How do I explain a gap in my resume due to severe depression following a sexual assault?

Question

I was a mid-level professional in education management in a niche area that's been steadily declining. I was amazing at my job and my skills could easily translate to another industry. Problem is, I went through some personal issues - lost my job the same week I lost my partner, and then I was sexually assaulted and things were never quite the same. I went through a very severe depression with a suicide attempt. And when I say 'severe depression,' I mean being hospitalized for panic attacks, losing consciousness randomly, and total shutdowns of my brain where I physically can't walk or stand, let alone work. I've had a few consulting gigs here and there and took on some temporary low-wage stopgap jobs, but I've been out of work for almost two years and can't seem to find another job for the life of me. I do not want to talk about this issue publicly, and I especially don't want to address this in an interview - if I can even get called for an interview. I've been volunteering a lot and taking some courses, although not full time, so how do I address this on my resume? Most positions I'm applying to are in new industries, and you would think that going back to entry-level shouldn't be so tough, but I'm finding it impossible... thanks for your insights ladies.

Shernette Linton, Esq. · Answer

Hello Friend,

So sorry to hear of your experience. I know that healing is not always a linear process, but I am glad that things are better and that you are ready to return to work. You wondered whether you can even get called for an interview. The answer is yes, you can, but much will depend on how you position yourself in your resume, cover letter (and LinkedIn profile) and the positions you target.

It’s great that you stayed active with volunteer work and ongoing training. If they are relevant to your target position, you should include them in your “Experience” and “Professional Training” section on your resume. List only those courses that are relevant to the requirements of your target position, and highlight relevant volunteer activities and transferable skills.

You can enter your volunteer position just as you would any other position, with a simple parenthetical noting it was volunteer, e.g., Admin Assistant (volunteer). If you have multiple volunteer positions you may be able to consolidate them as one entry, providing a bit more individualized information in the description. If your volunteer positions and course work aren’t relevant to your current job target, an alternate approach is to include an entry under your Experience section that simply describes the time as “Family Sabbatical,” “Personal Sabbatical” or “Professional Sabbatical.”

Re the interview, I sometimes remind job seekers that it’s neither a confessional nor therapy session, so don’t feel the need to reveal intimate details concerning your time off. It is usually enough to say that you took time off for personal reasons, those are now fully resolved and you are now ready to return to work. Most employers/recruiters will assume you were raising children, caring for aging parents, going through a personal illness, or going through a family restructuring (aka, a divorce). Keep the conversation focused on the knowledge, skills and experience gained during your time off and how those make you a good fit for the position.

Best of luck!

Flossy · Answer

If you get asked about the gap, it was for a medical reason that is happily behind me.  I was grateful for the time to invest in getting back my health.  Since then, I have continued to invest in myself within professional development and volunteering ..  boom

Head Bookworm · Answer

So much good advice here. I'm so sorry for what you went through, but I am glad you are ready to rejoin the world.

This is not the time to send tons of emails to faceless systems that treat you like a robot and make you jump through hoops meant to trip you up. You need those personal connections to get in, through networking with like-minded professionals, reaching out to recruiters, and letting everyone you know, especially those you have volunteered with, that you are looking for full-time employment. Even virtual connections work..but it's the human connection that will get you past the systems that don't allow resume gaps.

Alison · Answer

I'm SO sorry this happened to you - all of it.  You've been through a tremendous amount in a relatively short time.

First, while finding work can be frustrating and all consuming, especially because of the events that have extended your employment journey, take a moment to acknowledge that you are more equipped than most to handle any challenge that you encounter.  You are already so successful by just choosing to continue the fight each day.  You may not have your career back on track yet, but you have your life, your health, hopefully the support of people around you, and your experiences and the lessons that came with them, and that made you stronger because of them.  That is the ultimate thing to be proud of.  You could get the most amazing job in the world, but it will never live up to the ability to fight to move forward and take back control of your situation.

Regarding the employment search, legally a company cannot ask for details about a medical issue, so if you choose to lead with that, they won't be able to ask a follow up.  But I would recommend instead that you start with what you learned at your last job/in your last career, why you were looking for a change/what intrigued you about a new role or industry, and what you've done to create that change (the courses you took, the volunteer work), and connect it to why you are interested in this particular company or role.  It is very common for professionals to change careers many times, and it always comes with a reboot and needing to start over and explain how you got here.

Also, the most efficient way to get interviews is through personal referrals.  I would make a list of everyone you know and ask them for them to help.  If they can't help you, I'd ask them who they know that is a connector, or to introduce you to someone who knows lots of people, and that could possibly help you.  You may need to ask multiple times, but eventually, people will start connecting you. 
 
You deserve interviews because you are someone that is courageous and resilient - and that is exactly the kind of person who I would want to hire.

Create your story for the change and use your network - you will find something.  Good luck!

HILYEDUCATED · Answer

There are guidelines that employer or HR people can not ask too personal questions regarding time lapses in career time.  So when a person does go through a very rough time   of any kind the best way to  handle the gap is to just say      it was a period of personal health issues, (physical and mental are both health issues)  but now I am over that, 'Let me explain what I have been doing since then'        Then start talking about all volunteer and/or temp work that you did during that time.    Talk about all the ways you kept yourself engaged in activities while healing. If by chance the interviewer starts asking about your  problem you do not have to answer and can tell them in a very professional and tactful way that the time is history and   no longer a concern and start again and this time  tell experience stories on how you handled confrontations and settled them down.        Been in your situation a number of times,   I have tried what I just explained and it has worked.   One more thing, Keep smiling the entire time

How do I explain a gap in my resume due to severe depression following a sexual assault?

You're invited.

See what women are sharing on Fairygodboss.