Stop Falling into Resume Gaps

Stop Falling into Resume Gaps 464 You can't fill in employment gaps on your resume without lying, so do this instead. Photo credit: Pawel Loj Need a better way to explain what you did between jobs? Trying to re-enter the job market after a long time?eval Here's how to explain your resume gaps. What's the longest gap on your latest resume? Under 6 months 6-12 months 1-2 years 2-5 years Over 5 years View Results (If your gap(s) is longer than a year, how have you been explaining it until now? Tell us in the comments.)eval Free bonus: The One Resume Resource You’ll Ever Need is a handy reference to make your resume get you more job interviews. Download it free now How I explained my gaping resume gap Not all resume gaps are signs of poor job searching, sometimes there are good reasons for gaps in employment. During my job search in 2006, the question was often phrased like this: “I see that you worked at Amazon.com in France until August 2001, but that your next job only began over a year later in October 2002. What happened there?” I would usually grin out of familiarity with the question and then reply with something like this: “In August 2001, I resigned from my managerial position at Amazon.com in France because I wanted to move back to Israel. My plan was to take some time off to get settled in Jerusalem properly, without rushing, and then relax because I was exhausted from working at Amazon. Once I was feeling energized and ready to go back to work, I began evaluating what my best career options would be locally. Unfortunately, by the time I began looking for work in December 2001, the Dot-com Bust (or ‘Internet Crash', as they said here in Israel) was in full swing, companies were closing, hitech (tech industry) people were being laid off left and right, and almost none of them were going to be replaced. (At this point in the story, the Human Resources rep. or hiring manager is usually nodding because they too remember what it was like during that tough time.) I spent the next 8 months looking for work like so many other people, receiving only a few offers that I had to refuse because they didn't make sense financially. One company offered to pay LESS than minimum wage to hire me as a Senior Project Manager (a position that normally earns 8-10 times that amount). I would have had to take a second job to pay all my bills. Good thing I didn't join them, they went bankrupt 3 months later. In the summer of 2002, one of my former bosses from Amazon said that if I came back to France he would give me a terrific job with his new company. With my savings dwindling and an appealing offer in hand, I couldn't refuse. However, it still took a few more months before I could start my new job because now I needed to move from Jerusalem back to Paris and get settled in there. In parallel, my new company wasn't even ready for me yet so the timing worked out well for both sides, and I finally began working in October 2002.” Why this resume gap story works Let's analyze that answer to the resume gap question: “In August 2001, I resigned from my managerial position at Amazon.com in France because I wanted to move back to Israel.” I wasn't laid off or fired, I resigned. It was my choice to become unemployed. “My plan was to take some time off to get settled in properly, without rushing, and then relax because I was exhausted from working at Amazon. Once I was feeling energized and ready to go back to work, I began evaluating what my best career options would be locally.” Needing time after a transcontinental move is very understandable to get settled in, and it takes more than a week. Saying that “I was exhausted from work” is a mistake unless you can convince the interviewer that it won't happen again at their company. That said, everyone knows that hard work is tiring and this “slip” of truth can actually work in your favor by showing your honesty. “Unfortunately, by the time I began looking for work in December 2001, the Dot-com Bust was in full swing, companies were closing, hitech people were being laid off left and right, and almost none of them were going to be replaced.” Anyone who's been through the ordeal will remember what it's like to be in industry- or economy-wide recessions, and how difficult the job market is during those moments in time. No one will fault you for getting caught up in such events that were clearly out of your control. “I spent the next 8 months looking for work like so many other