How to Handle Employment Gaps on Your Resume

This video Patricia Frame explains how to handle employment gaps on your resume.

When Is a Good Resume Like Swiss Cheese?

When is a good resume like Swiss cheese? When it stands strong even if it has a few holes.

Yes, I’m saying sometimes you can openly have holes on your resume that don’t hurt you… as long as you build a strong structure around those holes. Continue reading...

Can I Call a Career Break a "Sabbatical" on My Resume?

A job seeker asked me if he could write "Sabbatical" on his resume to explain a career break. His employment gap had nothing to do with an academic or professional pursuit, it was simply time off between jobs. My answer -- No, don't do it! Continue reading...

How Do I Handle Being Over-Qualified for My Job Objective on My Resume?

Many people are applying for jobs for which they are over-qualified. Some can't find work in their professions and are forced to look at lower-paying jobs to make ends meet. Others are easing into retirement and want jobs with less responsibility than what they held in their active careers. Still others are being forced out of retirement into whatever jobs they can find (not necessarily in their earlier professions) in order to support themselves.

So, how do you handle being over-qualified on a resume? Here are some tips: Continue reading...

I'm Unemployed. What Do I Put on My Resume?

What should you put on your resume if you're currently unemployed? We hear employers don't like to see employment gaps on a resume, so how do you hide the fact that you don't have a job right now? It depends on when your unemployment started. Continue reading...

Yahoo's 2010 Burning Question: "How to Write a Resume"

In Yahoo's 2010 Year in Review: Burning Questions, How to Write a Resume ranked #4.

Each of the 10 questions has a post with answers to those burning issues. The author of the post How to Write a Resume was kind enough to include this:

For those currently out of work, Susan Ireland, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume," recommends "filling in your employment gap with any paid or unpaid work that's relevant to your job objective." Volunteering, taking classes, or regularly defragging the computers at your nephew's school all count. "If you can't come up with anything relevant," advises Ireland, "fill your employment gap with a 'job title' that indicates your good character, such as family management, caregiver, travel, or something wholesome you were doing."

Curious about what the 10 Burning Questions for 2010 were? Here you go:

#1 How to Tie a Tie
#2 How to Lose Weight
#3 How to Kiss
#4 How to Write a Resume
#5 What’s the World’s Only Immortal Animal?
#6 Which City Has the Best Tap Water?
#7 Which Natural Disaster Shortened Earth’s Days?
#8 What Is Love?
#9 What Causes Lightning?
#10 How to Boil an Egg

Really Cute AARP Video on Resume Tips for Old, Young, and Middle-Age Professionals

If your age is between 20 and 90, this cute animated video by AARP will help you write a resume. It addresses issues such as career change, dates, lengthy careers, and other problems faced by professionals of all levels.

I agree with all of it except the advice to use a functional resume. See what you think...

Job Hopper Seeks Resume for Steady Employment

Question
When I was 15, I began working for a fast food place and stayed there for a total of four years before I left for another job to gain more experience in the workforce. I was at my second job for 18 months before I quit because of a medical issue.

I focused solely on my education for a while until I had to go back to work for financial reasons. I returned to the same fast food job I had at 15, working on and off for short stints (three to nine months) in various locations over a period of 4 years. I finally just gave up because my medical condition was getting worse and I was miserable when at that job.

How should I list that experience on my resume? I'm trying to get some type of clerical/administrative position.

Answer
Here are some suggestions for creating a resume that highlights your relevant experience and downplays your short-term jobs in an unrelated field.

1. Use a chronological resume format.

2. In your Experience section, start with a current activity (paid or unpaid) that's relevant to your clerical/administrative support job objective and which truthfully represents what you've been doing since you left your fast food job. List that activity as a "job title" for the current span of time, 2010-present.

For example, maybe you're doing some clerical volunteer work (Clerical Support) or you're helping a friend reorganize her home office (Office Assistant). Under this "job title" write bullet point statements that refer to specific clerical projects that demonstrate your admininstrative skills and qualifications.

