Representing a Career Break on Linked In, Resume, and Interviews
I have been on a career break for over a year. It did not work out at my last position. I was also sick. During this time I took several major professional certifications.
I am now well enough to pursue fulltime opportunities but now have a glaring employment gap of over a year. How could I represent this time on Linked in Profiles, resume, and what should I say during interviews about this time? Should I even mention the real reason for the break was illness?
Looking for advice on should I put the job title desired and then underneath put the certifications and other professionally related job activities. Or just leave it as the last position and put certifications in the certifications section
Shernette Linton, JD | Certified Professional Resume Writer & Career Coach - CPRW, CPCC
Career Coach for the Frustrated Job Seeker
131
12/29/20 at 4:54AM UTC (Edited)
Great to hear that your health challenges are behind you and that you are ready for full time work again.
A gap isn’t as much of an issue as it used to be. If you leave it unexplained, however, that’s when it can do the most damage. Employers will imagine the worst, and that will tank your candidacy. So, own it, strategize around it, and look for ways to show how you used the time to enhance your value.
New training or certification is a good way to fill the gap, e.g., the major professional certifications you acquired.
On the resume, you could enter it as your most recent "job", calling the entry "Professional Sabbatical," with a 2-3-line description. Or you could enter it under your Education section, including the dates.
On LinkedIn, instead of listing your current job title as "Unemployed" use a title that includes the title of the position you are seeking, e.g., “Experienced IT Project Manager” or “Qualified for Position as Administrative Assistant.” For your current company, also find a way to include the key search terms a recruiter would use, such as your qualifications or target industry. For example, “PMP Certified” or “Consumer Goods & Retail.”
Your LI headline will default based on your current Title and Company, so you will end up with, e.g., Qualified for Position as Administrative Assistant, PMP Certified,” but you can always edit it if it doesn’t flow as smoothly.
Address it briefly in your cover letter – e.g., I recently completed certifications in XYZ and am excited about bringing my new skills to your organization.
The same in the interview – address it briefly and pivot to what you accomplished and why you think you are a good fit.
Here you could incorporate Cheryl's suggested approach, i.e., "I had a personal obligation which needed my full-time attention, the situation is now completely resolved, and I am now in a position to return to work full-time. I also used the time to earn these ABC certifications, which make me an excellent fit for the XYZ position . . .", and you pivot into why you are a great fit.
I wrote a LinkedIn article called, "5 Reasons You Shouldn't Call Yourself Unemployed on LinkedIn" which expands on the LinkedIn advice provided above. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or via email for access to the complete article.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shernettelinton/ OR [email protected]
Best of luck!
Anonymous
12/24/20 at 1:12AM UTC
I am asking in the situation of LinkedIn profile and on the resume. If that doesn't pass inspection you won't get to the interview to explain.
Cheryl Neas
1.51k
12/17/20 at 10:22PM UTC
I have said, only if asked to explain a gap, that I had a personal situation that required more flexibility than I was able to have working full-time, and that I was lucky to be able to take some time to give it the attention that it needed. I guess a prospective employer could be afraid that I could have another such situation, but really so could anyone who currently works for them.
