For those of us who have had longer gaps in the job search and have taken on "part-time" work to help fill the gap.

10 Comments

1. LauraOctober 16,2025 at 2:45PM UTC

   The top portion of your resume is considered "prime real estate" so focus on crafting a strong career summary/profile section that shows how you align with the positions you're applying to. This is what people are going to see first and it's where you're going to capture their attention before they even get to your work experience .

   In regards to your part time work, are there aspects related to the positions you are applying to? If so, then draw those out and create impactful statements (even it's just a couple!).

   Also, how long was the "gap" and how long were the part time positions?

   Sometimes we put more emphasis on them than there needs to be. Trust me as someone who worked in recruiting and HR for years, they are common.

2. AnonymousOctober 17,2025 at 4:13PM UTC

   Use the word contract/temporary in the description to identify that it is not a long term role. If asked then you can explain that you took the time to find the right role for the long term vs. just some random role.

3. Suzanne TaylorOctober 17,2025 at 10:33PM UTC

   If the gap is less than 12 months, I would consider excluding the part-time job.

   If it’s close to or longer than 12 months then you can put a one-line explanation that you took part-time work at XYZ company while searching for a long-term career opportunity. It’s definitely common and shows you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, but limiting it to one line still keeps your relevant experience near the top!

4. Dr. Patty GrossOctober 18,2025 at 5:42PM UTC

   Unfortunately, it is hard. I was in a "filler" job for two years, and when I moved from there, I was recruited by someone on the board directly. Therefore, I didn't have that problem. After that, I listed it, but since it didn't relate to my career in any way, I only put two bullet points, which showed my sales duties and accomplishments. When it was noticed in an interview, I explained that it was a filler job until I found something that was more in line with my career goals, and followed up with why the position I was interviewing for did just that.

5. Kelly SchrieberOctober 19,2025 at 12:57PM UTC

   Another option is to describe your job history in the resume as "relevant professional experience" and then only include roles that more directly apply to your career direction. You can then explain (if asked) what you did during those gaps. I've used this to exclude some career deviating roles in the past.

6. AnonymousOctober 20,2025 at 6:55AM UTC

   If you start the resume with a summary section, you can pull out all of your accomplishments that best align with the job you are targeting.

   Then you could divide your experience as "Relevant Experience" as Kelly suggests and follow it with a section titled "Other Experience" or "Part Time Work" (or dream up a more creative title for your other work experience).

   Also, be sure that you quantify your contributions as much as possible, both in the summary and as bullets for the companies - revenue earned, expenses cut, processes streamlined, customers acquired or served, etc. Andy LaCivita has a wealth of free materials that should give you some ideas.

   This approach really worked for me with a 20-year gap in paid employment. In my case, I did volunteer work meanwhile, as well as caring for my Mother in her later years. I put achievements for the volunteer work. In the summary, I just put in a sentence for the "Mother" part indicating that I was returning to the paid workforce after caring for an aging parent. (That in effect de-emphasized the gap - At one point I was tempted to write up the experience as a job, but that took real estate that needed to be used by experience more relevant to the job for which I was applying.)

   Hope this gives you some new ideas -- Wishing you the very best!

7. AnonymousOctober 20,2025 at 8:45AM UTC

   I think the latest job matters and transparency is key. Mention your gap and also that maybe that you kept yourself informed about the industry and learning new skills during your break, if you did so. Ensure to be brief and professional; no details. You strength resides in the first few lines where you synthesise your core skills and level of adaptability . Best of luck!

8. Katherine AkbarOctober 21,2025 at 6:27PM UTC

   It depends on what skills you've developed and accomplishments you've done in the part-time job. I don't see an advantage to showing you haven't done nothing per se. If the part-time job is way below your professional level, and the bullets don't add anything to your skillset, you're probably better served by leaving it off so that your professional experience is front and center. If you want a personalized assessment of your resume, along with a free Career Success Consultation on getting professional help with snagging a sweet offer, feel free to book one on my Your Edge for Success YES website, aka YES Career Coaching & Resume Writing Services.

9. Mary Lea McTurnanOctober 22,2025 at 4:11AM UTC

   Oh my word … dont include. Do a skills based resume. DM me for free advice. I understand that looking for a good job and paying a professional to write a CV are mutually exclusive.. I can send you a template- you do the work and ill proof it— if you’d like, that is

10. TracieOctober 23,2025 at 6:53PM UTC

    As someone who was laid off for almost four years from IT / Telecom industry in 2009, I struggled with this too. The best advice is to be as transparent as possible. I found that when I spoke directly about my situation, it lead to an authentic interview. I honed in on new skills, worked part time when I could find it, and volunteered with local non-profits. It was the volunteer work that lead me to finally find full time employment.