Gaps On Your CV?
According to a report published this week, 28% of managers are unlikely to hire someone whom they consider to be long term unemployed. But 84% of managers would have no concerns if the unemployment period was less than six months. This is more encouraging than one might have expected, but it does leave some important questions to be addressed by those who find it is taking a long time to get a job.
One of the big fears that job seekers face is gaps on their CV. Many clients ask us at Career Energy how they can explain these. These days it is actually a far less acute problem than in the past, modern employers are quite used to staff taking career breaks, and can be both impressed by them and supportive of them. As long as they are clearly explained and serve some constructive purpose.
And this is the key to dealing with gaps on a CV. One cannot hide a period of unemployment. But one can demonstrate that the time was used to good effect. It may not be practical to go travelling, volunteering or enrol on a course when you are engaged in a full time job search. But there are plenty of things you can do locally which will enhance your CV and show that even if you are not working you are still driven and focused.
Equally, gaps on a CV can be mitigated by other, positive statements, which attact the reader’s attention far more and show them a much more important side to the candidate. It all comes down to how well you understand the theme behind your career, how well you articulate your strengths and how well the CV sells you into the job you are applying for.
Long term unemployment can put you at a disadvantage. But it need not. And whether or not it does is up to you.
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Tags: Career Advice, Career Change, Career Consultants, Career Energy, Career Planning, CV, CV Writing, Gaps on CV, Getting A New Job, Long Term Unemployed, Redundancy, Resume, unemployment, Volunteering
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