Use only years, not months, when referring to spans of time in your Work History. Using years makes it quicker for the potential employer to grasp the length of time and can eliminate the need to explain gaps of less than two years.
Notice the gap in this presentation:
12/95-3/99 Manager Friendly’s Ice Cream
Parlor, Trenton, NJ
2/92-12/94 Manager Lyon’s Restaurant,
Milbrae, CA
Without the months, there is no apparent gap:
1995-1999 Manager Friendly’s Ice Cream
Parlor, Trenton, NJ
1992-1994 Manager Lyon’s Restaurant,
Milbrae, CA
Filling in the Gaps
If your unemployment covers two calendar years or more, you need to explain the void. Consider all the things you were doing during that time (volunteer work, school activities, internships, schooling, travel, and so on) and present it in a way that’s relevant to your job objective, if possible.
Someone looking for a medical sales position who took care of an ill parent for two years might list the following:
1996-98 Home Care Provider for terminally ill relative
An applicant for a travel agent position could refer to a vacation:
1998-99 Independent travel: Europe, Asia, and South America
A mother wanting to reenter the job market as a teacher’s aide might say:
1993-99 Full-Time Parent and PTA Volunteer, St. John’s Academy
Bonus Check
You’re free to state your date ranges either with the century digits in both years (for example: 1998-1999) or with the century digits in the first year and not in the second(for example: 1998-99). The key is to be consistent throughout your resume.
Character That Counts
Even if your activities during your unemployment have no apparent relevancy to your job objective, you need to account for the gap. Explain what you were doing in a way that is honest and feels comfortable to you. If your main activity was something you don’t want to talk about, think of something else you were doing during that time, even if it doesn’t relate to your job objective, and refer to that activity instead of using a job title in your Work History. Some suggested substitutes for a job title include
- Full-Time Parent
- Home Management
- Family Management
- Family Financial Management
- Independent Study
- Personal Travel
- Adventure Travel
- Travels to (fill in the place you traveled to)
- Professional Development
- Freelance Work (replace Work with the type of work you did, such as writer, artist, or plumber)
- Student
- Consultant
- Contractual Work (replace Work with the type of work you did, such as administrator, accountant, hair stylist)
- Relocation from abroad
- Volunteer
- Civic Leader
Job-Hunt Hint
Presenting only years in your Work History may not only save you from having to explain gaps of unemployment, but will also make your resume easier to read. Months complicate the presentation and make it harder (and therefore longer) for someone to figure out. Remember the eight second scan? Providing just the years will help you pass that eight-second test.
Career Casualty
Don’t refer to personal illness, unemployment, or rehabilitation in your Work History. These topics usually raise red flags, so avoid mentioning them at all cost.
