Have a good strategy for answering work gap questions
Q: I had a strong employment history on my resume until three years ago, when my employer merged with another company. Since then, I have worked on short-term projects but nothing fulltime. Last year was tough, and I went unemployed for the whole year. I am more than ready to get back into the workforce and dread questions about the gaps on my resume. What suggestions do you have in answering questions without sounding like I am making excuses?
A: It is a good idea to plan on how to address concerns employers may have regarding work gaps. Going back to work is not as overwhelming as it may seem if you take the time to prepare a strategy by thinking through answers when you are not in a pressured situation.
There are multiple reasons why job candidates have work gaps. They vary from personal and family-related needs to the economy. Keep in mind, employers fear making a wrong hiring decision and when they sense a gap in your work history, you need to provide a good reason to help alleviate their concerns.
Before you begin to think about what to say to potential employers, you first need to think about why you want to go back. Writing out your answer in the form of a brief explanation will help you maintain a sense of balance.
You want to avoid going into too much detail while at the same time addressing the gap concern.
Some candidates give too much information by sharing details, such as medical reasons, to help support the time needed away from work. Going into details is not always a good strategy. Instead, give a brief explanation and move on to what you have been doing in the interim.
Most often, the question behind the question has more to do with your time while out of the workforce. Giving a brief explanation and combining it with how you put the time to good use — such as taking online courses, studying new industry trends, and keeping your skills current — will make your answer stronger.
As soon as you answer the work gap question, emphasize your enthusiasm for the job you are discussing. Focus on lessening the concerns an employer may have about your skills going stale by telling them what you
Giving a brief explanation and combining it with how you put the time to good use, such as taking online courses, studying new industry trends, and keeping your skills current, will make your answer stronger.
have been doing. Be mindful of the skills needed for the job role you are discussing.
Being out of a busy marketplace can often feel like a disadvantage, and one way to defend against feeling lost is developing confidence in what you want. With the time you spend connecting your career interests and the abilities you have to offer, you will have more success in conveying your skills during a job interview.
Kimberly Thompson, M.Ed. is a national board-certified counselor and career coach. Send questions to kim@careerrescue.com or visit her blog at http://blog.chron.com/careerrescue/ .