Don't worry about whether or not you are paid for this work. What's important is that you have experience in your new field. By the way, if you don't have any experience to list, start volunteering or helping someone right away so you can put it on your resume.

3. Next, list your job at the fast food restaurant with a parenthetical phrase after the job title, something like this:

SWZ Restaurant, Waitperson, 2006-2010 (short-term positions mostly concurrent with education)

There's no need to put bullet point statements for this position unless you did something on that job that supports your job objective.

Note: Only list the most recent four years of work at the fast food restaurant. Do not go back to age 15 on your resume as it will make you look much older than you actually are, and it will give the impression that your heart is really in the fast food business.

Listing your 18-month job is optional. Consider leaving it off to avoid bringing up your medical issue in the interview.

Best of luck with your transition into steady employment in the administrative support field.

Victim of Bernie Madoff Needs Resume Help

A victim of the Bernie Madoff scandal needs to return to the workforce, and he wants to know how to handle his failed retirement on his resume. Can anyone with experience in the world of Wall St. and financial services add to this advice for him?

Should I Mention Bernie Madoff on My Resume?

Eight years ago I retired early. I am re-entering the workforce because a major portion of my assets were invested with Bernie Madoff. Before I retired I was a CFO of a mid-size company. Should I include an introductory paragraph in my resume, or use the objective statement to explain why I am returning to the workforce? I fear that without such information, someone reading my resume will see the eight-year gap of real work and chuck my resume.

During the period 2002 to the present I did some minor consulting work and participated in some entrepreneurial activities. Nothing of real significance but certainly enough to state that I've been working as an Independent Accounting Professional and Consultant. Prior to retiring I worked as CFO/COO for mid-sized corporations in the managed care industry. My goal is to attain a similar position.

How do I let the reader know that my recent eight-year span was an intentional sabbatical from the corporate world -- not a period of unemployment because no one would hire me?

From the Desk of Susan Ireland
I see two parts to this situation:

1. How to present this unemployed period on your resume in such a way that it gets your foot in the door for an interview.

Don't mention Bernie Madoff at all on your resume. Your personal finances are your business, nobody else's. Simply refer to your Independent Professional Accountant experience for that time of retirement, perhaps citing a few specific projects or clients if they are noteworthy. Write confidently and unapologetically about your consulting so the prospective employer with view it as a valuable addition to your corporate experience.

2. How to talk about that time once you're in the interview.

If pressed for an explanation, say that you retired in 2002, and then became an Independent Professional Accountant as a way to supplement your income. As we all know, the economy has forced many people who were in full or partial retirement back into the workforce. Emphasize that you have valuable expertise and many good years ahead of you, which you'd like to offer to an employer.

More Advice from Maureen Nelson, Resume Writer
I agree with Susan completely. Don't mention Bernie Madoff. If they know about your involvement with Madoff, people might think you have poor judgment. On your resume, you could include quotes from your clients.

Are you doing any volunteer work? If so, add that. If not, start right away with SCORE or Taproot. No reason to sit around. Also, float your resume to headhunters who specialize in your area. (Check out Kennedy Information's Red Book for names and contact info.)

Readers, how do you advise this job seeker who needs to transition from retirement back into corporate leadership?

Unemployed? 4 Things to Do Right Away

If you're unemployed, you may be wondering how to spend your time effectively and how to fill the current employment gap on your resume and online profile.

In this video, Patra Frame explains four things to do right away to address those two unemployment issues:

1. Brush up on your skills by attending classes, workshops, and seminars. List those classes on your resume.

2. Remain active in your professional groups. Networking among colleagues may help you find a great job lead, as well as give you a relevant current activity to put on your resume.

3. Volunteer at organizations that are meaningful to you and, if possible, relevant to your career. Your volunteerism can be presented in your Experience section as your current "job title."

