Addressing a Gap in Employment on Your Resume

When applying for a job, it's never fun to think that something could hinder the process. However, those who have gaps in their employment tend to bite their nails every time they send out an application.

Having gaps in employment can have a definite effect on whether you're accepted for a position. Some employers look down on those who haven't worked in several years - or in some cases, several months. However, this doesn't mean you can't get a job. You simply need to find a way to get make adjustments to your resume that can help the employer overlook the gap.

Consider a Functional Resume

One way to pull the focus off of the gap in your employment is to switch from a chronological to a functional resume. This is something professional resume writers often use when offering certified resume writing help.

The chronological resume asks that you list your jobs according to your start or termination date. However, if you switch to a functional resume, you list items by your skill or accomplishment, rather than focusing on the date.

On some functional resumes, dates aren't listed at all and on others, they may be; however, if they are they are considered secondary to your experience. If you're truly concerned that a chronological resume would be too revealing then the functional resume is a good route to take.

List Your Temporary Employment

If you've taken some temporary or contract work to make ends while looking for a permanent job, by all means list them on your resume. Doing so could help close your gap.

Listing temporary employment is pretty simple. Under normal circumstances, you would list the company you worked with through the agency then place temporary in parentheses either company name or your job title. In the job description, you would list the agency name.

However, if you worked for more than one company through an agency, it's a good idea to place the agency's name where the company name would normally go then list the different job titles and companies you worked via bullet points.

One thing to keep in mind is that this recession has hit everyone hard. Hiring managers now understand that gaps in employment don't necessarily mean that the job seeker is doing something wrong. So as you write and submit your resumes, feel good about what you're doing and know that soon enough things will turn around for you.