Is that resume gap in Employment disturbing you?
No more worries.
Here we bring to you the best advice from experts on how to present a resume gap in employment.
So read on and discover how to explain a gap year on your resume and it will turn out to be the most impressive section.
How To Explain Resume Gap in Employment
A gap year can be presented in many forms: A year in Israel. Volunteering in Guatemala. Teaching History in Vietnam. Skiing on a slope. Caring for a sick parent after college.
Remember, this year can often be door-opening, job-winning.
Usually, resume gaps primarily occur in the year preceding or the following college or you may also choose to take a gap year between jobs.
Tips for Explaining a Gap Year
A resume gap year can be, as its name implies, a year long. Now after this gap, when you end your gap year and seek to return to the workforce, it might appear challenging to figure out how to list this time on your resume.
It is not always necessary that it would fit into the “experience” and “education” sections.
But never miss out on the tabs of gained experience and knowledge during your time away from the workforce.
Here is some key advice on how to approach starting your gap year on your resume.
1. Opt for a Non-Chronological Resume
Firstly, you can leave your gap year off your resume and diminish its visibility. This is the easiest.
There are many types of resumes.
While a chronological resume lists your most recent experience first, is most common, still, it is not the only option. You can also create a functional resume. It focuses on your skills and experience more than when you gained them.
A functional resume is particularly appealing if your gap year has a more recreational feel. Moreover, if it happened because of personal family circumstances that you’d prefer not to detail, it is the safest.
Therefore, using a functional resume, you can include any skills you picked up during your gap year. So, you do not have to list how you spent the time outright.
2. List Your Gap Year Under Experience Section
If you have worked, taught, or volunteered, it is a valuable experience. Never hide it. In fact, you can list this just like any other role in the “experience” section of your resume. Moreover, it is your gap year that can show that you’re a leader, independent, or possess other qualities desired at many companies.
Therefore, when you write up a description of your gap year experience, take note of the job posting.
Also, tailor your points and emphasize the skills mentioned in the job description.
Aim to use powerful, action-oriented verbs. Try and quantify your accomplishments and tasks as much as possible.
For more, tips and advice from resume experts stay connected to wantcv.com. If you have any queries, comment below in the comment section. We love hearing from you.
3. Add Gap Year in a Breakout Section of Your Resume
When your gap year details feel discordant with the rest of your resume, you might as well set it off in a different section. For instance, if you have always had accountant jobs and then spent a year building access to clean water, it is better to place this in a different section
You might call this section “International Experience,” or “Volunteer Experience,” or “International Travel,” or “Additional Activities & Experience.”
Choose the title that fits you closely.
4. Highlight Gap Year Accomplishments All Through Your Resume
Most likely, you learn and grow a lot as a person during your gap year. At times what you learned may not help in the business world and other times other skills may be applicable.
5. Add Skills to Your Resume
Some skills you might have gained are: speaking a foreign language, communication, budgeting, planning and coordinating, etc.
Therefore, depending on how you spent your gap year, you may have other relevant skills to add (or remove) from this list. These can be added in 2 ways- include these skills in the write-up of your gap year experience as well as in the skills section of your resume.
6. Use the Summary Section
You must always take this section as telling a (short) story about you. Cover — who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and what you want to work on next.
So, in that framing, it makes logical sense that your gap year might be helpful to include as well.
For instance, your summary section may read: “World-traveler and experienced English teacher looking for a role to educate middle school students.”
Sounds Impressive. ..isn’t it?
So, follow the tips and don’t be hesitant about resume gaps in Employment anymore.
We wish you luck with your upcoming job!
