How can I account for the gaps in my employment history.?

Question

I've worked a lot of temp jobs and have a lot of gaps in my employment history. How do I put this in my resume, and how do i explain this if I ever get an interview?

Answer 1

Here is your final answer: Don't explain the gaps!

If you were a temporary or contracted worker, worked through an agency or multiple agencies that was your full time position.

Your resume should reflect that you were a contracted employee with ABC agency, from whatever time periods were involved. If you changed agencies or worked for multiple agencies it would still be the same description, you worked as a contracted employee.

If you perform different job functions, don't tie the job description to the agency or period. Show the contracted work as time only and give explanation of your skills in another area of the resume.

It's hit and miss with a lot of employers but I would shore up your references. Make sure they know you are using them and will give you a decent reference.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Mention all your experience in your resume and don't worry about the gaps until you hit the interview. When you get there, be honest and forthwright. Excuses sound like excuses; even when they're good ones. An employer would much rather hire someone whose integrity is apparent over someone too slick and ready to explain away everything. Anyway, broad experience is never a bad thing. Good luck.

Answer 3

If you have a job that ended in January and another job that started in February, list the jobs by start and end month rather than day.

Also, since you worked in temp jobs, tell the potential employer that you had a number of short term assignments but you stayed until the projects were completed.

Remind the employer that the recession made it difficult to find work.

Take care,
Troy

Answer 4

You don't need to put it on your resume, but if they ask tell the truth. Many companies now a days do a 10 year background check and if you lie they will find out. There is nothing wrong with having a lot of temp jobs...if anything it gives you a good amount of diverse experience.

Answer 5

Easy ... it's called unemployment! No seriously, during an interview, if the question was ever asked, you could simply say that you didn't need full time employment at that time, so you accepted the temp jobs, knowing that they were temporary and would end in time. There shouldn't be a problem with that.

Answer 6

I had the same problem. Explain how you were unsure of the career path that you would like to take, so you went through the temp jobs to get an idea of what you would like to do long-term. Emphasize the those temp jobs that have a bearing on the job that you are applying for.

Answer 7

Put a positive spin on the temp jobs, on how they exposed you to a variety of work conditions, and how you had to come in and immediately be productive.

If you get an interview, be completely honest about it and focus on the benefits you bring to the job.

Answer 8

You know, a little white lie every now and then is not going to hurt here are some things you could say:
I was pregnant and had a miscarriage
I was taking care of my sick grandmother who lives far away
I was attending school
I was hurt for a period of time

These people are not detectives and they cannot get any information unless you write a written consent.

Answer 9

i have had to deal with that problem, what i do is say that i was in another state or i was in school.it work only if you have like three gaps or less.the best way is to sat you were volunteering or babysitting...

Answer 10

either say that you went to visit your uncle abroad, or own up and say you were a guest of the government prison service