Listing your professional experiences on your resume is a difficult task. There are so many elements to consider: job titles, time frames, key responsibilities, transferable skills, etc. The process becomes even more difficult if you have gaps in your work history. Your potential employer will not have a way of knowing why there is a three and a half year gap in your professional experience just by reviewing your resume, for example. The employer may wonder if you skipped over one of the jobs you held because it doesnt meet your career objective, or they may assume that you didnt work at all during the time frame that is unaccounted for on your resume. Any gaps in your employment history will need to be explained in writing; thus, dont skip any information on purpose.
There are a few general rules about resume gaps:
– Any unaccounted time that is shorter than three months doesnt need to be explained. Having 60-90 days in between jobs is not too unusual, and often goes unnoticed within a resume. However, any gaps extending beyond three months should be addressed in your cover letter or e-mail. Whether you had personal or professional reasons for not working,...