A resume is not an alibi

I wish that I had a dollar for every time that I’ve heard about a candidate struggling with what education or work-related experiences to include on their resumes, which many parts of the world refer to as CVs. Sometimes, candidates have little experience, such as those who went straight from high school to college or university and are applying for their first, professional job. Other times, a candidate may have a wealth of experience but has a noticeable gap due to some kind of career hiatus.

When considering a career hiatus for personal reasons such as child care, many professionals grapple with the impact on their resumes. This document, meant to encapsulate one’s professional worth, can seem daunting, especially when it reflects notable gaps. However, these gaps are not necessarily detrimental if approached correctly.

It’s crucial to remember that a resume is not an alibi. What I mean is that it isn’t a document that is supposed to account for your where abouts every month of every year since you became of working age. Instead, think of it as a sales document that reflects those of your work-related experiences and skills which are relevant to the job to which you’re applying. Whether it’s a period spent raising children, traveling, or pursuing personal development, each experience contributes to one’s capabilities and character. While you want to be honest about career gaps, they shouldn’t be the highlight of a resume. Instead, these gaps can be discreetly noted and more thoroughly explained in a cover letter, where the context and acquired skills can be detailed.

For those who have developed relevant skills during their hiatus, like volunteer work or community leadership, these should be prominently featured. These experiences can be valuable in roles that value diverse skill sets and real-world experiences.

As I discussed a little earlier in this article, it is resumes are not meant to be comprehensive lists of all professional experiences. Rather, they should focus on experiences and skills that are directly relevant to the job at hand. A resume is essentially a sales document designed to generate interest from recruiters or hiring managers. The primary goal is not just to present qualifications, but to get the person reviewing your resume to become interested in hiring you, which typically translates into them inviting you for an interview, assessment, or both. So, if you did a lot of babysitting when you were a teenager, that’s likely irrelevant to a recruiter who is considering you for a job as a mechanical engineer. But if you’re applying to work as a primary school teacher, that babysitting experience is going to be of great interest to a good recruiter.

Sometimes, traditional career paths don’t comfortably accommodate significant resume gaps. In these cases, alternatives like entrepreneurship can provide a viable path forward, allowing professionals to redefine their careers on their own terms without apologizing for the time spent away from the traditional workforce. For example, let’s say that you were employed for years as a salesperson and your employment was then terminated. Perhaps you were fired for cause, laid off due to the company losing a big customer, or you quit because your boss was a jerk. Whatever the reason, you’re unemployed. If that just happened, there’s little to no gap on your resume that needs any explanation. But if your unemployment drags on for months or even years, many recruiters will see the gap in employment and, fairly or not, be turned off. They’ll infer, probably incorrectly, that there must be something wrong with you. One solution is to become a consultant, even part-time, even unpaid. Employers then won’t see a gap on your resume, and you’ll be able to demonstrate that you’ve learned new skills that will help you be better qualified to do the job for which they’re hiring.

While your resume should be an accurate reflection of your career-related journey, it need not be a limiting factor in your career progression, especially when strategic choices can showcase your full potential, regardless of the path taken.