This is likely, however, to look like an employment gap, and employers are very leery about applicants with gaps in employment. In general, it is a red flag suggesting that the person may be a problem employee, if hired.
Some professional people, including career counselors, have told me that when it comes to an employment gap, you shouldn’t mention it because it may turn off some hiring managers. Other professionals, on the other hand, have said that you should mention it and make sure that the hiring manager the cover letter is addressed to understands the reason for the gap in employment.
So, here are two questions:
1. Should you mention your employment gaps to a potential employer in a cover letter?
2. How do employers look at employment gaps when they are explained in a cover letter?
[Note: This individual later explained to me that the situation with their mother and the start-up was well over a year in length.]
A: First of all, to any career counselors, recruiters, or other professionals who say to basically ignore a ''gap in employment'' of this length, shame on you. This is like ignoring a car speeding directly at you. The ''gap'' is there, after all. It needs to be addressed.
A lot of how you deal with an employment gap is about your attitude and perspective. Let me share a personal story. One day in college I was having dinner with a group of friends in the school cafeteria. I said we could walk out with a table if we looked and acted like we had reason for doing it. I was right. Also witness the 2002 film Catch Me if You Can, which was based on a true story. The bottom line is that if you make it an issue, so will they. If you don’t, there is a much greater possibility that they won’t as well.
I would not term your situation a ''gap in employment.'' Admittedly, your personal situation dictated the move into your own business, but you were still employed and gained a lot of experience.
The experience gained here is shared by many others who started their own business that didn’t work out. And so, I would describe that time as dedicated to a business venture that ''didn’t work out'' rather than calling it a failure. After all, the only failure is if you don’t learn anything. Among the things you can learn in your own business are the following:
1) You are not an entrepreneur and you have ''got that out of your system.'' A lot of companies appreciate knowing something like that because then that ''entrepreneurial spirit'' is not there to give the company a ''challenge'' and you will not be prone to leave to start another company. An entrepreneur who sells a company for a profit or who intends to go out and do it again once they get the funding is not typically a good bet for a corporation.On the personal side, you can’t control the situation, you can only hope to manage it. I think a lot of managers would actually be envious (in a positive way) that you felt it was important enough to take the time to take care of an ailing mother. Too many people are tied to their jobs and don’t know how not to be. You also don’t need to be ashamed, embarrassed, or hesitant about what you did. You did what you felt was the right thing. If someone else doesn’t like it, you probably shouldn’t work with them anyway -- you shouldn’t sell your dignity for a job. Besides, you worked and gained a lot of experience.
2) You pick up new skills that you might not have otherwise. These could be very valuable to an employer.
3) New business owners typically work long hours, make do on a small budget, and are used to doing a lot of tasks, oftentimes without much support. The list goes on. I have worked and currently work in that sort of environment. Fancy desks and office space don’t hold a whole lot of attraction for me. Besides those aforementioned issues, you have to be a bit of a risk taker to start your own business, and most corporations are going to like all of these.
If you do have a resume gap of any length, and it is not job search-related, here are some ways you might address it:
- What volunteer work did you do that provided you additional skills, contacts, etc.?
- What courses, seminars, etc. did you take to keep your skills sharp?
- Why did you decide to take the time off from your career? How did doing so help your perspective, enthusiasm, etc. in relation to your career?
- Why do you think taking the time away was valuable?
How will employers regard it? It all depends on the employer. If that is a huge red flag for them, regardless of the situation, you are not going to be able to do much to overcome it anyway. In that case, you just have to move on. If you don’t make it an issue and talk about the skills, lessons, etc. you learned, then there is a good chance an open-minded employer will look at it the same way.
In closing, this begs the question, how much time are you spending on networking versus sending out correspondence?
Here’s Wishing You Terrific Hunting,
Bill
About the Author
Bill Gaffney has 17 years of experience as an executive recruiter and career coach. Bill can be reached at 937-567-5267 or wmgaffney@prodigy.net. For questions to be considered for this column or topic suggestions, please email askamaxa@yahoo.com.
