Be honest & upfront

A lot of candidates fall into the trap of trying to cover up gaps in employment by extending employment dates. Whilst you might get away with it initially, the likelihood is that you’ll be caught out at some point, resulting in either ruling you out of an opportunity or in dismissal after you’ve been hired. Be sure that your CV, LinkedIn profile, and application are consistent with information that will be provided by your references. Be honest and if there is a glaring large gap on your CV that is recent, consider whether you’ll need to confront that within your cover letter or supporting statement.

Explaining a dismissal

If you were dismissed from your last job leaving a gap in your work history, try not to dwell on the negatives and frame it as a learning experience. You may be asked about it at interview so it’s of paramount importance that you prepare your answer.

What did you learn from the situation? It may be that you didn’t do as well at the job due to a lack of training or feedback. From this you’ve learnt the importance of regular feedback from your manager. On the other hand if the previous role was a new direction, you could focus on why the role you’re interviewing for matches your skills and experience more closely.

Often in the case of a dismissal candidates are concerned about the reference from their previous employer. If this is the case you can ask for a reference from HR confirming the dates of your employment. You can then back this up with more personal, positive references from previous employers.

Explaining a longer period of unemployment

If you’ve been out of work for a longer period of time you’ll need to feel confident in talking about why. If you’ve been out of work due to bringing up a family, focus on the experiences that you’ve gained throughout this time. Highlight any projects that you may have been involved with such as organising school trips or events. You could even showcase any skills that you may have developed such as time management skills and organisation. In any case, it’s essential that you demonstrate that you’ve kept up to date with your respective industry either through networking, events, forums, publications etc.

For some, a longer period out of work may have been due to industry competition, a lack of opportunities in your area, or some other barrier to employment. The key here is to focus on the learning outcomes from this period such as recognising the need for training, or the need to network or gain experience. Employers have become more understanding of longer periods of unemployment due to the volatile nature of the labour market caused by the recent recession. The key is to focus on how well suited you are for the job you’re applying for rather than any negatives.

Find and communicate the positives

Once you get to interview you’ll need to become a master of avoiding the negatives and communicate the positives. Rather than saying things like “I didn’t like my last employer” or “I had to take time out of work due to personal reasons I’d rather not discuss”, you’ll need to reframe any negatives in a more positive light. Discuss how you took a little time out for reflection and whilst you were unemployed you took the time to develop your skills and experience. If you took time out to care for a relative or were made redundant, feel free to keep the details brief and focus on any networking or learning you did at the time to keep up to date.

Be sure to add any specific skills, qualifications or experience that you’ve gained to your CV and LinkedIn profile. Highlight how they are relevant to the role that you’re applying for as this will allow you to develop on them during an interview.

Keep developing your skills

If you do find yourself between jobs and have some time to fill, don’t waste it! Voluntary work, short courses, industry events and networking opportunities will help to show employers that you’re ambitious and motivated, giving you something positive to talk about at interview when explaining your career gap. With sufficient preparation you’ll have the confidence and positive mindset to talk about your employment gaps without feeling like you’re trying to cover anything up. You’ll be able to own them, explain them, and move on to demonstrating how you are the right candidate for the job.

Search for your next opportunity or register your details at: http://www.halesgroup.co.uk/