How to Explain Away a Big Gap in Work History

InterviewingJob Search

In today’s competitive job market, you want to make your resume as appealing as possible to prospective employers. Most employers are looking for competent workers to fill key positions quickly, with the expectation that new workers will stay around for many years and become valuable assets to the company. Therefore, a big gap in work history could be viewed by some employers as a sign that you are not looking for a long term commitment to a job.
You need to be honest on your resume about any big gap in work history, but you can be creative in your explanation to present your history in the best light possible. If you have a gap of more than a few months in your work history, you can’t just skip over it on your resume and hope no one will notice. Even though you were not working during that time, you might have been doing something that would look good to an employer.
Having a big gap in work history should not negatively impact your chances of finding a job if you can make the gap look like it was not time wasted. If you had to leave work in order to take care of your ailing parents, or if you took two years off after the birth of your child, you can highlight the valuable experiences you gained during your time off.
If you took a year or two off from a “real” job and spent the time wandering around Europe, describe this period as a personal sabbatical for enhancing your education and understanding of the world.
 
List the time interval as though it was a period of employment, except that you didn’t get paid for it. If the other job descriptions on your resume take up six lines each, devote the same space to describing your “duties” during your time off.
It is better to be up front and honest with potential employers when describing your background. If you have one or more big gaps in employment that were due to circumstances that an employer might see as negative, it is better to explain those circumstances fully in your cover letter when applying for a job. If you spent time in prison or drug rehab, it is better for you to explain what valuable lessons you learned from the experience in your job application process, than it is to hide the truth and hope your potential employer doesn’t discover it in a background check.
Many employers will not view a gap in employment negatively. They recognize the value of continuing education, caring for others, and personal growth experiences. They will often seek out job candidates who have something unusual to offer. By explaining your big gap in work history in the proper light, you may show the boss that you are the exact type of creative and self-motivated individual the company needs for that job you have always dreamed of.

Time and technology changes everything, even how we write our resumes. The old fashioned chronological resume that worked so well even just five years ago may now land your resume in the trash can before it has even been looked at. If you want to stand out, you need a career summary. What’s more, readers of resumes love them. A properly written career summary can quickly and efficiently spell out to a prospective employer why you are most qualified for the position. Simply put, a career summary can be the difference between landing an interview and missing an opportunity.
The career summary typically is positioned beneath your contact information, directly above job experiences. It offers you a chance to quickly summarize all of your relevant experience in one place. By carefully selecting achievements and successes in your career summary, you are creating an effective picture of what you can offer a company. Use your career summary to easily point out what experiences from each of your previous jobs is applicable to the one you are seeking.

While a career summary is not mandatory, and is not suggested for people with little experience, most job seekers can benefit by including a summary in their resume. Writing an adequate summary takes a little bit of skill and should be done on a case by case basis.  If you are looking for a new position and would like to include a career summary on your updated resume, there are a few simple steps to take.

  1. Update your resume: update your resume with new experience and achievements as you normally would.
  2. Review positions: during your job search, carefully review each position you are interested in for their specific qualifications. For example, a particular position may require five or more year’s experience.
  3. Customize your summary: create a new career summary for each position you are apply for, utilizing the specifications discovered during your review.

By creating custom career summaries for each position you apply for you can easily tailor your resume for each position.
Formatting your career summary is easy as well. Most resume experts agree that a bullet point format is best for your career summary section. Try to include three to five bullet points, applicable to each specific job, in your career summary. The bullet points draw the eye and customized qualifications will guarantee further interest in you as a candidate.
Always remember that by not including a career summary with your resume most of your experience is likely to be overlooked. Most hiring professionals quickly scan initial resumes, focusing almost entirely on the last position held. They are unlikely to look at previous experience, meaning much of your experience will be unread and ineffectual. A career summary allows a hiring professional to understand how your entire career experience has molded you to be a perfect fit for their needs.

