Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management books TimePeace: Making peace with time and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations– and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. Stephen Wynkoop and I regularly meet on professional development topics. Our interviews can be found at Laura Rose Career Management Series
This week’s topic was “How to rebuild confidence after you have been out of work for some time”
We can have a gap in our resume in a couple of ways:
1) We are out of work (either by chose or otherwise)
2) We have been continuously employed but not in the field of our choice.
In either case, employers may hesitate because the fear that technology has passed us by; our skills are obsolete; and we are no longer relevant.
The best way to build confidence after you has been out of work for some time is to actually accomplish tangible and tactile things while you are out of work. Identify your goals for self-improvement in regards to health, education, presentation skills, networking, and family. Then accomplish those goals. Most employers like to hire self-motivated people that can solve their own problems. By using this gap in employment for some self-assessment and self-improvement (while you are still job searching) is a good use of your time.
Since the main reason for employer’s hesitation in an employment gap is the ability to stay relevant in today’s ever-changing technology, the best advice is to stay relevant regardless of what type or how the gap occurred. You can do this by:
- Use the gap to learn a new skill, achieve a certification or license
- Stay active in your profession by volunteering your services to nonprofits or service communities
- Teach at a local community college,
- Create online courses in your field of expertise.
- Speak at local professional organizations or conferences
- Write articles, blogs or eBooks in your field of expertise
- Develop YouTube presentations, demos or prototypes as proof of your new skill set.
- Create a portfolio or press kit of your accomplishments during the gap
Note: If you are volunteering, make sure you are working in the area that will assist you in your job search. For instance, if you volunteer for the ASPCA and are a web designer – don’t take on the task of emptying out the litter box. Instead, work on their website, assist with their SEO and engine optimizations, or automate their manual office duties. Accept tasks that are in line with your next job description.
Then update your resume with your new skills and links to your articles, videos, apps, etc.
The employer’s fear of the “gap” is that you have fallen out of touch with your field. If you can show that you have sharpened your skills (during the gap), then you have tangible evidence that you are not only still relevant in your field but an expert.
Where do I place these volunteering and other activities in the resume?
Remember that your resume isn’t a list of all your “paid” employment. It’s a place to highlight your skills and talents. The fact that you didn’t get paid for your services does not detract from your experience and expertise. I would place all the relevant professional skills at the top of your resume. I would also include them in your Work Experience.
The resume doesn’t highlight the salary for each position. It just highlights your ability and skills.
In the IT Professional Development Toolkit, I go into the: who, what, where, when and how to accomplish all of the above. I also have a transferable skill worksheet.
Also following online courses:
12 Tips for Realistic Scheduling
10 Tips for Telecommuters
10 Career Boosting Resolution Laser Lesson
10 Hidden Time Waster Laser Lesson
Get That Well-Deserved Raise Laser Lesson
Professional Development Toolkit
It’s a SNAP – Social Networking Accelerated Process for business networking
Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/