RESUME WRITING by ResumeLance

Addressing Unemployment Gaps in Resumes

Here's the bad news first. The longer you've been out of work, the harder it is to get a job. Unfortunately, some employers won't consider candidates that haven't worked since 2010 or earlier. As unfair as this may be, there is good news. There are ways to minimize focus on unemployment gaps to greatly improve your chances of getting called for an interview.

If you are one of the many long-term unemployed, here's what you need to do to maximize the visibility of your resume among target employers.

Re-organize Your Resume: Think of your resume as your loud speaker where you announce your availability to work. Together with this announcement though, you are presenting the chronology of your career experiences. This means that if you are a long-term unemployed professional, the traditional resume layout will bring focus to the gap since your last job. By re-organizing your resume to highlight your accomplishments, rather than your career history, you show employers the value you bring as a candidate. Here's what you need to do:

1. Include a brief introduction of yourself and your career before going into detail about your work history. Known as your "Summary of Qualifications," a well-written introduction usually includes information about your skills and experiences, as well as professional attributes.
2. Identify 1 or 2 of your most impressive accomplishments, whether you increased sales 200% or were named "Employee of the Month" on multiple occasions. Incorporate these accomplishments into your introductory statement.
3. Create a special section before your Work History called "Selected Career Achievements." All items listed under this section need to be in bullet form. Only include measurable accomplishments here. In other words, if you don't have metrics that prove you've excelled in your past jobs, then you need to get them. Each bullet should begin with a strong verb. For instance, if you helped your company save $150,000, then your bullet should start something like, "Played a pivotal role in saving the company $150,000..." Then, briefly explain how you did it.

Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer. If you are not sick of hearing the word "volunteer" yet, chances are that you haven't been unemployed for too long. That's because most experts recommend that you spend time doing something at an organization to fill the unemployment gap. I agree, but only if you are actually using the skills and experiences that you plan to use in your next job. In other words, if you are good at streamlining processes, then volunteer at an organization where you can help to improve the way they do things. This way, you'll have a fresh, relevant accomplishment to include in your resume.

Market Yourself as a Consultant. You have the skills and experiences that someone can use right away, but you need to get the word out. Your resume is useful for job applications, but also to market yourself as a Consultant. By taking on a few pro-bono gigs, you can fill the unemployment gap in your resume. This way, instead of having your work history in your resume ending in 2010, you can now include your experience as a Consultant from 2010 - Present. You can scan Craigslist or visit the websites of non-profits to find these opportunities. Who knows, after a few pro-bono projects under your belt, you may be able to launch a new career as a Consultant and start charging fees.

If you are among the long-term unemployed, you face the challenge of showing that your skills are still relevant. The goal is to eliminate the visual gap on the piece of paper we call the resume, as this document is usually your first introduction to a potential employer. By following the tips above, you improve your chances of showing potential employers that you're ready to deliver value to their companies.

Happy Campers Need Resumes Too

If you’re currently employed, congratulations! If you enjoy your position and want to remain in the career you are in now, kudos for you! I wish you the best of luck and longevity in your job.  

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that while you’re happily executing your daily responsibilities that you come across the opportunity of your dreams on a random website (not that you’re searching for jobs at work, right?). The ad says that you have until next week to send your resume to be considered for the role. You know you’re perfect for the job, but when you review your 3 year old resume, you realize that it won’t capture the attention of any hiring manager. If only you had more time.You realize too late that you should have done a better job in updating your resume on a regular basis, and now your dream job has faded away.

Now, here’s another scenario for you those of you who love your job so much. What if the unthinkable happens; like your employer closing its doors without notice. Businesses of all sizes are having a tough time these days and competitors lurk in shadows waiting to buy companies in their market. In either case, good employees such as you can lose their jobs. I always found it unfair that as employees, we need to give two weeks notice if we decide to move to another job, but if a company decides to let you go, they can do so at the drop of a dime.

Without a strong, updated resume at hand, your chances of landing interviews are delayed, or worse, eliminated.

Both of these scenarios are unfortunate, but they shouldn’t be the only reasons why you should update your resume regularly. A few other examples of why you should have an updated resume at all times, includes to: 

• Keep track of your accomplishments. You could be the best performer at your job, but without documenting your measurable achievements, awards, or relevant new experiences at the job, you can’t provide proof when asked. As the years go by, the likelihood of you talking about the details of every accomplishment will more difficult to pull from your memory. 
• Enable managers to see what value you’ve brought to the company during annual reviews. You’ll position yourself better for a raise by presenting your most recent achievements presented in an updated resume.
• Determine whether it’s time to move on. If after a number of months, you feel that you haven’t accomplished much because there isn’t the opportunity to do so at your current job, then you should get your resume out there. A situation where you are stagnant at your job may actually mean that your company is not doing too well or downsizing.

Think of your resume as an insurance policy for your career. If something happens, you have it within reach to help you get back on your feet. So, if you're a happy camper with your job, you should still get your resume updated regularly.

Happy Campers Need Resumes Too

• Keep track of your accomplishments. You could be the best performer at your job, but without documenting your measurable achievements, awards, or relevant new experiences at the job, you can’t provide proof when asked. As the years go by, the likelihood of you talking about the details of every accomplishment will more difficult to pull from your memory.
• Enable managers to see what value you’ve brought to the company during annual reviews. You’ll position yourself better for a raise by presenting your most recent achievements presented in an updated resume.
• Determine whether it’s time to move on. If after a number of months, you feel that you haven’t accomplished much because there isn’t the opportunity to do so at your current job, then you should get your resume out there. A situation where you are stagnant at your job may actually mean that your company is not doing too well or downsizing.