT'S THE BEST HAPPY HOUR PROTOCOL FOR WORKERS? "If you were taking care of children or other family members, you can explain that you were performing unpaid caregiving duties," Kevin Wu, CEO of Pathrise in San Francisco, California, told FOX Business. "And if you were between jobs," he also said, "you can say that you took some time off to regroup before making your next career move." "Be honest and upfront" about a career gap, said one job expert,"and you will likely find that employers understand." Wu agreed with Feldmann about highlighting any skills or experience gained during time off from work on your resume. "This will show that you were still actively engaged in learning and development, even when you were not working," he said. "Whatever the reason for a resume gap, there is no need to be ashamed of it. Be honest and upfront about it, and you will likely find that employers understand."If you were terminated or went through a layoff and it took a while to find work — or if you’re still looking for a job — should these issues be disclosed? WANT JOB SUCCESS? STOP GOSSIPING AT WORK — AND HELP OTHERS TO GET OFF THE GOSSIP WHEEL, TOO While you should "always be honest about the reason for a gap," said Feldmann, "going into detail is unnecessary." If your layoff or termination was a direct result of the pandemic, Feldmann said it’s helpful to mention this, as those extreme circumstances impacted millions of people. "Otherwise, you can mention that your last company wasn’t the best fit for you or that you and your employer had different expectations," he said. It is important to address the reason for a lapse in employment, but there isn’t a need to go into great detail, said one professional. Instead, focus on personal gains by highlighting productive ways you spent your time. "It’s more important to focus on the solution rather than the problem and direct attention to your experience, skills acquired during the break and what you can do for a prospective employer going forward."One effective strategy to paint an employment gap in a positive light, said Feldmann, is to address it in a cover letter, as opposed to using the limited space on your resume. "By doing this, you can spin the narrative in a favorable direction, while also being upfront about any concerns the employer may have," he said. "As long as candidates are able to discuss how they spent the six-month gap and [they] are a good fit for the position, employers shouldn’t have cause for concern."Focus on your experience and qualifications that make you a good fit for the job.Demonstrate how you remained active during the gap .While a six-month break in employment may seem like a long time, it’s still a reasonable time period to spend on personal development or a much-needed break caused by burnout, said Feldmann. As mentioned earlier, the pandemic affected the workforce dramatically, so many employees needed time to recover, he said. What may raise red flags, said employment experts, is pinning the blame on others for your own work history."As long as candidates are able to discuss how they spent the six-month gap and their experience and qualifications are a good fit for the position, then employers shouldn’t have cause for concern," he noted.Job candidates with a work gap on their resumes can emphasize an eagerness to rejoin the workforce. "Red flags are raised when employees complain about and/or blame a previous manager or company for not helping them to be successful," Jâlie Cohen, group SVP of human resources for Americas at the Adecco Group, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, told FOX Business. Cohen says this puts the potential future employer on notice that workers don’t hold themselves accountable — and is looking for the company to make them successful instead of taking the reins of their own career. Another red flag is raised is when people focus on what they need the prospective employer to do for them — yet never engage on how they can add value to the team, said Cohen. "This is a partnership that requires collaboration, accountability and transparency from both parties to be successful," she said.
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