GAPS. Something which is avoided like the plague, these are considered to ruin your chances of ever having a job at your dream company. It is considered as one of the biggest mistakes, the thing that can destroy your entire career. But let us break this myth for you. No, where is it stated that a gap is considered a taboo to build your career. A gap though not desirable, but can no way stop you from achieving what you want. As it is said, a gap in your career is just a comma, but it far from making your career a full stop. Consistent efforts, a high skill bank, and a perfectly valid explanation are all it takes to get yourself back in the game!
Reasons for Gaps in Your Resume
A gap can occur in your life for many reasons. Some of them may be unforeseeable, unfortunate, and cannot be postponed, while some other gaps may be voluntary. Some of the reasons for gaps can be:
- Long illness
- Caring for an ill family member
- Starting a family
- Unemployment
- A career break
- Back to education
- Travelling the world
And many more…..
Whatever be the reason, you can secure a job after the gap. You need to be confident and frame your answer correctly.
Gap Due to Loss of a Loved One
A personal loss is extremely heart-wrenching. It can take months or even years to accept that your loved one is no more near you. Employers are extremely supportive in this kind of a scenario. Everyone understands this situation and are likely to not probe further on this topic. Going into details may not be necessary; just one sentence should suffice.
Starting a Family/adopting a Child
A valid reason to take a break. Starting a family requires taking good care of the baby, providing the child with all the attention and nourishment. It is a natural reason to take a gap, and thus most of the companies do not ask many questions on this topic. The corporate world understands in matters like these, so much explanation is not required.
The Gap between 10 and 12 Due to Preparation for Entrance Exams
A stage that will bring up a lot of questions during the interview round, but if you can convince the recruiter giving the valid reason like, preparing for entrance exams, retrying to get into a good college, your previous good academic record can supplement the reason for the gap, along with the satisfactory answers in the interview, your wit and presence of mind should help you in securing a job.
Gap Due to Volunteering Work
Volunteering work is considered a really impressive thing to do. A great way to gather professional references, network with people, create a positive impact on the employer. A gap due to this is not considered an issue but a great way to earn accolades from the employer, finding a job after doing volunteering work should not be an issue to be bothered about.
Doing Internship
Being an intern is nothing to hide off from your resume. It is just another form of work. Proudly display it in your resume and talk about the enormous amount of learning from the internship stint. An internship is always considered a learning opportunity where an individual gets the first taste of how the corporate world works. So, convey your learnings well in an interview and internship can turn to your most significant advantage.
After Graduation: For IT Sector
There have been many instances where people had a gap of many years, and they still managed to secure a decent job. The clarity in the basic concepts, complete knowledge of a programming language, the right set of skills, and the confidence, any IT company will welcome you with open arms. Some companies may have a policy regarding hiring with a certain number of gap years, but most companies do not mind hiring people with the relevant skillset. Programmers and coders are always in demand in the Indian market, so getting a job in this sector ain’t a tough one!
Gap Due to Some Reasons That Cannot Be Mentioned
If you have taken a gap, for which the reason cannot be explained, the major blunder that can be committed in an interview is saying, “I don’t know.” You need to turn the gap into a positive connotation and deliver it correctly in the interviews. You can talk about the various kinds of certifications you completed during your gap. You can also talk about how did you use the time to improve upon your skill sets and how you can use them to help the company grow.
Tips to Prepare for The Interview
A gap is not as sinister as the stigma attached to it. If the gap can be explained well, there is a logical reason behind it, and you have updated yourself with the current ongoings of the world and skills, then nothing can stop you from getting a job no matter how long the gap is. Some tips to help you get through the interview round are:
- Be honest: As is said, honesty is the best policy. Apply this is real-life scenarios too. Be honest while explaining the reason for your gap, and it will be appreciated.
- Have confidence: Having confidence whenever you approach for any interview is a must. Clearly explain the reason for your gap, without stuttering and with full confidence, and this registers as a positive for your personality with the interviewer.
- Be positive: Being positive in any scenario is a must and is such a trait that will help distinguish you from the rest of the candidates. Having a positive attitude that whatever happened, it’s in the past now and now is a new beginning, can help you achieve whatever you desire.
- Keep the topic short and crisp: No need to continuously dwell on the topic of your gap. Be prepared to talk to about it, but not till the point that it becomes repetitive.
If you have a gap in your resume, trust us, you are not the only one. There are many people out there who have gaps in their resume, and they just like you are trying to get a job despite it. Getting a job after a gap is possible and nothing like the misguided notion of “end of your career.” Just be honest, positive, and keep yourself updated regarding the world, and a job is nothing that you cannot get a hold of.
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