people, receiving only a few offers that I had to refuse because they didn't make sense financially. One company offered to pay LESS than minimum wage to hire me as a Senior Project Manager. I would have had to take a second job to pay all my bills. Good thing I didn't join them, they went bankrupt 3 months later.” (The same goes when explaining resume gaps due to illnesses, and that includes mental illnesses and depression. If it was out of your control, say so and people will usually understand.) Not only was it my choice to become unemployed, it was my choice to stay unemployed. Also, it was worth pointing out that although there weren't many, I was still getting offers during a tough time. “In the summer of 2002, one of my former bosses from Amazon said that if I came back to France he would give me a terrific job with his new company. With my savings dwindling and an appealing offer in hand, I couldn't refuse. However, it still took a few more months before I could start my new job because now I needed to move from Jerusalem back to Paris and get settled in there. In parallel, my new company wasn't even ready for me yet so the timing worked out well for both sides, and I finally began working in October 2002.” Any HR rep. or recruiter knows that a hiring process can take a few months before the candidate actually becomes an employee. Finally, it's important to emphasize that when telling this story to recruiters during my 2006 job hunt, I wasn't an expert on job search. My above reply was a result of simply trying to tell the truth in a positive light and seeing how people reacted, including their followup questions or remarks. 7 tips for explaining your own resume gaps 1) Be honest Don't try to hide the gap. Many people have prolonged periods between jobs, at least once in their career. Think of how many stay at home moms try to re-enter the job market once their kids get older! Having a resume gap is not so unusual, so don't make it seem to be unusual. 2) Show it off, even If you took advantage by using the time between jobs to improve your skills or otherwise make yourself into a more valuable candidate. 3) Emphasize it was by choice (if true) Put a positive spin by explaining how you were selective when targeting companies or contemplating job offers. 4) Use history If your resume gap overlaps a period of difficulty in your entire industry or your country's economy, mention it. In 2020, the coronavirus outbreak is disrupting many job searches. Or- perhaps you weren't job searching the whole time but there was a major event in your personal life that required extraordinary attention. ‘Going historical' works especially well if the job interviewer can empathize because they may have experienced the same event. 5) Make your resume gap a non-issue How? By listing directly on your resume what you did during the time between jobs, especially if the time was regularly spent in a framework such as a school or volunteering program. 6) De-emphasize resume gaps with a functional resume Resume gaps stand out in a chronological resume, the classic resume type that details your work history over time and, by literally reading between the lines, your non-work history. Using a functional resume emphasizes your skills and achievements over the aspect of time. 7) Just avoid resume gaps outright… By job searching intelligently so that you don't need to search longer than necessary. Improve your job search skills before you need them, at the very least by following blogs like JobMob even while you're still employed. Read more Job Hopper? 6 Quick Fixes to Cover Resume Gaps Explaining The Gap: Dos and Don’ts Sample Resume: Human Resources Specialist with Employment Gap Closing A Career Gap On Your Resume Question of the article Should resume gaps matter? Aren't your work accomplishments more important than what happened when you were off work? Tell us in the comments. Free Bonus If you want a handy resume and CV resource that you can keep on your smartphone or print out for easy reference, this special bonus is for you. This free download contains: 111 Smart Resume Section Headings and Titles 60 Resume Achievement Writing Ideas and Expressions 500 Positive Resume Action Verbs That Get Job Interviews 35 Resume Filenames Recruiters Won’t Respond To Click the image below to get access to The One Resume Resource You’ll Ever Need: JobMob Insiders can get this free bonus and other exclusive content in the JobMob Insider Bonuses area. Join now, it's free!

