If you’ve been out of work for a significant length of time, you may feel desperate enough to fudge, if not outright lie, on your resume in the form of your current employment status and/or your skills/educational background.
It’s dangerous to lie on a resume. The Internet has made it very easy for potential employers to check out the truth – or lies – you place on a resume. Employers can check colleges to see about degrees obtained, companies for background checks, even credit checks (which often display where you’ve worked in the past).
So instead of filling in blanks with made up jobs/employers, have a true reason for the gap or lack.
Have you been unemployed due to an illness or the illness of a loved one? Mention this in your cover letter.
If you were unemployed due to a job loss, you seriously should consider getting any job as soon as possible. Employers understand and respect candidates who do what needs to be done. They admire it, in fact, So, if you worked as a banking officer for 15 years and are working as a clerk at Target while you search for employment in your career, employers understand.
In fact, temporary jobs can be a terrific way to bring in income while looking for more permanent work in your field. You’re a bona fide employee of the staffing service(s) who hire(s) you, so need have no worry that you’re “fudging” a bit regarding your work history when you list the firm(s) as your employer(s) on your resume.
Are the holes/gaps in your resume due to returning to school? That’s OK. It ‘s a little trickier if you go to school and then decide not to pursue work in your new field. You can explain this in your cover letter as a career turn you were interested in because it seemed viable for your interests at the time. You’ve since discovered that your previous career path truly is where your passion lies.
Your main takeaways regarding gaps on your resumes/in your skills: 1) be honest and 2) be straightforward in your explanation.
As mentioned above, working for a staffing service such as the Opti Staffing Group can help you making money while keeping the unemployment gap on your resume very small. What’s more, many temporary assignments can – and do – turn into regular, full-time positions. Contact us today to learn more!