How to Include a Career Gap in Your Resume

It happens to many people--they are out of work for a while. Whether you've been laid off, taken a personal sabbatical or taken a break to raise your kids, it's hard to explain that mysterious hole on your resume.



But there are some ways to get around that gap. The best thing to do is not to ignore it. But at the same time, it doesn't have to overtake your resume. Here are some tips to create a resume that will take into account a career gap.

Things You'll Need

• Resume
• Computer

Instructions

1. Stay current. If your gap ended in the current year, you don't necessarily have to note it. Just list the experience with years (not months and years) noted in the timeline. You can easily explain your sabbatical in an interview if you have to, but there's no need to note it in the resume.

2. 

   Add a note. A simple way to denote a time lapse is to include that you took a break in the body of the resume where you list your experience. This doesn't have to be hard. Something like this will do:
   
   Career note: Took family-related sabbatical from 2002 to 2003.
   
   
   
   Or you can say:
   
   Career note: Medical leave taken from 2002 to 2006.
   
   
   
   There's no need to go into detail--you don't have to tell the employer what medical condition you had or how many children you raised. A simple note will do.

3. 

   Skip the cover letter explanation. Unless your sabbatical was work related, or you really want to play it up, stay away from noting it in your cover letter. This isn't to say that you will lie to employers, but you want your resume to represent all that you are--leave the details for the interview.
   
   
   
   If you do want to note the gap, you can say something like:
   
   I'm looking forward to using my sales management skills to continue a career in the marketing arena.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't get too upset over a gap. Note it and move on.

• Be prepared to explain the gap during an interview.

• Don't make a separate section on the resume to explain the career gap. A simple note in your work history is enough!