Job seekers can be challenged when documenting any employment gaps when writing their resumes. I’m sure you know, one of the sections you need to include when you are creating your resume is a list of the jobs you have held.
Most experts recommend you list your previous five places of employment. At first, writing down the names of the schools or institutions you have worked for seems simple.
When you sit down to do it, you quickly learn it is more complicated than originally thought. You have to list the jobs, time frame, job title, duties, and reason for leaving.
Some people think they shouldn’t mention temporary jobs, contract jobs, or lost jobs. But if you leave a gap in your resume, the prospective school will want to know why. People don’t always have steady employment for a variety of reasons.
Schools want honest teachers. Even if you think a certain job’s skills don’t meet the skills you need for this job, list it anyway. The school principal may see beneficial skills you don’t recognize.
Even if you took a year off to take care of your elderly parents, you need to explain the gap. You can do this in a cover letter. Unexplained gaps on a resume don’t look good.
If you do have gaps in your employment history, here are simple solutions to help you deal with them:
Getting Started Writing Your Resume
To get started, start writing. Don’t worry about writing about your professional accomplishments and skills until later. Start by writing down the reasons why you are working on drafting a new resume. Consider why you are looking for a new teaching job and what you hope to accomplish when you get it. Eventually, you will use this information to create your resume using the correct style and format.
Filling the Employment Gap:
If the gap in your employment history is short (less than three months in duration), don’t worry about it. Short gaps between jobs are perfectly normal, and a potential employer won’t give them a second thought. If the gap is longer than ninety days, you will have to explain, which is usually done in your cover letter.
Be Honest about Gaps in Jobs:
When you are explaining a long gap in your employment history, you need to be honest. Don’t spin a fantastic story and have your school principal find out the truth down the road. If the school finds out you were dishonest on your resume, they could use that as grounds to dismiss you (and they will always find out). Most schools will appreciate the honesty.
Don’t Hide Gaps:
Don’t try to hide the gaps in your employment history. It is better to leave the gap and explain why the gap exists than to try covering it up. Most potential employers will call your previous employers, and they may ask about the time frame you worked there.
All Your Skills Count:
Don’t assume a certain job you had that doesn’t have anything to do with your career objective isn’t important. If there are transferrable skills relevant to the job target you gained from this position, you shouldn’t leave those details off your resume.
Be prepared to be asked about the gap at the job interview. Usually, a gap will lead to questions, and it is better to have a reason instead of none at all.
The significant aspect of writing a resume and interviewing is to stay positive. The more optimistic you are, the better your chances are of getting hired.
