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#CareerAdvice : #ResumeGap -You Can Overcome a Long Gap in Your Résumé. #MustRead !

October 31, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Employers are becoming more flexible about time spent away from work, thanks to a tight labor market and a greater cultural shift.

Employers are rushing to interview applicants with résumé gaps as long as two years, according to a recent study of more than 36,000 applications by the résumé-writing service ResumeGo. That’s a marked change from a decade ago, when a career break as short as six months could be deadly.

This poses new opportunities for skilled workers, as well as challenges in navigating on-ramps back into a career.

Some early-job choices are simply a bad fit. Noah Kain, a 32-year-old from Baltimore, made an idealistic choice to join an environmental nonprofit after graduating from college. He was promoted twice in two years. But he soon wearied of the low pay and 10-hour workdays spent canvassing and fundraising.

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Mr. Kain took a career break, doing odd jobs while teaching himself to code and building a freelance portfolio. After about a year, he landed an entry-level job as a web designer and developer. He has since been promoted twice at Duckpin, a digital marketing agency in Towson, Md., and is now director of marketing and strategy.

Some 9.8% of applicants with two-year gaps in their résumés were contacted by employers for follow-up interviews. That response rate is only slightly lower than the 11.3% of applicants with no career gaps who were asked to interview, according to the ResumeGo study, which tracked employers’ responses to simulated applications. Only 4.6% of résumés showing a gap of three years elicited a response.

The tight labor market is sparking employers’ willingness to consider résumés with gaps. But a cultural shift also is under way toward greater acceptance of nontraditional career paths. Some 76% of U.S. workers ages 24 to 38 expect to take career breaks of longer than a month. One reason may be that nearly one in three millennials plans to work beyond age 70, and nearly one in eight expects to work until they drop, according to a 2016 ManpowerGroup survey of 1,000 adults.

Abby Lee Mosconi dreamed of becoming a singer and majored in musical theater in college. But after graduation, she took a job as a brand strategist for an ad agency because she thought she had to get a “real job.” She found the work depressing, and wondered, “Is this the point of life? To just pick a career, do it for 30 years and stifle how you feel?” she says. Surrounded by hovering bosses, she began having panic attacks.

She summoned the courage to quit three years ago and began working as a freelance writer and singing at open mics in clubs near her Philadelphia home. She has since built a steady clientele for her writing, and is having growing success as a rock singer. It’s possible to build a career that makes you happy. But you have to be willing to invest in the work, Ms. Mosconi says. “Build your skills, then fight for what you want.”

The skills employers need in their employees are changing so quickly that people who take a career break for education or retraining are increasingly attractive, says Sue Bhatia, founder and chairwoman of Rose International, a St. Louis staffing firm. Taking time off to retrain is seen as a sign of adaptability.

Others undertake new challenges, such as travel or sports, to reap a sense of accomplishment. Rupert Taylor, managing director of Nonstop Snow, a Fernie, British Columbia, ski-instruction and performance-coaching program, sees more clients on career breaks who want to pursue a personal passion or a new adventure, such as helicopter skiing.

Leander Angst took a break after four years working at a Boston cybersecurity consulting firm to train at Nonstop Snow as a ski instructor. He then took a five-month job as a ski instructor in Australia, a place he’d always wanted to live. The time outdoors helped him lay plans to train for a new career in environmental consulting. “It gave me the head space to think about what challenges to tackle next,” says Mr. Angst, who lives in London now.

Working mothers were early adapters of career gaps, taking a few years off to stay home with small children. Now more women are extending their time away to five to seven years, based on a survey of about 400 women by Après, a website connecting employers with women returning to work after career breaks. And more companies are willing to work with them, says Stacey Delo, chief executive of the site.