Principles of Health Science Writing a Cover Letter and Preparing a Resume

Principles of Health Science Writing a Cover Letter and Preparing a ResumePrinciples of health science writing a cover letter and preparing a resume are vital for most applicants in every industry. The truth is that a resume and cover letter are necessary to land the interview, because without them the application will be thrown away by the hiring manager. This is because both the resume and cover letter should build a personal rapport with the hiring manager. Since most people have different styles and qualifications, it is extremely important to create a resume that reflects each candidate's exact skills and qualifications.Principles of health science writing a cover letter and preparing a resume must also be based on what is written on the cover letter. In most cases, the cover letter does not get the attention that it deserves. This is because it seems like the cover letter is there simply to draw the attention of the hiring manager.If you are preparing a cover letter and you see the first paragraph where it talks about your personality, strengths, and accomplishments, you might want to think twice about the way the letter sounds. It may be too generic and it might be too direct. When you write a cover letter, you do not have to spend a lot of time thinking about it because the hiring manager will see the same qualities that you write about on the letter. Therefore, you need to focus on making the letter fits your personality and expertise.Principles of health science writing a cover letter and preparing a resume often differ when it comes to the tone of the letter. On the other hand, a cover letter should be written in a very professional tone. You should use a very smooth, formal voice while describing yourself. Therefore, if you are writing a cover letter, it is very important to pay attention to your tone while writing the letter. In addition, you also need to make sure that you use a variety of tools that will make your letter look more professional. B efore writing a cover letter, you need to decide how you want the letter to look. You can also use a letter like this to convey your message to an employer. For example, you can write a letter like this to introduce yourself in the company as a team member. Since you already know the company, you will be able to communicate well with them and get noticed.Another example is to use a cover letter to explain why you are applying for a job in the first place. If you are trying to find a job, you might want to write a cover letter to describe your previous work experience, education, or experience in an organization. Since the letter is intended to send a message to the employer, you need to be clear and concise.The Principles of health science writing a cover letter and preparing a resume must always reflect your skills and qualifications. However, you do not want to overdo it. You can write your letter to summarize your experience and talk about your skills. In addition, you can even u se a sample letter that will help you learn the style and content that you should be using when writing your own cover letter.You will be surprised to learn that there are many guidelines that you can follow to improve your cover letter. You just need to know where to look for these guidelines. You also need to know that you will need to spend some time writing your letter, especially if you are a bit of a perfectionist. If you follow the guidelines that I outlined, you will be on your way to writing a good letter and preparing a resume that can be used by most companies.

College Internship To Full-Time Job Success Story Shane Arman - VocationVillage

College Internship To Full-Time Job Success Story Shane Arman - VocationVillage This success story is part of a series profiling people who leveraged their college internship experience into a full-time job. This interview features Shane Arman, a public relations professional.Shane, what college did you attend?University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WisconsinWhat year did you graduate from college?2010Where did you complete an internship? . I did 4 internships!1. Boerner Botanical Gardens 2. Page Media, Inc. 3. University of Wisconsin Oshkoshs Integrated Marketing and Communications office 4. Burson-MarstellerHow did you find/land your internships?For my first internship at Boerner Botanical Gardens, it was one of many places I called asking if they offered internships for younger college students. Having only completed my freshmen year of college, I had one interview and was hired.My second internship at Page Media resulted from working at that company in the mail room for a few years and then impressing my boss when he randomly had me sit in on a client meeting. He eventually asked me if I needed internship credit and offered me the option to start assisting with client work.At UW Oshkoshs IMC office, I attended a media relations workshop, introduced myself to the presenter after the workshop and inquired about internships. She interviewed me and eventually hired me, where I ended up interning for 18 months from November 2008 to past graduation in late May 2010.My last internship was post-grad at Burson-Marsteller in Chicago, Ill. (where I currently work full time) a nd I went through the long interview process which included multiple written assignments and multiple interviews. I found the post through searching Google for the top internships in public relations.What type of work did you do during your internships?Speaking of my most recent internship at Burson-Marsteller, I researched and wrote fact sheets, brainstormed and contributed creative ideas to new business pitches, developed original content for clients’ monthly e-newsletters, including the headline story,  compiled targeted, industry specific media lists using Cision software.I also participated in a final internship project where the team of interns responded to a client new business request for proposal. We competed against two other teams in the New York offices and we presented the final proposal to Burson-Marsteller executives, the actual client and the founding chairman of the company (and most influential PR figure of the 21st century), Harold Burson.What was one significan t thing you learned about working during your internship?I learned how exciting it can be to work on a team with  extremely  intelligent people and how different and exciting every day of work is in the public relations industry.How did your internship lead to a job offer?My internship at Burson-Marsteller led to a full-time job offer after I started networking with others outside of my practice and looking to take on extra work that I was interested in. I interned in public affairs but was also interested in the brand marketing practice, so I started talking with colleagues in brand marketing and was given a few projects. When the internship ended, there were no openings in public affairs but brand marketing had opportunities. Because the brand marketing staff were familiar with the work I did and knew I was passionate about brand marketing work, they offered me a full-time position as a client staff assistant.It might be interesting to note Burson-Marsteller was and is the ideal c ompany I envisioned myself working at dating back to 2008. I applied for the internship program in 2009, got through all rounds of the interview process but no interns ended up being hired in 2009 so I was told to apply again for 2010. I kept in contact with the HR coordinator, sent in my application for 2010 and ended up interviewing with the same person in 2010 (who remembered me and ended up being my internship supervisor).Any words of wisdom you would like to share with current college students?Try to figure out what you want to do as early in college as possible. Although this may be obvious, the sooner you really know what you want to do, the sooner you can start gaining experience and building your resume to get your dream job.Always look for opportunities to get involved in student organizations in college. I gained a plethora of knowledge, people skills and teamwork being in student organizations for three years. Student organizations allow you to take on leadership roles, network with potential employers and gain valuable experience that can set you up nicely for an internship.Shane, thank you for sharing your experience and your advice.. Shane blogs about the Green Bay Packers at Armans Titletown Talk. . His college blog about PR is on the PR path. . Follow Shane on Twitter @ShaneArman. Read Another College Internship Success Story . Go To Complete List of College Internship Success Stories

