Explaining the Employment Gap.parts 1

   
Jobs Employment, Career Job, Employment Job
 by: Pamela DeLoatch

Whether it is to start an entrepreneurial venture, begin a family, take care of a sick parent, recover from an illness or pursue a hobby, employees occasionally have gaps in their employment history. When getting back into the work force, it is important to come up with a confident way to explain that blank period.

Lapse of Employment – an Employer’s View

For employers, an unexplained gap on a resume raises a red flag. When years are not accounted for, the employer may wonder what the applicant is attempting to hide. However, an employment gap is not uncommon, and with a troubled economy, periods of unemployment are not a surprise. Ignoring the gap won’t help, but there are some ways to handle it professionally.

Respect the Gap

For whatever reason, at the time, it was necessary or made sense to stop working. Continue to respect that reason without feeling apologetic. This means that in an interview, potential employees should be able to explain the gap as a positive move that provided them with development opportunities in some way.


Read more at Suite101: Explaining the Employment Gap: How to Handle a Lapse of Employment on a Resume http://www.suite101.com/content/explaining-the-employment-gap-a97033#ixzz13dRAKCB8