Ladies... I am not sure if I am venting, sharing or looking for advice, probably all of the above. I lost my job in March 2025 due to the layoffs. I was a Product Manager. It took me some time to work through my burnout, which also, as it turned out, was due to perimenopause. I am on HRT, and feeling significantly better. I am just starting to look for jobs. I am not looking for Product roles anymore and want something either in Marketing or Client Services (I have experience in both). I have a 1.5 year gap in my resume now for FT employment and I am worried. My age is a factor, the resume gap is a factor, and the gender is a factor. Has anyone gone through something similar? Has anyone stepped down from a high-achieving, high-stress role, and still managed to get a job?
Anonymous
08/09/26 at 5:18PM UTC
I have also had a lot of career disruptions since 2020 and this is what you can do.
If age is a concern, limit your resume and LinkedIn to the last 10 years and take your graduation date off your resume.
Next, you only need 1 client to be a consultant. You can also look for volunteer roles. In my experience, they do not ask a lot of questions about this especially if you do it pro bono.
There are so many tools now to make this extremely easy. For example, you can use an AI site generator like Lovable. Look for local businesses with terrible websites (there are usually A LOT). Family farms, in my experience, tend to have some of the worst ones (think places that do pumpkin patches and hay rides in the fall).
You can take their current site, pop it into an AI site generator, and make something 10x better easily. Note - this only works for sites that are already terrible.
Then you can either gift it to them for your portfolio or can sometimes even make a couple hundred dollars selling it back to them. And THEN on your resume you can explain that you were doing that as a side hustle while taking a step back for personal reasons.
That is just one example but you can do all kinds of stuff like that pretty easily and cheaply. The whole point is to have SOMETHING relevant on your resume to fill in the gap. Or if you do any volunteer work you can put that as well.
Do not feel bad about this. I have had freelancing on my resume for 8 years in a row and I only help like, 2 clients a year and one is my parents' family business. Employers have created this situation by laying people off and sacrificing everything on the altar of the SHAREHOLDERS. You shouldn't have to suffer just because they keep throwing away good, engaged workers like trash.
Get out there, be confident, and own the fact that you have a lot to offer. Good luck!
SC
13
08/03/26 at 12:21AM UTC
I have heard just say I have a gap due to personal reasons. Leave it at that, you don’t have to explain.
SC
13
08/03/26 at 12:20AM UTC
Use AI to get through ATS scanners and Rewrite resume to match job. Go to Instagram and put in search bar: How to get past ATS Scanners. Also go to YouTube and follow this lady in interviewing: Farah Sharghi. She is gives excellent tips. This will help you
SC
13
08/03/26 at 12:16AM UTC
Yes! I have
User deleted comment on 07/30/26 at 9:38PM UTC
Brandi Skinner
12
07/30/26 at 9:38PM UTC
Yes, it can be done and you will thank yourself later. Less stress is best. This current job market is overrun with AI bots, that keep your resume from ever being seen, so don't take silence to heart. It is best to used your network of professionals to get where you need. Best wishes.