5 Tips on creating that perfect dining room

5 Tips on creating that perfect dining room Remodeling your dining room? Or, are you just ready to redecorate because you are tired of the dated space? No matter what the reason is, these are a few ways in which you can create the perfect ambiance for that space. Make it a dedicated space It is a dining room â€" so make it a dining room. Don’t make it a play room for the kids, or a corner reading nook. Create a dedicated space for dining, and only use it for this purpose. Decorate accordingly No two people have the same taste. Make sure you decorate according to your taste/style. Make sure you connect this room to the adjoining room in a manner which makes sense. Keep things in order. Utilise the right colour scheme, choose the right place settings. Everything matters. When decorating you want the painting to be top quality. If you are planning on hiring a local professional to help you then I would recommend looking at some online cost guides before you do to make sure you are getting the best price possible. One example of a site is priceyourjob.co.uk Don’t skip the details You might think the right China and flatware doesn’t make a difference, but it does. Especially if you want the room to come together well. Take your time to really shop and find something that will work well together, not individually, when decorating the space. Consider the walls/curtains Wallpaper or paint? Curtains or drapes? Again, these decisions do matter. And, when you are making the decision, it is ultimately up to personal taste/preference. But, you should plan and make sure the entire room comes together well. Set a budget You can’t go crazy in every room so set a budget and stick to it. Do your planning around the budget. You will find ways to make things work, and this will allow you to add those personal touches, which really create that distinct space. When the time comes for you to remodel the dining room, take your time. Consider these five simple tips to make it easier on you, your budget, and to create a space you are truly going to love.

How to Use Pre-Writing Skills For Resume Cover Letters

How to Use Pre-Writing Skills For Resume Cover LettersBefore you can begin writing a resume, you will need to develop your own pre-writing skills for resume cover letters. These are the skills that will help you be successful in developing your own resumes. If you do not possess these skills, it will be difficult for you to even begin.First of all, if you do not have any experience at all in creating a resume, it will be impossible for you to be able to develop your own resume. There is no point in developing your own resume if you do not know how to use it properly. You cannot expect that this first step is going to help you at all if you do not know how to use a resume or if you do not know what a resume is for.The next step in learning the writing skills for resume cover letters is that you must start with a very good letter and with this start using one basic point on your letter. This is to use a specific point as your main point and then move on to the next point. You will find that this will help you write a great resume. Once you have developed your own resume, you will find that it is not so hard to use it to get a job as a writer.When you are trying to develop your own writing skills, it will be important for you to try to develop a great resume. This will be very helpful in learning the importance of developing your own resume. It will also help you to begin writing a great resume cover letter. When you begin to create your own resume, you will be able to see that this is an excellent method for learning the principles of creating a great resume.You will find that when you are beginning to write pre-writing skills for resume cover letters, that you will find that you will want to keep the same point in mind as you write the letter. When you continue to do this, you will find that you will soon be able to stop using the specific point that you started with. When you do this, you will find that you can move on to other points and you will be able to de velop the necessary skills that you need to write great resumes.After you have written the letter, you will be able to start using the skills that you have learned. If you continue to use these skills and you continue to use this method, you will be able to write a great resume cover letter. You will be able to create a great resume and you will be able to find a job when you do this.If you do not develop your own skills, you will be unable to be able to do anything to help yourself in getting a job when you are trying to write a resume. It will be very important for you to continue to use these skills and you will be able to succeed. This is a method that will help you write a great resume. Once you start to use these skills, you will find that it is much easier to continue to develop your own skills and this will help you be successful.If you are going to use the right techniques and you are going to use the right skills, you will be able to learn to write a great resume cover let ters. You will be able to write a great resume and you will be able to use these skills to help you find a job. When you are developing your own skills, you will find that it is much easier to continue to develop your own skills and this will help you be successful. If you continue to use these skills, you will find that it is much easier to continue to develop your own skills and this will help you be successful.

