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The Library & Information Science Professional's Career Development Center |
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Gaps in Your Resume: Addressing an Interruption in Your
Career Path |
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As a library human resources director, I’m frequently asked for advice by librarians who are preparing resumes. On a number of occasions I’ve also volunteered to critique resumes for job-seekers at library conference placement centers. A common question is how to account for breaks in employment. Interestingly, for those who’ve had interruptions in their professional employment history, the issue sometimes seems to be the dominant concern in preparing a resume and cover letter. It’s important to keep these concerns in perspective. The subtitle of this article is certainly laden with unspoken expectations about our work life. How realistic is the expectation that we all should have uninterrupted “career paths”? We presume that if we have interruptions in our employment history, considerable explanation will be required. In fact, job applicants should be prepared to address concerns about their employment history, but should also consider that many of us do not have records of continuous, uninterrupted employment over our lifetimes. Job applicants who need to address the issue of gaps or interruptions in their employment histories should remember that they are not bizarre or unusual cases. In the recent economic downturn, many jobs were lost, including some in the library and information science area. Many in our field have also had career interruptions because of demanding family responsibilities, including caring for children or elderly parents. Many individuals have gaps in their employment history because they left employment to follow a partner or spouse who was relocated. A serious health crisis can also result in a gap in employment. Importantly, many organizations seem to have a growing sensitivity to these issues. Society has increasingly recognized that stigmatizing job candidates with gaps in employment can unfairly penalize women, who have traditionally borne a disproportionate share of child-rearing and other family responsibilities. The popular press has written a great deal about the problems faced by the “sandwich generation” – those caring for children while having the simultaneous responsibility of caring for aging parents. And some legislation, such as the Family Medical Leave Act, has required employers to be more attuned to certain employee concerns. The FMLA essentially acknowledges that an individual’s critical health issues, or the responsibility to care for a seriously ill family member, must be recognized by employers. We are all aware, and organizations increasingly acknowledge, that there are times when individuals face more important issues in life than their work and career. Be Straightforward About It A recent newspaper article on this subject ran with the headline, “Be direct when explaining that gap in your resume.”1 I couldn’t agree more. Obfuscation about the gap in your employment can be very risky. Candidates sometimes try to hide a gap by using a resume that does not present a detailed employment history with dates and detailed descriptions of work duties. Instead, the candidate lists position titles without dates and a separate “skills” section of the resume touts the individual’s skills and abilities. Unless you really do have something to hide, be wary of using this approach. I have frequently seen search committees respond negatively to this approach. Hiring officials and search committees may tend to make negative inferences if they suspect a candidate is trying to hide something. If you are currently employed in a professional position and have been continuously working for at least several years, you may not need to do a lot of explaining about a gap in employment history. Certainly a gap in your employment from four or more years ago isn’t likely to raise a lot of concerns. If you have significant gap in your work history that is more recent, it may be best to simply explain it in your cover letter. Use a simple statement such as, “Last year I returned to full-time employment after a serious illness and am now seeking a more challenging position.” You don’t need to provide more than that and you will probably not be asked for further explanation. A similar statement about returning to work after several years of being principally engaged in child-rearing is also just fine. If you have a good reason for not having worked for a certain period, don’t be embarrassed about stating that reason. In your cover letter you have the opportunity to influence the perception of the hiring officials or search committee. Use this opportunity. Don’t leave it to them to speculate why there’s a gap in your job history. An Interesting Example I recently saw an interesting example of someone who had left regular employment more than four years ago and was now applying for a full-time librarian position. The candidate stated in her cover letter that she had left her previous employment because of her spouse’s relocation. She also explained that she been engaged in the pursuit of a second graduate degree since she had left full-time employment and that the degree would be conferred in the next few months. In addition, she had been actively involved in volunteer activities at her children’s school, including working in the school library and helping maintain one of the school’s web sites. The candidate had excellent credentials for the position she was seeking, but she could have hurt her chances of being interviewed if she hadn’t addressed her lack of employment for the last four years. She was straightforward and mitigated any concerns about not being in regular full-time employment for the last four years. The search committee reviewing the applications for the position quickly identified her as a top candidate. Some Key Points It’s difficult to present hard and fast rules applicable to everyone’s cover letters, resumes, and job searches. There are several key points, however, to keep in mind if you have a gap in your work history. They are:
Remember, explaining that seemingly awkward gap in your employment history is only one small part of landing your next good job. Notes: 1 ”Be Direct When Explaining that Gap in Your Resume”, The Houston Chronicle, August 19, 2004, Section C, pp. 1-2. John Lehner holds an MBA in human resources management, a labor relations degree, and is also an attorney. He received his MLS from the University at Albany-SUNY. He is the Library Human Resources Director at the University of Houston Libraries. Article published Sept 2004 Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer editors.
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Page last updated
10/03/2005
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