Unemployed for a while? You can overcome this obstacle in your resume

An Article by Sharon Graham, CRS, CIS, CPRW, CEIP
Graham Management Group

As a professional resume strategist, I often come across job seekers who have been out of the workforce for a period of time. Many of my clients are highly experienced professionals, who suddenly find themselves unemployed and looking for work. With loads of qualifications, most start their job search anticipating a quick shift into a new organization. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months drag into years. In the early days of the job search, the resume produced a few interviews; now the same document is no longer working. Something drastic needs to be done to jump-start the interview activity again.

Whether you've been unemployed, raising your family, or in retirement, the good news is that you can address the gap in your resume. The key is to re-write your document thinking strategically to address this obstacle. There are many things that you can do to minimize this issue. First, let’s talk about some ideas that don’t work. Then we’ll get into some proven strategies that will start to produce some results.

It is alarming how many people falsify their resumes by changing dates. This is an extremely unwise tactic. These days, be assured, most reputable organizations do background checks – and they will uncover this unethical move. Even if you aren’t caught during the screening process, when you live a lie, you are forever looking over your shoulder. We live in a small world and you will eventually get found out. Always be honest in your resume, but think carefully about what you disclose and how you position it in the document.

Completely eliminating your dates of employment on the resume is not a good option. Recruiters know that missing dates can only mean one of two things – either you are trying to hide a poor career history or you are just plain careless. Always include employment dates to pass the detailed resume review. Think about extending the longevity of your resume by listing your year of employment only, instead of month and year. This will buy you some time – at least until the end of this year. Also, when you do include the dates, don’t call attention to them. In your formatting, don’t highlight them or make them stand out in any way. To minimize them, consider enclosing the dates in brackets and inserting them right next to your job title.

As you write your resume, it is best to talk about your talents, qualifications, and expertise before getting into the chronology. Organize your resume so your key selling points are in the top third of page one. Try creating a “power statement” outlining your value proposition as a lead-in to the resume. Write a paragraph that describes what you have to offer your potential employer. Rather than talking only about some of your soft skills such as strong communication, teamwork, and organizational skills, why not focus on your unique offerings. Discuss your specific work and industry related competencies. For example, you may offer “expert word processing and proofing of corporate communications.” The more specific you get, the better you will stand out. This is especially important if you have been out of the workforce for a period of time. It will show the employer that you still know your stuff.

An additional lead-in to your resume may be to list in bullet point your tangible accomplishments. Write out in sentence format certain things that you have achieved in your previous employment, which will impress your next employer. Tell each story briefly, focusing on your actions and then touching on the benefit to the employer. Use dollars, percentages, and other numbers to add impact. If the recruiter reads your accomplishments before getting to the dates, he or she may be impressed enough to call you in for an interview.

The functional resume is designed so that your accomplishments are separated from your employment list and placed upfront. The idea is to group your accomplishments under separate skills headings, so that the employer can see your actual competencies. Be careful, if you use this technique. You can be sure a perceptive recruiter will go directly to your career history to try to find what you are hiding. Try using a combination of functional and reverse chronological formats to strategically minimize your obstacles and meet your prospective employer’s needs. Rather than just listing your positions on page two, try adding a few more accomplishments to each job. This will add value and make the dates less important.

If you have spent some time doing volunteer or freelance work during your sabbatical, consider adding that to your employment history. Write and format the section exactly as if it was your most recent job. Include the name of the organization, responsibilities, accomplishments, and dates. This will help to shrink gap in your experience.

Finally, if you have a lengthy break in employment, address it in your cover letter. After your sales pitch, include a short sentence or two explaining the reason. Be brief and close the statement by adding that you are looking forward to getting back to work.

Even if you have not been working for a while, a well-thought out approach, based on sound resume writing principles will generate interviews. If you re-write your document strategically, you will be well on your way to producing results. If you are unable to design an outstanding strategic resume, hire a good resume writer. It is money well spent. A professional resume writer is an objective third party with the expertise to overcome your obstacles and make you shine!


Sharon Graham is a certified professional resume writer, employment interview strategist, and author of Best Canadian Resumes. She assists job seekers though her consulting firm Graham Management Group, www.GrahamManagement.com and is executive director of Career Professionals of Canada. You can reach Sharon by e-mailing info@GrahamManagement.com