Candidates: Explaining Gaps in Your Employment
How do you explain being unemployed for an extended period of time? The way you address this issue during an interview can make the difference of you receiving a job offer or being screened out. On your resume show “what” you have been accomplishing since your last job. Have you worked part-time, in a temporary assignment or on a contract? Have you volunteered your time while searching for a job? Did you enroll in courses to enhance your skills? Have you done some consulting?
If you have done any of these things, include them on your resume and in your cover letter. If you have not, seriously consider accepting interim jobs. This is a great way to show some current experience on your resume even if the job is not directly related to the industry or profession you are targeting in your search.
Now more than at any time in history, very qualified individuals are out of work. The way you fill that time has tremendous impact on your ability to get back into the workforce.