Career Mojo Whos Got It; Who Doesnt - Pathfinder Careers

Career Mojo Who’s Got It; Who Doesn’t - Pathfinder Careers Career Mojo: Who’s Got It; Who Doesn’t Anyone who has been in a supervisory position or in a human resource role can relate to this: They usually know right away who is going to go far in their career and who isn’t. I’ve seen a lot of this lately especially in younger workers (the fabled Gen Y) and can clearly identify those who are going to be those wonderful success stories in their careers… maybe not right now, but they will be at some point in their lives. There’s just something about them. But what is that magic elixir that separates the super stars out from the rest of the workforce? It’s hard to explain. But I’ll try. When you meet the person, they are alert, responsive, and proactive. One such person, Ian Mondrow, was someone I met on Twitter who shared my passion for engaging career centers at universities in preparing students. Ian and I started an informal movement trying to help connect human resource managers and recruiters to career centers, and immediately after one of our first meetings over the phone, Ian had sent over minutes from our discussion. Wow! I didn’t even ask him to â€" that’s what I call being resourceful and proactive. Another example: I recently spoke at the World Education Congress about online reputation management, and asked to be connected to a fairly new graduate. That’s when I met Courtney Stanley who is a rising star in the meetings industry and her sharpness of focus really impressed me. It’s clear why she has already won awards at the tender age of 23. But this isn’t just limited to new entrants to the workforce. Anyone who is positive, energetic, follows through and follows up without being asked to, and takes initiative and actually CARES about their work are the ones that quickly get on the radar screens of decision makers as people to invest a little more time and effort in mentoring. The end result? You guessed it. These are the people who go farther in their careers. You’ve heard the career advice out there about what it takes to be successful; but think of it this way: if you concentrate your efforts on being helpful, proactive, resourceful, conscientious, alert, and use critical thinking skills… there’s literally no stopping you. Not convinced? Look at everyone who has been an amazing success in their careers and are at their peak… and you’ll see the same qualities. Photo By Peter Lindberg from Stockholm, Sweden (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

How to Use Rel=Author to Get Your Next Job - CareerEnlightenment.com

Once you’ve added your tag don’t forget to include it in your Contributor To section on your Google+ profile settings. The tag won’t activate till you’ve linked to your profile to the webpage you want your rel=author tag to appear on.Be sure to validate your email with Google+ by submitting it here: https://plus.google.com/authorshipYou can also test to make sure your rel=author tag has been applied correctly by putting the URL of the website you wrote for here: http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets  Create a Great BylineOne of the biggest perks of writing is seeing your name in print. Of course, a byline doesn’t just boost your ego, it also tells people who you are and what you know. Combined with a rel=author markup, it can also put your profile in front of the people looking for your skills and expertise.Write a killer byline that highlights your greatest strengths. You only have a few lines, so make it good. Next, add the Author link and place the byline i n an author page on the same domain as the content. Finally, submit your email to Authorship, and from then on every post you write with your byline will become part of your profile, as well as your pitch to potential employers.Post Blogs on the Right WebsitesWhile rel=author will draw people to your content, you can’t just sit back and wait for them to show up. You have to approach them where they are with the insights they want. To catch the eyes of potential employers, write guest blogs that show your value.Start by targeting the sites popular in your field. If you want to work in marketing, for example, pitch topic ideas to marketing blogs, perhaps even to the blog of your dream company. Once you land the assignment, choose topics that address readers’ concerns and show off your know-how. Try to throw in an anecdote from your career â€" it’s a great way to enhance your resume.Great content can position you as an authoritative source, which can really come in handy when you r reader has a job to fill. Add rel=author to everything you create and potential employers will see everything you have to offer.