{"id":277,"date":"2011-02-25T09:52:48","date_gmt":"2011-02-25T09:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monsterindia.com\/career-advice\/resume-help-for-the-unemployed-277\/"},"modified":"2024-07-17T12:19:56","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T06:49:56","slug":"resume-help-for-the-unemployed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/resume-help-for-the-unemployed\/","title":{"rendered":"Resume Help for the Unemployed"},"content":{"rendered":"
By <\/span>Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert<\/span><\/font> <\/font><\/font><\/font>\n<\/div>\n


\nMounting a job search when you\u2019re unemployed may leave you feeling like you can\u2019t compete with your gainfully employed peers. This just isn\u2019t true. Transform your resume from holding you back to propelling your success.<\/p>\n

Assess the Gap<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to address an <\/font>employment gap<\/font><\/font> depends on how long you\u2019ve been out of work,\u201d says Teena Rose, director of resume-writing firm ExpertResumes.com. Unemployed for a year or less? Then your best strategy may be to say nothing. \u201cShorter time frames of up to a year or so aren\u2019t absolute necessities to explain on a resume,\u201d says Rose, noting that she advises her clients with less than 12 months of unemployment to resist the temptation to overexpound. \u201cHiring managers understand job candidates will have date gaps from time to time, especially when factoring in the jobs lost during this recent recession,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Longer employment gaps can be trickier, and this is where your resume could use some well-crafted words to show how you\u2019ve filled that gap. Here\u2019s <\/font>how to write a resume<\/font><\/font> to show you\u2019ve been productive while between jobs.<\/p>\n

Emphasize How, Not Why<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHiring managers are more interested in knowing how you used your time away from the workforce as opposed to why you were unemployed,\u201d says Anne-Marie Ditta, president of First Impression Career Services, a Mount Vernon, New York-based career-planning firm. Instead of focusing on the layoff, <\/font>company closure<\/font>, <\/font>job termination<\/font>, <\/font>caregiver responsibilities<\/font> or other circumstances that led to unemployment, Ditta recommends you spotlight how this time off allowed you to acquire new skills, deepen existing industry knowledge or <\/font>cultivate your contacts<\/font><\/font>.<\/p>\n

Get Busy During Your Unemployment<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t think of a single resume-worthy activity or pursuit to show how you\u2019ve used your time off, then you need to <\/font>get busy<\/font>. \u201cI coach my clients that unemployment is not vacation time,\u201d says Kathy Sweeney, president of resume-writing firm The Write Resume. \u201cIf they haven\u2019t been involved in some sort of activity, I implore them to investigate options to gain further experience.\u201d<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Many activities can provide compelling resume content. For example, <\/font>volunteering<\/font><\/font>; tutoring; coaching sports; learning a new computer program; studying a foreign language; or pursuing temporary, freelance or contract work can show current experience on the resume.<\/p>\n

For example, a stay-at-home parent can highlight her accomplishments as a volunteer like this: \u201cWon board approval to establish a community parent\/child playgroup at the town hall. Led grassroots group to raise $47,500 annually and opened new revenue stream for county.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sweeney tells her clients \u201cthat experience is experience, regardless of whether it is paid or volunteer. If a client is enrolled in school, for example, I will make that a full-time job on the resume. I\u2019ll include information on the certificate or degree program as well as any quantifiable results, such as grades or instructor praise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ditta emphasizes the importance of <\/font>showcasing what you accomplished<\/font><\/font> during your unemployment, just as you would for paid employment. \u201c\u2018Devoted four years to managing a large estate and complex\/difficult medical decisions while caring for terminally ill parent\u2019 will be better-received by an employer than \u2018took time off to care for a sick relative,\u2019\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Avoid These Resume Mistakes<\/strong><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Never Exaggerate Dates on Your Resume to Extend the Duration of Your Last Job:<\/strong> \u201cStretching dates to cover a gap is <\/font><\/font>lying on a resume<\/font><\/font>, and that is never a good option,\u201d Ditta warns.
    \n  <\/font><\/li>\n
  • Don\u2019t Feel Forced to Use a Traditional Resume Format:<\/strong> A purely chronological resume may not be the best option for those who have been unemployed for a number of years. Instead, explore the advantages of a <\/font><\/font>combination resume<\/font><\/font>, Rose suggests. This type of resume allows you to emphasize key skills while downplaying employment gaps.
    \n  <\/font><\/li>\n
  • Don\u2019t Sell Yourself Short:<\/strong> \u201cThe most common mistake I see unemployed professionals make on their resumes is minimizing their contributions,\u201d Ditta says. \u201cI\u2019ve worked with clients who have raised significant amounts of money for nonprofit organizations, for example, but when asked about this, they reply that they were only a volunteer. The fact is that they achieved it, and therefore, they should take credit for it.\u201d<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Remain Proactive <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen it comes to covering resume gaps created by unemployment, it\u2019s best to be proactive rather than reactive,\u201d Rose says. By focusing on what you\u2019ve achieved during this challenging period, you will demonstrate to employers your can-do attitude, resourcefulness and ability to drive successful results.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

    <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert Mounting a job search when you\u2019re unemployed may leave you feeling like you can\u2019t compete with your gainfully employed peers. This just isn\u2019t true. Transform your resume from holding you back to propelling your success. Assess the Gap \u201cThe best way to address an employment gap depends on how long […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-277","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-resume-cover-letters"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39451,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277\/revisions\/39451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}