4. Take temp or interim jobs that provide income during your job search. Include these temporary assignments as current employment in the Experience section of your resume and online profile.

To see how some of these ideas look in "print," check out these sample resumes with current unemployment in their Experience sections.


Between Job? Now What?
video by Patra Frame

Is It Legal? Background and Credit Score Checks for Job Application

It seems more employers are running background checks and getting credit scores of job candidates as part of the hiring process, these days. What do you need to know about when and how a hiring employer is getting this not-so-private information? And do you have any say in the matter?

Here's one job seeker's experience and some employment advice by a lawyer.

Question
I submitted a resume online for an entry-level tech support job for a wireless networking company, who then called me for an interview. The interview went well and I was offered a job contingent on a background check. I was never asked to fill out an "application", this was all based on my resume and interview alone. The thing is that I omitted a job from my resume because I was fired from the job and omitting it did not leave a gap in my employment. I am worried that this omitted job will show up on the background check and they will think that I was lying and rescind the job offer. Am I ok? I really need this job!

I'm not sure why they feel the need to do a background check. They also said they can get info from consumer reporting agencies. What does that mean?
--Uneasy-but-need-a-job

Answer
I have often advised people to leave off a bad job on their resume if it doesn't create a gap in employment (using just years, not months when listing dates). However, I tell people to include all jobs, even bad jobs, when filling out the job application.

Uneasy-but-need-a-job's case is unusual in that the employer is effectively using her resume as an application, which is something I've never run into. So I asked Jack Robbins, an attorney who practises employment law (along with other areas). Here's Jack's response:

Most large companies, and many small businesses, will conduct some sort of background check either prior to a job offer being made to the applicant, or done after employment begins. Under the law of most states, unless the employer is terminating a current employee for a discriminatory reason, an employer can terminate an employee who was determined to have lied in the application process. So an employee needs to weigh this risk in making a decision to not disclose a prior job, or omit any other information.

With our current tough job market, the temptation is understandable to omit any adverse information. A middle ground is Susan’s advice, that if you omit a job from your resume, then you should list it on the job application.

The background check might include a search for pending or older criminal/traffic cases and civil actions. It might also include getting credit scores. To obtain the reports using a credit service, the employer needs to first obtain a signed authorization from the job applicant. Generally, the applicant is entitled to a copy of the report. Some of the information may be incorrect or not current. Most reputable Human Resources Departments will ask the applicant for an explanation of any items in the report that are of concern.
Good luck.
Jack Robbins, Esq.

This posting is a general comment only, and not specific to your situation. Your situation might vary based on additional facts of your case.

Thank you, Jack. We appreciate your expert legal opinion.

Here are other posts on this topic:

True Confessions: Problem with Employment Background Checks
Why Not Lie on Your Resume?
Why do employers run credit checks on potential hires?

Extreme Career Change: Self-Employment to Employment

Many small business owners face difficult times when the economy heads south. In hopes of regaining financial security, some look for employment that provides regular paychecks. The self-employment-to-employment career change is sometimes difficult, not only because jobs are scarce, but because it's not easy to have a boss once you've been top dog.

Here are five tips for making a smooth transition from self-employment to employment.

1. Seek a position where you can either work independently (for example, as an outside sales rep), or where you can be a leader (for example, project manager).


2. Privately, give yourself a timeline for working at your new job (for example, two years), with the understanding that during that time, you'll give 100 percent of your professional energy to your employer. Your commitment (even if you don't tell your employer about your timeline) will help you be an earnest employee, knowing you haven't committed to be at that job forever. Meanwhile, the timeline will hold open the possibility of going back into business for yourself, should you decide you want to in the future.


3. Stay in touch with your former business network if possible, being careful not to cross any ethical lines with your new employer (for example, don't take on clients for your new employer with the expectation of taking them with you, should you decide to go back to self-employment).


