Help With Resumes And Cover Letters

Help With Resumes And Cover Letters

Plenty of people have gaps in their work history. Gaps can be due to any of a number of reasons. For example, you might have started a family, was laid off for a time period, took a hiatus from the working world to pursue personal interests, or returned to school. Sometimes the reasons for a gap in employment are good and sometimes they are bad.The key to dealing with gaps is to confront them head-on and not wait to be asked. Trying to re-enter the workforce, and especially during difficult economic times, is never easy but gaps leave too many questions unanswered in the minds of the cover letter readers. Addressing the gap proves right away you have nothing to hide and it is just a glitch in a career where you have developed skills and qualifications.Keep It BriefThe first rule is to keep your explanation in the cover letter quite brief. You do not want to write a lengthy explanation, because that too can make it appear as if you are trying to hide something with a mass of words. You can write a simple and brief statement that turns the gap into a positive event.How do you make something that seems negative into something positive?Don't Worry...Be Happy...and Positive!The way to turn a gap into a positive experience is to identity what you learned, skills you honed, or problem solving techniques you developed while unemployed. You can think about how you spent that time and hopefully there are experiences or events that made you a more qualified, well-rounded person.For example, did you further your education or lead a team? Did you coordinate any events? Did you travel and expand your horizons or attend career building workshops?How did you improve your skills during any of these events? The answer to that question is how you will turn the gap into a positive event.No Cover-Ups AllowedSome people will try to hide the gaps in their careers by manipulating dates. There are a couple of reasons why this is not a good idea. First is the fact that it is not honest to make up dates. Second is the fact that your work history will be verified if you get to the interview stage, and the cover-up will be uncovered!Accentuate Your SkillsYour cover letter should sell you in a few paragraphs to the employer. Not only should you turn the gap into a positive skill building experience, but you have to relate those skills to the job qualifications. People bring many skills to a job and some are developed outside a work environment. The skills that you want to accentuate in your cover letter are those that will benefit the employer. It really should not matter where or how those skills were developed.A cover letter is meant to be brief and to the point. To address your gap, be sure to stick to the facts and not get off course with a long explanation. Many people are advised to put the explanation for the gap in the introduction or the first paragraph of the body of the cover letter.If you handle the gap correctly in your cover letter, it will not be seen as a hindrance to employment.

help with resumes and cover letters

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