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Is There a Gap in Your Work History? How to Effectively Explain Resume Gaps

We all know that resume gaps aren’t ideal and can hurt your chances of landing a job. But they don’t have to be a deal-breaker and damage your resume. Follow this advice when talking to interviewers.

Prepare for the Conversation

You can pretty much bet that a hiring manager will ask about resume gaps during an interview, so you’ll need to know how to respond and what to say. Therefore, it’s important that you spend some time preparing for the conversation so that you can provide the hiring manager with a thoughtful response. This should ensure the interview goes more smoothly and you’re not caught off guard.

Be Truthful

Honesty is essential when addressing resume gaps. The last thing you want to do is dance around the issue or lie about it. Fortunately, good hiring managers realize that no one is perfect, and sometimes even the most talented of candidates were unemployed for a stretch of time. And remember that if you’ve been invited to an interview that a company has some level of interest in you.

Therefore, be open about what happened and explain your situation. Note that some reasons are perfectly acceptable such as dealing with a medical issue, pursuing education or taking time off to travel. But even if the reason isn’t ideal, being truthful about it is important for making a good impression and building rapport with your hiring manager.

Mention Any Positives

Point out anything good that came about during your period of unemployment. For instance, maybe you were able to better develop your skillset and acquire new knowledge by being away from the workplace. Or maybe the time you spent traveling led to significant personal development. Whatever the case may be, mentioning any positives should help smooth over the situation and can work in your favor.

Assure Your Hiring Manager That You’ve Learned from Your Experience

Finally, do your best to put the recruiter’s mind at ease that you’re not a liability. For example, you might mention that being unemployed for a prolonged period was stressful for you, and it’s not something you want to experience again.

Although resume gaps probably won’t do you any favors, they’re usually something that can be overcome. Following these tips should help you make a better impression and increase your chances of landing the job.

Need help with your job search? Get in touch with the friendly professionals at Axiom Staffing Group today.

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