With the advent of online employment services such as monster.com, careerbuilder.com and job-hunt.com, more people than ever can be applying for fewer and fewer jobs. How can you create a resume that will stand out in this sea of hopefuls? Follow this list of “musts” to ensure your resume stands out.
Summarize your career achievements and experiences at the top of the resume. Human resource people receive sometimes hundreds of resumes to fill one position. Don’t make them hunt for the meat of your work. Create a snappy, one paragraph summary that captures the essence of your strengths and experience to be the first thing that is read. Make it creative and enticing, luring them to want to know more about you. Follow it up with a keyword, bulleted list. This will catch the employer’s eye, as well as, a keyword scanning machine.
Be timely. In this very competitive job market, potential employers want to know your latest and greatest experiences and strengths. While they will be looking at our college degrees and educational experiences, they will want to know what was your last greatest achievement, and how it relates to what they are looking for. Keeping everything fresh and timely will catch their eyes far more than listing all the things you did ten years ago that helped get you to where you are today.
Include all your experiences, even if they weren’t job related. Sometimes employers look for a well-rounded prospect, someone who has taken time to volunteer with a local nonprofit, or community organizing for your neighborhood. All relevant experience will show them your potentials for doing great work for them. This works especially well for entry-level jobs!

Put the most important information that is most relevant to the work first. Don’t make them hunt for what they are looking for. Human resource people don’t have time to read through every resume they get. Help them by showing them first and foremost what you have that they want. Even if it was done a while ago, you can create a “highlights” box on the front page and add your accomplishment there.
Be positive in your language. You don’t want to overdo, but you can certainly put a much more positive spin areas where you lack certain skills or have not completed your education. Instead of, “no experience” say “willing to learn anything needed to get the job done.” Or, focus on what your expertise is in.
Personalize every cover letter. There is nothing colder or less attractive to an HR director than getting a stale, canned letter. Don’t be afraid to personalize it with your own character. Instead of, “I would be willing to work extra hours,” say, “I have never been able to change the earth’s orbit, but I would try for you.”  Have fun, be personable and research the company’s mission statement to align your letter with it.
Edit, edit, edit. There is nothing worse than sending out a resume or cover letter with typos or grammatical errors. When in doubt, ask a second set of eyes to look it over and comment.

Group Interviews – An Introduction

InterviewingJob Search


Does the sound of ‘group interview’ make you cringe? Does it immediately bring to mind Will Smith in ‘Men in Black‘ and the weird egg shaped chair? Did you think, ‘Uh-uh. No way!’? I did too, until I did a little research on it.


Group interviews are held when multiple applicants are seeking a limited number of positions, which they interview for together. The interview typically involves a company presentation, group discussions, and role playing exercises. Usually if a company is conducting candidate group interviews, it’s because they have a large group of applicants and are looking for the simplest, most cost effective way to reject the majority of them.

While this is unlucky news for most applicants, it’s great news for you, the informed interviewee . Group interviews are the perfect opportunity to stand out and define yourself as a leader, and you should have plenty of time to prepare, since human resources almost always informs applicants of the group interview format beforehand. Follow these few tips to ensure a successful, stress free group interview experience.
Before your Group Candidate Interview
• Get ready well in advance, and be a few minutes early. Dress nicely, as you would for a one on one interview. There may be individuals who show up to the interview dressed casually, but their sloppy appearance will only highlight your professional attire.
• Bring a light briefcase or portfolio with you resume, a writing tablet, and two working pens.
• Greet the other candidates warmly and genuinely, even though they are your competition. You will need a good rapport with the other applicants to really shine during the role playing exercises and other group activities, and, anyway, you never know who may end up your coworker or even superior.
During Your Group Candidate Interview
• Expect the group interview to start with an introductory greeting from the human resources or hiring manager, who may be joined by other members of management. Do your best to remember their full names and faces.
• Be confident and try to stand out as a leader during group activities. You can expect to have to work in teams and speak in front of audiences, so do your best to overcome any social anxiety. Even if someone else takes the leadership role, still remain engaged and active. You cannot do the bare minimum and succeed.
• If you are able to lead, make sure you lead well. Involve all team members, even more reserved ones, criticize constructively, encourage and take into account feedback, and praise when praise is due. These are the qualities interviewers are looking to see in potential employees.
• Expect to be watched at all times and judged. While you can particularly expect to be evaluated during group exercises, where interviewers will drop in on each group as well as observe from around the room, you can also count on your casual conversations during breaks to be analyzed as well. Always stay professional and friendly.
Typical Group Interview Activities
• Role playing: Group interviewers frequently plan this activity for candidates. Typically, the interviewer will give two or more people in the group a scene to act out, which is often related to workplace expectations.
• Presentations: Applicants, often working together in groups, are given a topic and a number of materials and are expected to create presentations. Sometimes candidates are given a hypothetical problem to resolve and create a presentation around.
Now that you know what to expect, doesn’t it feel a little less painful?

