Landing a Job After an Employment Gap

Given the financial turbulence of the past two years, it’s understandable and also common for employees to have dropped out of the workforce at some point, resulting in employment gaps in resumes. Workers in 2021, however, have a bigger edge in the employment market than they've had in some time. Though 8 million Americans remain unemployed, 10 million job openings across the country remain unfilled. These numbers indicate that, though the financial upheaval throughout the pandemic has put many adults out of work, the current hiring landscape is filled with companies ready to hire new workers.

Many people believe that having a gap in their resume may hinder them from landing a good job. To help, we’ve provided tips you can follow to stand out in the job market despite these gaps.

Build Your Confidence

Career breaks are perfectly normal. However, if you harbor shame over career breaks and fail to build up your confidence, you might end up underestimating what you can offer as an employee. Without confidence, you're unlikely to properly sell your skills to employers. You might even end up taking a job below your skill level.

To improve your confidence, you need to focus on the positives. Work on seeing the good in both yourself and your situation, so that you can build a stronger sense of self-esteem. Assess yourself objectively, then look deeper into your strengths and skills. By developing a solid grasp on your selling points, you’ll stand a better chance at catching the attention of employers.

Stay Active

If you’re not planning on returning to the workforce just yet, try to spend your time building skills and experience through online classes, side projects and/or volunteering. This way, even without regular employment, you’ll still have current experiences to place on your resume and discuss with recruiters or in interviews. With some effort, you may also be able to use these activities to build your network. If you play your cards right, people may notice your skills and point you to a paid role that suits you.

Volunteer work, in particular, can give you a greater competitive edge in the job market, especially if you choose experiences related to the industry in which you're ultimately hoping to find work. Additionally, volunteering can show that you possess key traits valued by today’s employers, such as civic-mindedness, openness to teamwork and a talent for innovation. 

Expand Your Network

Knowing the right people can help you gain access to quality opportunities. That’s why it’s important to build your network, whether or not you're currently employed. In the digital age, there are a lot of ways you can expand your network remotely, too. For instance, one of the most popular ways to build a professional network online is to use social media platforms like LinkedIn. To stand out on LinkedIn, you need to create a profile that encapsulates the best version of yourself. The website lets you display your skills alongside a professional photo and an up-to-date summary of your job history. Give recruiters a good idea of what your personality is like as well, by summarizing your best selling points in a short, witty bio. LinkedIn is just one example of how you can bolster your public profile and build up connections that will ultimately help in your job search.

Update Your CV

Research shows that job applicants who disclosed reasons for their work gaps received 60% more interviews compared to applicants who declined to provide such explanations. When you leave a gap on your resume unaddressed, you allow hiring managers to come to their own conclusions about your job history. So be sure to take control of your narrative by including an honest explanation of your employment break in your resume or CV (or even on your LinkedIn profile).

However, make sure that the explanations you provide still paint you as a good employee. Hiring managers might be more understanding of applicants with sensible reasons for career breaks (such as parental leaves, medical leaves or attending to family issues). Candidates who took career breaks to pursue leisure activities may not be received as favorably.

It can be nerve-wracking to jump back into the workforce after a career break. If you want to become a standout job candidate despite a career gap, work on building your confidence, skills and network.