Life takes us on interesting twists and turns. There may be periods of time that your career may need a break. Perhaps a job redundancy or termination could be the cause or it could be just down to your own life choice… But hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s life!
However, you can’t ignore these gaps and what potential employers will think and ask. So, how do you utilise your time productively to fill in these gaps that may occur?
Let’s take a look at some of the most effective ways you can fill an employment gap productively without raising employer’s eyebrows. Therefore, take time to invest in yourself.
1. Develop and further your skills set
There are plenty of opportunities to develop and further your skills if you are on a career break, whether it was part of the plan or not. Knowing that this avenue will benefit your career will be a good instigator to consider ways of progressing yourself and what you have to offer. So, with all this in mind, your break is probably the best time to undertake a course or training program that will further develop your skills set. Whether it’s conducted online or offline, the choices and availability of courses are endless.
Firstly, it is a good idea to know exactly what it is you want to do (and if you don’t, then go ahead and do some background research). The next step will then be to hunt a course down that will be beneficial to your requirements. Questions such as: Is it right for me? How will it help when I am on a job hunt? Which skills will I pick up? Are these skills enough for me to include them on my CV?
LinkedIn have their own courses to aid learning and develop creative, technology and business skills. There are lots of other reputable platforms you can use!
2. Travel and explore the world
Travelling is another great example of filling in your employment gap and investing time in yourself. It is an excellent way to build your interpersonal skills, helping you grow and develop as a person. You may pick up soft skills along your journeys that you might not have been able to do without the added experience of travelling. You can include these skills in your CV and covering letter such as people’s skills, independence, confidence and ability to deal with cultural changes.
Remember your CV tells a professional story about yourself. You want to display and elaborate on the skills you have acquired that are most matching to a job description you are interested in. Fit these skills somewhere onto your CV whether it be part of a recent position you had carried out or put them into the additional information or hobbies section.
In case you need any help with your CV and where to place a travel section, contact our incredible team of professional CV writers today. They will be more than happy to add extra information about yourself into your CV and guarantee success.
3. Take up volunteering
The volunteering arena is another effective way to fill in any gaps in your employment history. Becoming a volunteer allows your CV to move fluidly and helps you gain new skills. Employers want to see what your goals are and how you plan to achieve them.
The dedication and commitment that comes with being a volunteer (not to mention the obvious giving back something to the community) gives a good impression on employers. Its feel-good factor coupled with how dynamic your CV can become are definite reasons to give it a go. There are lots of things you can take up. Have a look in your local community or expand the search on a wider scale.
Final thoughts...
Looking back, we hope that you are feeling more positive about having a career break. You can take time out and tap into something effective, which you might not have been able to do had you still been working. Look into the 3 ways and apply them if you get the chance. No more minding the gap!