How to Disguise Gaps in Your Work History

If you have a period of unemployment in your work history, you need to address those gaps in employment on your resume so a potential employer will consider you a reliable job candidate.

You might ask, “What’s so bad about a few gaps in my employment history? Doesn’t everybody deserve a break?” Of course, many responsible professionals take time off in their careers to travel, recover from an injury or illness, take care of aging or ill relatives, and numerous other completely legitimate projects.

Still, employers just don’t like to see any gaps in your work history. They would prefer to have the unemployed time explained somehow, particularly if the explanation connects with your job objective in any way, or at least shows strength of character.

A gap in your work history may cause the reader to think, “This candidate is hiding something” or “This looks like someone who could have a problem” (such as instability, laziness, substance abuse, or a history of incarceration). In order to gain the employer’s trust, you’ll need to justify any gaps in your employment history.

Here are some ways to handle a period of unemployment in your history:

1. Include only years, not months, when listing your work history. This not only makes it easier for the reader to quickly understand the length of time you held each position, it can eliminate any gaps that may have occurred within a span of two calendar years.

Notice the gap here:

11/06 – 4/09, Night Manager, Taco Bell, Woodmont, NY
3/04 – 2/06, Day Manager, Denny’s Restaurant, Milpitas, CA

If you use only years and eliminate the months, there is no apparent gap:

2006-2009, Night Manager, Taco Bell, Woodmont, NY
2004-2006, Day Manager, Denny’s Restaurant, Milpitas, CA

2. If you’ve experienced a period of unemployment that spans two calendar years or more, you will need to explain the gap. Consider everything you were doing during that time (travel, community service/volunteer work, internships, schooling, and school/extracurricular activities) and if possible, present them in a way that is relevant to your job objective.

For example, a person who cared for an ill parent for two years and is now looking for a position as a pharmaceutical sales rep might write:

2007-2009, Primary Home Care Provider for terminally ill relative

Someone applying for a position as a travel agent might list his vacation destinations:

2007-2008, Independent Travel: Central and South America

A mother re-entering the workforce who wants to be a teacher’s aide might write:

2003-2008, Parent and Classroom Volunteer, Brio High School

3. If, however, the gap in your work history has no apparent relevance to your job objective, explain it honestly and with dignity. In general, references to illness, unemployment (even if it is clearly due to a recession), and rehabilitation immediately raise red flags, so avoid those at all cost. Instead, write about something else that you were doing during that time, even if it’s not related to your job objective. Following are some suggested “job titles” for such gaps:

Full-time Student
Independent Study
Full-time Parent
Family Management (or Home Management)
Family Financial Management (or Estate Management)
Adventure Travel (or Travels to …)
Personal Travel

4. If you include unpaid experience in your work history, be sure to use the title of Work History or History for this section, rather than Professional Experience or Employment History, since the words “professional” and “employment” both imply that you were paid for the work you did.

source: susanireland

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