Have you ever had a gap in your employment that you don’t like on your resume? Do you know there is actually a way to be prepared for the dreaded interview question about this said gap?
First of all, be honest. Generally employers can see through a made up answer. There are many valid reasons for gaps that most employers will understand: sickness, caring for family members, being laid off, or even being a college student and pursuing a degree. So don’t see a gap as an automatic ding against you.
Second, it’s especially great if you can talk about how you improved yourself during this time of unemployment. For example, did you take some classes on LinkedIn to learn more about your future field of employment? Did you research skills to develop during this time or volunteer to gain those skills? These experiences all provide awesome responses to the interview question because they show that you were being productive and preparing for the job at hand while you were out of work.
In saying that last point I realize that you may not have done those wonderful proactive things during your gap, so just realize that if/when the opportunity arises make sure to take advantage of the time to ensure that you have both a terrific answer and exciting new marketable skills.
My final tip for this Tuesday is to keep your answer positive and practice the response. Don’t go into great detail if you don’t feel like it benefits the employer to hear. If they want to know more they will ask, and most things you say will likely be one of the common answers that they will quickly move on from, and if it was your fault hopefully you’ve learned from the experience and can speak to that point. Practicing your answer before will help you not say something that comes out less than ideal, so have an answer ready and practice it!
Searching for a job is a job, and we want to help you be prepared for the search. Check out our great resources online or sign up for an appointment in Handshake!
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