Resume tips : Gap in work history

My question is...I know that some people who may look at my resume may hate to see gaps. What would be the best way to explain a gap in a resume. In between an accounting job and my current job, I stayed home with my youngest child.

Gaps today in this lousy economy are not that much of a problem. The problem is the total length, when it goes past 6 months it becomes one. Staying home with youngest child may not be the best career answer. Say you volunteer or spent time upgrading skills would be better, while looking for a new job.

Call me dim or dense, but I never understood the whole 6 month thing. It seems like to me that people make that an issue only because everyone else says it's an issue without having an opinion of their own to speak of.

If 6 months is a big deal, what if you have a gap that is literally years in duration? What if you were laid off in a bad economy, sick and almost didn't make it, recovered, had family stuff to take care off, and you were a displaced worker in a rural area?

I have a post on that on another forum on here, but for me I think that is my whole problem, and to be quite honest, I don't know if it is something that I can overcome or not though I would like to. I am in school now. Will I continue? That remains to be seen-and that's a whole other post that I won't get into.

Why is it such a major issue if for whatever reason you have a gap in your employment? Why is it so bad if a woman like the one who started this thread says she took off from work to raise a kid or start that? It's such a hot button political issue with family values and all this, but yet when someone wants a kid and you take off from work for family reasons, this is bad?

I don't understand that logic at all-seriously.

The best way to handle a gap in work history is to be honest about it. All reputable employers will understand a gap in employment due to layoffs, or taking care of family (I personally have had both, 10 months with a sick child and 7 months after a lay-off). If you worked for a temp agency during the open period, you can list that, otherwise, honesty is always the best policy. If you list something such as volunteering or other miscellaneous work, that is easily verified (or not if you have lied) and that would not sit well with your potential boss.

Let me ask you this then, and tell me if I should bother to put this on the resume or not, or how. Some of this I have worked in as I did finally return to school after raising some hell with people to force them to tell me that I qualified for something.

I was laid of a few months after 9/11. The job market for web applications developer types vanished.
I was sick during the time I was laid off, and to avert an organ transplant I had to undergo major surgery. I was recovering, and for a time I couldn't drive.
While going through all that, and still trying to find a job that wasn't there, I had no choice but to relocate to an area in which there isn't an IT market. It's a rural area, and the only jobs that I qualified for are the ones that I can't physically perform.
In addition to that, I was general and medical POA for a sick grandfather. I had to oversee every last aspect of the care of my grandfather and routinely made life and death type decisions. I also had to deal with a lot of other logistical matters on that alone.
I was told despite the fact that I was indigent and completely solvent, I did not qualify for any type of public assistance of any kind from any agency. Therefore, I had no means to do anything to update my skills.

I am in school now for the time being, honors student, and all that happy crappy with a 3.71 institutional GPA, and a 3.875 major GPA. I am completely and utterly bored out of my mind with it, and my current employer is nearly 2 weeks behind on sending me a paycheck.

Other than the fact I am in school and my related educational experiences, I haven't mentioned word one of a gap of several years. I only wish there was a viable means to address it short and genericly on my resume so that it might attract the attention of more employers.

Regardless, there are a lot of employers out there who simply could care less about the circumstances, and just see a 5 year gap. One recruiter refused to refer me to a client after explaining things as I did now via an email they initiated. She said I needed a company with compassion, and there client wasn't it.

I wasn't looking for compassion. A permanent and stable career is what I was and still am trying to find.

The only thing I have in between are some private contracts here and there, a short lived thing with a defense contractor, and that's it. Temp agencies have told me flat out don't waste my time since I don't have an adminsitrative office background. In all of my years, no temp agency has ever done anything besides waste my time.

You might be truly amazed at how some recruiters talk to candidates about things regardless of circumstances. So if what your saying is true about reputable places, then there are no reputable places anymore.

How did you deal with your bit? I understand the layoff bit and sick people. It's been one after the other on this end. Someone was telling me though pending the way I word things, it might turn off an employer because they might think I would leave them if someone else in the family got sick-which is not the case. When you're laid off, and trying to recover from things and stuff happens, what are

I have been in many situations of unemployment and sickness. Many companies due understand laid off and the temporary/contract assignments that are overwhelming today. Most companies have and are doing this themselves. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is Federal Law, you don't need to inform any employer and agency your medical condition or disability until you need accommodations. That is after your hired and collecting a paycheck, not before.

I and many others know what were talking about, been there done it. Also don't mention anything personal, like babies. When I interview it is necessary to tell them your available 24/7 with overtime. If you show any issues they will drop you, even once hired, "AT WILL." As long as its an employers market, we have to swallow and take many things, like hostile employer. But, you don't have to be a floormat either.

Remember the employer does not want any issues. I had a old HR manager say to me, "That you don't bring depression into the work place." I say, " Don't bring anything into the work place, but your performance and attitude!" Telling them truth about anything negative will be far more detrimental.

Just say you were able to be a stay at home mom, kid grew up and ready to be employed.

Saying beyond that, will hurt your chances. If you have volunteering references to back you up that is great. Also attending more college and self study. Reading books out of the library or learning software, is what I have done that keeps you updated. This has helped me land some jobs.

I was just using an old standard rule "That being out of work for more than 6 months and employers want to know what is wrong with you." That rule is now a myth, with the way society is today. In early years you could quit and could go to work for the company across the street. I was laid off in 2004 and did do this, but that is not reality. The new company was part of an old company that I had 10 years with. The problem it was only temporary and lasted only a month.

Good Luck and don't take things personal or say too much.

Career Tips

Gap in work history