If you want to be successful, dress the part

Career & WorkplaceInterviewing



It’s an old adage, and it’s true: there are no second chances when it comes to first impressions. Your interviewer will make on-the-spot judgments about your capabilities within the first few minutes of meeting you, based almost entirely on your personal appearance. Negative initial impressions will be difficult if not impossible to reverse during the interview, even if it goes well. The clothes you wear to the interview say so much to your potential employer: how well you’ll fit in, if you pay attention to little details, and whether you understand professionalism, to name a few.
Many of these recommendations can be summed up as common sense (hopefully)– wear clean, tidy looking clothes, dress professionally and conservative, go for understated over bold. The right clothes might not guarantee you a spot with the company, but the wrong clothes almost certainly will disqualify you. The way you dress for your interview should send a loud message that you will fit in with the company culture and that you understand what it means to be a team player. When planning your interview outfit (preferably days in advance in case repairs need to be made or items professionally cleaned), reference this checklist to ensure that you are dressed for success.

Yes, we know all of this, but lately I’ve had questions from clients that make me think a refresher course is needed.

  • Go with a simple, well fitted suit every time. For men, wear a dark suit with a light shirt and silk tie; for women, a suit or a dress and jacket combination work. Even if the corporate culture is laid back, you still need to dress for the interview as if you really are going to an interview.
  • Consider wearing blue, preferably navy. To many, blue symbolizes calm, trustworthiness, and confidence. Otherwise, stick to the business neutrals: black, gray, beige, brown.
  • Dark dress shoes are best. Ideally, men should wear black lace ups with dark socks. Women should wear low heeled, close toed pumps. Ladies, this is not the place to try out your new stilettos.
  • Wear something you’ve worn before and you know you look great in. You want to exude confidence and know you’ll be comfortable.
  • Go easy on perfume, cologne, or aftershave. It can seem obnoxious and in a worst case scenario (your interviewer is sensitive or allergic) they can derail the interview altogether. You don’t want to leave your scent on the person’s hand when you leave. Ick.
  • Trimmed, styled hair and groomed nails. If you can, get a professional cut before the interview. A fresh cut will also make you feel more confident and put together. Men, make sure your 5 O’clock shadow isn’t showing.
  • Go easy on the jewelry. Less is more.
  • Pay attention to detail. Everything should be clean, hemmed, ironed, and look well put together.
  • Bring a light briefcase or small portfolio; make sure it is in good condition and does not clash with the rest of your outfit.
  • Lose the gum, cell phone, MP3 player, and other distracting items. Do not bring a drink, even coffee. Nothing says,”Please don’t hire me”  like slurping your non-fat, Caramel Macchiato while texting your BFF. Keep pockets empty to avoid the sound of jingling keys and change; this will also keep pockets from unattractively bulging.
  • Cover tattoos and take out piercings, even if you are already aware that workplace policy allows them.

Stick with these simple tips and you’ll do just fine.

Advice to Job Seekers in 2010-learn Yoga?

Career Collective

I am a member of the Career Collective, a group of  resume writers and career coaches. Each month, all members discuss a topic. Please follow our tweets on Twitter #careercollective
This month we are discussing helping job seekers navigate the new year.  I encourage you to visit the links below to read other members’ posts as well!     +++++

There’s been a lot of talk the past few years about jobs, the economy, and how bad things have been if you’re unfortunate enough to live on planet earth right now. For those with jobs, wages are depressed and security is low. For those without jobs, new ones are hard to find. It’s as though they’ve all been filtered out and what’s left is plain and boring, like a gold prospector whose sieve leaves the sand and sifts out the gold.
But there are always ways to be better at what you’re doing, even if what you’re doing means being unemployed. Here are a few solid suggestions for those in between incomes, and out of luck:
I once was told that “It’s better to have a dependable income than be fascinating.” I disagree.
The truth is, being fascinating is as dependable as income. Often people hire those they admire and engage well with, or just those they like to talk to. A friend of mine, for example, was in a tough spot: he quit the advertising business at the top level—chief executive—and now wanted to get back in, but he was overqualified for every job he applied for. What did he decide to do? Practice yoga. He began going to a Bikram Yoga center four times a week. In the locker room before the session, he would talk to the other people there, and eventually befriended many of them. One he liked so much, he invited him to lunch. This person, it turns out, was the head of a multi-million dollar company.