Job applicants returning from breaks need to own the gap. Assert with confidence why you were away, then shift the focus to future contributions you hope to make. Avoid sounding defensive or apologetic, says Jennifer Gefsky, an attorney and co-author with Ms. Delo of “Your Turn,” a 2019 book about how mothers can combine child-rearing and career. And take the long view. “Five to seven years is a drop in the bucket over the course of an entire career,” she says. “You can really come back from that in a meaningful way.”

Corporate career re-entry programs are a solution for some. The earliest sprang up over a decade ago at employers hoping to lure skilled women who had taken breaks for child-rearing back to the workforce. The programs have multiplied quickly, says Carol Fishman Cohen, chair and co-founder of iRelaunch, a Boston career re-entry firm. Many employers have learned that hiring people who have been away for a while isn’t as risky as they once thought, Ms. Cohen says.

Employers also are expanding the programs to recruit people who have taken career breaks for other reasons, she says. A 16-week program at United Technologies called Re-Empower provides mentoring, coaching and networking help for professionals who have been away from the workforce for at least two years. Among the Farmington, Conn.-based company’s recruits are mothers, but also those who have been caring for aging relatives, serving in the military, working as missionaries or simply enjoying some travel.

For Naveen Gopal, 40, the program was just what he needed. Mr. Gopal took four years away from his career as an industrial engineer to deal with health problems. After going through the United Technologies program, he returned to work full-time job as a senior engineer at the company late last year.

Looking back at his career break, he says, “it was an opportunity to sharpen the saw.”

WHEN RETURNING TO WORK AFTER A CAREER BREAK

* Consider volunteering or taking courses in your chosen field before returning.

* Renew professional contacts before starting your search.

* Don’t apologize for being out of the workforce for a while.

* Be ready to show how you kept up with industry trends and technology.

* Focus when interviewing on what you hope to contribute in the future.

* Be prepared to show that you’re ready to perform under pressure.

* Project high energy and interest to ease any doubts about your readiness.

Your #Career : How To Talk About The Gap In Your #WorkHistory ..Sometimes, Addressing it Directly Can Be your Best Option.

January 16, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Whether you’re gearing up for a triumphant return to the workforce or grappling with the best way to explain a recent gap in your employment history, addressing time away from the professional world can be a daunting task. Given that a glaring hole on your resume will likely be a red flag to prospective employers, you’ll want to take steps to proactively answer questions they may have.

Balancing your need to provide a reasonable explanation with your right to privacy might be a bit tricky, but it’s far from impossible. Employment gaps can easily be addressed directly on a resume, mentioned in a cover letter, or discussed during an interview. Read through the approaches below to determine the strategy (or strategies!) that’ll work best for you.

ADDRESSING GAPS DIRECTLY ON YOUR RESUME

When it comes to a gap in employment on your resume, it’s best not to leave recruiters guessing. Including a brief blurb about your time away from the workforce will serve to proactively address any questions or concerns prospective employers may have. It’ll also make answering questions about that gap on your resume much easier when it comes time to interview, as you’ll have already laid the foundation for a direct, concise response. Let’s take a look at five common scenarios and how to address them.

1) YOU WERE RAISING A FAMILY

Taking time away from the workforce to raise a child is often a deeply personal decision–-one that you may not want to discuss with a prospective employer. This is perfectly understandable, and frankly, no one’s business! That said, being upfront about your time away could increase your chances of landing an interview by as much as 40%, so it’s worth including a brief, professional explanation. Try creating a “recent experience” section below your previous, more relevant work history, or use a single line in your chronological experience section to explain your time away. Something as simple as, “Family Care Provider, 2013–Present” will do the trick.

Highlighting charity work or continuing education courses will help to smooth over a gap, too. Volunteering in a classroom, helping out with a friend’s business, or taking professional courses can all be included as relevant recent experience.

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2) YOU WERE CARING FOR YOURSELF OR A LOVED ONE

Your medical history or the health of a loved one aren’t really anyone else’s business (and interviewers aren’t legally allowed to ask), but most hiring managers can appreciate your need to take time away from the workforce to manage a health issue. Your explanation can be something as simple as “took a leave of absence to care for a loved one” or “took a healthcare sabbatical to address a now fully resolved medical matter.” List this at the top of your experience section, include the dates of your leave, and keep the explanation to 1 to 2 lines. Then dive right in to highlighting your most recent experience.