4. If you're closing your small business and looking for employment, ask one of your former customers if she would serve as a reference to your potential employer.


5. On the resume for your new role as an employee, avoid referring to yourself as owner of your former company. Use a job title such as General Manager or President – something that demonstrates your skills without saying, "I'm going to be hard to manage because I like being the captain of any ship I'm on."

Financial security is hard to find in this economy. If making a career change from self-employment to employment is what you need to do, check out these posts on handling self-employment in the work history section of your resume:

From Self-Employment to Employment
Listing Self-Employment on Resume

I Quit My Job. Can I Erase a Bad Job Reference?

The job market is turbulent. Employers and employees are stressed, and it's showing in their professional -- and unprofessional -- behaviors. Unfortunately, it's often the job seeker who suffers the most, ending up with a bad job reference when employer and employee part company. Can you erase bad job references from your record? That's what the following job seeker would like to do. Continue reading...

12-Step Crash Course in How to Write a Resume

Need to write your resume in a hurry? No time to read a book on resume writing, and can't afford to hire a professional resume writer? No problem, here's a 12-Step Crash Course in How to Write a Resume. Continue reading...

True Confessions: Problem with Employment Background Checks

When filling out a job application, you must include all jobs (short- and long-term), especially if the company conducts employment background checks. Although omitting a job is not the same as lying, on an application it's considered not telling the whole truth. Here's how one job seeker corrected his mistake of omitting a job on his application, which saved the day. Continue reading...

Does Your Resume Need Hypnotherapy?

Question In 2003 I left my field to further my education. In 2006 I opened a hypnotherapy practice. For a new business, my practice did well the first year, however for the last two years I have had no clients.

I need a job, and therefore need to create a resume. Should I put my business on my resume and how should I refer to it? For example, should I put "Consulting practice" or "Self-owned business"? Continue reading...

List LinkedIn Groups on Resume

Your resume probably has a special section called "Professional Affiliations" or "Memberships" where you list trade organizations and professional societies you belong to. Now that professionals congregate online in social media forums such as LinkedIn Groups, how do you get "credit" for your online participation? Is it possible to use your online activity to fill a current unemployment gap? Here are suggestions for how to get the most of your online memberships on your resume: Continue reading...

When NOT to List Volunteerism on Resume

Question
What is the best way to identify your community/philanthropic leadership experience on your resume? This question was asked on LinkedIn. The questioner held an executive volunteer position and a full-time job at the same time. She worries that if she lists both her paid and volunteer work in her work history, it will be confusing because the two "jobs" were concurrent.

My Answer
It depends on what your job objective is. If your volunteer experience is more relevant to your objective, consider listing your volunteer experience in your work history section instead of your paid experience (without saying it was volunteer). If your paid experience is more relevant, list the paid experience in the work history section and mention your volunteer work elsewhere on your resume. In other words, list one or the other in the work history section, but not both. (Remember, you're resume is not a tell-all document. As long as everything on your resume is true, you can omit information if doing so markets you better for the job.)

One problem with listing both experiences as concurrent "occupations": it could look confusing. Here's the other problem: A potential employer will assume that you'll continue your intense volunteer work once he employs you. That means, he won't get 100% of your energy and attention. An employer may not want to share you with another organization, unless it somehow benefits him.

Sometimes it's best to keep things simple on the resume, and explain details in person at the interview. This might be one of those cases.

Look Busy on Your Resume

If your resume shows that you're currently unemployed, you could be at a disadvantage in your job search. According to Don't Quit Your Job by Susan Joyce, a passive job seeker (someone who's employed and not actively looking for a new job) is more sought after than an active job seeker. Continue reading...

Six-Year Anxiety Disorder on Resume

Question
I had to resign in 2003 because of an anxiety disorder. Now, after six years of struggling with this disease, I feel much better and would like to join the workforce again.

Can you recommend a good strategy to discuss this health issue in my resume, cover letter, and the interview?
Continue reading...