As they talked my friend found that this person really needed a lot of advice on how to run the company better; so my friend gave it to him, and pretty soon this person hired my friend in a senior position as Lead Strategic Officer of the company!
All this because my friend was (as all good friends should be) friendly, outgoing, and open to trying a new discipline—in this case, Yoga. Often, when people have worked in the same field for many years, their social networks become ossified. They know the same kinds of people in the same kinds of fields for years on end. Within this framework, losing a job can seem like a real nightmare, because everywhere you look, there are no new opportunities or people to ask about jobs. You already know everyone, and what they’re doing. This is why taking a new hobby—yoga, which happens to be a pretty social hobby, to boot—was such a good idea: he branched out of his social network and formed new ones. In these new networks he was a dynamic personality, a new voice, and he could see other people’s situations as an outsider. Thus he was able not only to find opportunities he never would have heard about within the staid network of his old employment,  but he was also having a great time in a new adventure.
An underlying reason this worked for him is because many of his friends worked in the same field. If his own company couldn’t rehire him, chances are it’s because the entire field is suffering. And because everyone he knows was in the same field, none of them would be of much help in finding a new job. This is another reason why it was so wise to branch out, to look elsewhere, and to change careers. If one industry is sagging, another may not be.
When looking for a new job this year, the best thing you can do for yourself may be to look in an industry you’ve never thought of before by taking on a new hobby with an unlikely cast of strangers. Every one of these people share an interest you have (in my friend’s case, it was yoga) and one of them may be a door through which you can step to a new career.
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Career Collective Member’s Posts:
@KCCareerCoach, Career Chaos, “The Art of Being Gracious: Much Needed in Today’s Job Search,”
@MartinBuckland, Elite Resumes,  Career Trends and Transition 2010
@heathermundell, life@work, Kaizen and the Art of Your Job Search
@barbarasafani, Career Solvers, Looking Into the 2010 Careers Crystal Ball
@resumeservice, Resume Writing Blog, The Resume and Your Social Media Job Search Campaign
@kat_hansen,  Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters Tips Blog, New Year: Time to Assess Yourself and Your Career
@keppie_careers, Keppie Careers, Help for job seekers in a rut
@heatherhuhman, HeatherHuhman.com, Job seekers: 5 tips for making the most of 20
@DawnBugni, The Write Solution, Ya, but
@ErinKennedyCPRW, Professional Resume Services, Advice to Job Seekers in 2010–learn Yoga?
@Chandlee, The Emerging Professional Blog,
Starfish, JobAngels, and Making a Difference
@ValueIntoWords, Career Trend, Is Your Job Search Strategy a Snore?
@debrawheatman, Resumes Done Write, Making the most of a new year
@walterakana, Threshold Consulting, Starting anew – tips for truly managing your career
@careersherpa, Hannah Morgan: Career Sherpa, The Year of the Tiger
@WorkWithIllness, WorkingWithIllness.com, Dogs Can Do It, Can You?
@JobHuntOrg, Job-Hunt.org, Lifelong Learning for Career Security
@AndyInNaples, Career Success, What Are You Getting Better At? Make This the Year You Become the Best You Can Be!

