How to Address Gaps in Your Employment History-3

 By Peter Newfield

 

Jobs Employment, Career Job, Employment Job

Non-work Related Absences. The second most common reason for gaps in employment history is faced by job seekers with disabilities, illness, or family-related issues. Again, the advice is to not include any mention of your particular handicap, disability, or medical history in the resume: it is against the law regarding equal opportunity employment for employers to demand that information. Instead, the disabled job seeker should use a Functional Resume format to address gaps in years of employment or changes in fields of interest. Highlight your skills and accomplishments so that your overall experience and knowledge can be presented to your best advantage. Include any classes or technical training or part-time or volunteer work while you were rehabilitating from an automobile accident, caring for an elderly parent, or staying by the side of a seriously ill child. These work and training efforts should be included on the resume under "Additional Experience."

Using the Cover Letter for Explanations. If you feel that your particular circumstances should be expressed to the prospective employer or job screener, then you can briefly mention this in your cover letter. The value of a cover letter is the ability to present your intentions, qualifications, and availability to a prospective employer in a succinct, appealing format. While your resume gives the specifics on places of employment, responsibilities, and educational background, a cover letter is your first chance to make an impression on the job screener and personalize the attached information contained in the resume.

Never include negative information in your cover letter such as personality conflicts with previous employers, pending litigation, or sarcastic remarks like "I was making dirt!" If you bad-mouth past employers, interviewers will feel uneasy and may not call you in for an interview.