How to positively explain the gaps in your work history
Acknowledging the gaps in your work history, both in your formal resume and your professional profile such as LinkedIn is important. You may have many reasons for the gap that shows in your resume, and the Interviewer or Recruiter may point that out to you as well. You should be honest when explaining the reason but at the same time you must present your reasons with confidence and try to show the positive side of it as much as you can.
Let’s explore some of the scenarios that may have caused the gap in your employment.
Scenario 1: You were Let Go by the previous company and it took you some time to get another job.
The worst case scenario is where you were laid off by the company. Your prospective employer would imply that there must have been some problem with your performance. This is how you should tackle this scenario.
Be articulate in describing the nature of the layoff
You should never mention “I was fired or laid off It is important to explain why it did happen. It may have happened that your company chose to restructure and in the process made a decision to lay of several of their employees. If that was the case it doesn’t reflect directly on your abilities and that is how you should present instead of taking the blame entirely on yourself.
Provide references of previous employer
Even if you were let go by a company, the general tendency is to leave on good terms (unless there really was a big problem and you left on a bitter note). People in general don’t feel good in letting you go and would be willing to provide a reference letter or a good word for you wherever required. Capitalize on that and provide references from your ex-supervisor or ex-colleagues to show that you left on a good term. If required and possible offer your prospective employer to connect to your previous supervisor or colleagues to show that you still are on good terms with them
Make sure you have acquired a skill since your layoff
If your job search stretched very long after your layoff it is always good to show you acquired a new skill while you were on a break. This shows that even though you were not working at that time you were making efforts to enhance your skills.
Drive the conversation to what you learnt
In this scenario after briefly and confidently explaining the reason for the gap it is good to emphasize on what you learnt from that experience and how it made you a tougher person. Ups and down are part and parcel of life and it is the tough times that truly bring out the true character or a person. So, if you can show them that you sailed through this tough time becoming a better person at the end would earn you their respect.
Scenario 2: You had to take time off due to an illness or care for a family member
In case you had to leave a job to take care of your children or someone else in the family, the recruiter may argue that you would dessert the job as soon as you face another family problem. This is a tricky situation but you have to handle it prudently.
Show that your family situation is stable
Make sure to emphasize that the crisis you were facing was not a petty one and you really didn’t have much choice but to take care of the family matters at that time. Make sure to make it clear that your current family situation is completely stable and there is no need for them to worry in this regard.
Don’t share too much detail
You don’t need to go into specifics of what the issue was unless the interviewer insists. The focus of your conversation should be to assure them that you are a professional and would do your best to not let family matters impact your work.
Scenario 3: You are a fresh graduate and couldnt get placed in Campus
In such a case the recruiters always argue that you have no experience and you will need training before you could be productive. This is how you should present your side of story
Show that you learnt extra skills while searching for the opportunity
As a fresher if you couldnt get placed from your college you must try different things to enhance your skills to improve your chances of getting placed. If you took an internship position during that period, show your potential hirer that you wouldn’t need much training and can act on your own to be productive right away.
Share real life experiences
Share examples from your real life experiences to show how you have tackled situations as an individual or in a team. It could be anything from handling the process of a family marriage to arranging a team building exercise in the college. Important is to showcase that you may not have actual job experience but your life experiences have prepared you to address complex situations.
Scenario 4: You started your own business and now want to join a job
The employer may argue that this job is just a stop gap arrangement for you and you will again start something on your own as soon as you get a chance. They may also argue that you have now worked for yourself and it would be difficult for you to take orders from others. You should..
Prove that you can take orders
If you have been a serial entrepreneur and had success with your previous ventures, it would be difficult to prove that you can work under someone else. However, in your situation, you can leverage on the network you have built and the success you have achieved and ask for an opportunity where you work as a contractor or consultant first to prove that you can take orders and there are no issues with that
Be forthcoming with your duration of commitment
In case you are looking for a temporary position, be concrete about it and mention in your cover letter and interview that you are looking for a 2 years assignment or a 5 year assignment. It is possible that in your short intended stay your prospective employer can extract the best out of your resources to benefit mutually.
Some of the other tips for handling queries on the gaps in your work history are as follows:
Be positive when talking about the reason why you left the company before the gap
Dont nitpick and dont complain about the previous employer, unless it really was a horrible experience and you wouldn’t want a repeat of the same in your new assignment. You also dont want to put a doubt in the interviewers mind about why you left the job before getting a new one.
Be consistent
Whatever line of explanation you choose, make sure to be consistent with it in your resume, your professional profiles if required and your interactions with the Hiring Manager.
Be Honest
While you should positively explain the gaps and make the best out of the gaps that are there on your resume, dont try to completely lie about the reasons and make up a false story. The trick is to give your story a positive spin while keeping the story real.
In case you have any queries or an altogether different scenario where you need to explain the gaps, please email us to: hr@joblagao.com and we will revert back with our suggestions. You can also leave a comment and let others answer your queries.
Blog Author
