As most of us already know, a complete outline of your whereabouts provides a great example of an effective and outstanding resume. So what happens when you take a time off and does not know what else to include as part of your career growth over a specific period of time? Below are simple discussions as to why and how we resolve this dilemma.
1. You can always use or highlight the activities you have joined or have been affiliated to, to fill in the gaps in your personal career timeline. Just take note that you might have something related to the activity you have been that could be directed or related to the job function you are applying to. For example, Volunteer Activities or community involvement, you can always use these and extract the lessons you’ve learned from the experience or a variety of tasks you were assigned with to complete your resume. Just be creative when telling your story!
2. The short gaps will not be apparent. You can always sell yourself in your Professional Profile Summary and direct your readers (or recruitment officer) to your exceptional skills and qualifications. Draw their attention on your selling points and make them less consider the short gaps.
3. When returning to the workforce after a long absence, always indicate how you’ve been working or studying to be updated with everything related to the industry you are applying for. Show or tell them articles or blogs you have read or have to peak their attention.
4. If the reason of your absence is because you grew your family, got married, continued your education or took care of a sick family member, you can always include that but don’t sound that it is a bad thing. Your negative attitude (or energy) might affect how they see you as a member of their team. Always maintain a positive, happy disposition to everything and bear in mind that every day is a learning process and there are no incidents happened in our lives without a reason. Make sure to learn from it!