3) YOU WENT BACK TO SCHOOL

Going back to school to finish a degree, gain additional expertise, or earn a certification are all perfectly acceptable reasons to step away from a job. Be sure to include your education at the top of your resume (this strategy is typically reserved for current or recent students, only) so that recruiters can easily see the progression of your career timeline. If you’d like to include additional details about your program or coursework, you can also list your education as experience.

4) YOU WERE PURSUING A PASSION (LIKE TRAVELING OR WRITING A BOOK)

Unless your passion project is somewhat related to the jobs you’re now pursuing, you’ll want to keep this explanation nice and simple. That said, it doesn’t hurt to highlight a few interesting tidbits or compelling accomplishments here, either. Include a brief one- or two-line description of how you spent your career pause, and use a couple of bullet points (if relevant) to highlight your newly gained skills or achievements. When in doubt, a concise line like “Backpacked 2,190 miles across the Appalachian Trail, March 2016–October 2016” is all you need.

5) YOU WERE UNEXPECTEDLY UNEMPLOYED

If you were unexpectedly let go from a job, chances are you didn’t have something new lined up right away. Depending on how recently you became unemployed, you may not have to address a gap at all. If it’s just been a couple of months, updating your resume and highlighting your most relevant achievements will probably be your most potent strategy. That said, if you were laid off, it wouldn’t hurt to include a brief explanation next to your end date. Something like, “(laid off due to loss of funding)” would be perfectly acceptable.

Unfortunately, if you were fired and it’s been more than a few months since you were last employed, addressing your employment gap could get a bit tricky. If you can supplement your time off with volunteer experience, temp jobs or part-time work, you’ll be in pretty good shape. But if you don’t have any interim experience to highlight, try including a concise explanation like, (“departed due to shift in company priorities”). This won’t scream “fired!” but will also allow space for you to explain the circumstances of your termination in an interview.

LEVERAGING YOUR COVER LETTER

Cover letters provide a great opportunity for you to supplement the information on your resume. If you choose to include a cover letter with your application, consider addressing your employment gap in the body of your letter. Saying something as simple as, “After taking a personal leave to care for an immediate family member, I’m eager to dive into a new professional challenge” should do the trick.

Bonus: If you spent your time off learning a new skill, or if you have a relevant, compelling anecdote to share about your career pause, your cover letter is the place to elaborate!

DISCUSSING EMPLOYMENT GAPS IN AN INTERVIEW

The beauty of proactively addressing gaps in employment on your resume or cover letter is that you’ll be less likely to be asked about your time away during an interview. If the hiring manager knows that you were caring for your family for the past two years, she probably won’t have any follow-up questions for you. That means you’ll be able to spend more time talking about all the great skills and experiences you bring to the table!

If your employment gap does come up during an interview, keep your explanation short and sweet. Say something like, “I’ve been lucky enough to spend the past three years focused on raising my family, but now that my children are a bit older, I’m eager to step back into a professional role. I’m particularly excited about this opportunity because . . . ” or “I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in advertising, and decided that it was time to complete my marketing degree. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m excited to leverage everything I learned in the classroom as I continue to grow my expertise in a role like this.” Notice how the first sentence addresses the reason for taking time off, while the second line pivots the conversation to your applicable experience or enthusiasm for the role. The key is to answer the question succinctly, then move the conversation forward.

Gaps in employment can be challenging to address, but if you’re honest, concise, and straightforward, you can proactively explain your time away, ease your prospective employer’s concerns, and efficiently redirect the conversation to your relevant skills and achievements.

FastCompany.com | January 16, 2018 | BY JACLYN WESTLAKE—FAIRYGODBOSS 6 MINUTE READ