Interview Responses to Avoid at All Costs

InterviewingJob Search

Business interview

An interview is your opportunity to sell yourself. Regardless of how much you may look the part, you need to answer the questions correctly to get the job. Interviewers ask key questions and look for certain types of answers. Honesty is always the best policy, but remember that it is okay not to offer information that was not asked.
Never bash your former employer.
It doesn’t matter if your last boss was the Wicked Witch of the Workforce, don’t say anything negative about your former employer. Instead of saying that you left your last job to get away from your boss that micromanages like it’s going out of style, say that you are looking for an employer that wants to utilize your talents and allow you to truly contribute to the company. Instead of saying what you hated about your last employer, focus on what you love about the employer that you are interviewing with.
Avoid slang.
It doesn’t matter if everyone you know uses double negatives and slang, don’t use them in your interview responses. Always make sure that you look and sound very intelligent and articulate in an interview. You might be a college graduate from an ivy league school, but if you speak like you dropped out of grade school in your interview, there’s a good chance that you won’t be getting the job. An interview is the place to be as professional as possible.
Always have questions.
Almost all interviews end with the interviewer asking you if you have any questions about the position or the company. Be certain to have some questions. However, avoid questions about pay, vacation time, hours, bonuses, and similar things that depend on you actually having the job. Instead, do some research on the company that you are interviewing with and ask a question about something that you read. This shows that you are interested about the company and have done some research.
Never say you were fired.
When asked why you left your last place of employment, never under any circumstances should you say that you were fired, even if you were. You could say instead that you and your manager agreed that your last position may not have been the best fit. Do not lie about why you left, but avoid using the words fired, terminated, and let go in your explanation of why you are no longer with your previous company.
Don’t lie.
It’s better to admit that there is something that you don’t know than to lie. If you find yourself put on the spot with a question that you don’t know how to answer, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for a moment or two to consider your answer. When you give the interviewer a well thought out response to the question that was posed, you can also make a point of emphasizing that you don’t make snap judgments and decisions, but instead prefer to think through how you are going to answer the situation. In many situations, this type of personality trait can be an asset.

"Ummm. I didn't need to know that." TMI during interviews.

Career & WorkplaceFeatured ArticlesGuest PostsInterviewingJob SearchProfessional Resumes

Editors Note: Kristi Musgrave is a colleague and friend of mine, as well as today’s Guest Blogger. She has oodles of management experience and tells us what it’s like to be on the other side of the desk. Here is some good advice on what NOT to say during an interview.
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“You won’t believe this,” he said. “What?” I asked. “We just had a candidate offer to show the hiring manager his gun shot wound.”
Why do people do this? Is it nerves? Do they just not know any better? Why do people share too much or inappropriate information during job interviews?
For the past 10 years I’ve had the opportunity to interview a variety of people and I am still amazed at what they will discuss during an interview. I’ve heard about fights with family members, pets that have died, and mean bosses. I’ve even been asked if I have a prosthetic eye. I don’t by the way.
The purpose of an interview is to assess a candidate’s suitability for a job. A significant part of that assessment will be based on what you say during the interview. Avoid discussing personal information unrelated the position. Discuss your experience, the skills you have that make you well suited for the position, and why you are the best candidate.
Rachel Zupek, a writer for careerbuilder.com offers this advice  (you can read the full article here):
Go ahead with the following personal info:

  • Goals – It’s OK to talk about what you want in your next assignment and what inspired you to apply for the position.
  • Growth – You can and should talk about the things you’ve done up to this point to invest in yourself and your professional development.
  • Highlights – Relate the highlights of your greatest professional achievements to date without exaggerating or pontificating.
  • Motivations – Talk about what motivates you, excites you, what brought you to that particular industry and what attracted you to that specific employment opportunity.

Do not delve into these personal topics during your interview.

  • Lifestyle choices, politics, religion or family plans. Controversial topics may make for stimulating conversation but an attractive employee does not stimulate water-cooler frenzy among the masses.
  • Endless name dropping. You can establish that you know some of the same people as the interviewer to build rapport, but don’t think you’re upping the ante by upping the volume.
  • Health history. Stay away from your health history mental and otherwise. You’re supposed to be positioning yourself as dependable and reliable; not as a candidate likely to spike the bell curve on benefit-related expenses.
  • House problems, nanny drama or rehab trips. Employers don’t want to know much about your life except as it relates to what you’ve done professionally and what you’re likely able to do for them.
  • Bosses from hell. Simply put, no prospective boss wants to hear a litany of “boss from hell” stories.



So, unless you’re interviewing for a position as nude model for a sculpting class, discussing your gunshot wound is way too much information for a job interview. Keep your answers professional and focused on your skills and experience as it relates to the position.  Good luck at your interview.
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Kristi Musgrave is a Senior Validation Engineer with the Validation and Compliance Institute, LLC. She provides cGMP training, validation, and auditing services for the FDA regulated industries.  You can reach Kristi at musgrak@gmail.com