Addressing Employment Gaps on your CV

Addressing career breaks on a CV is important when it comes to finding work in South Africa again. Whether you were made redundant, fell ill, or had to look after someone else, there are ways of filling those gaps that can increase your likelihood of getting hired. To do this effectively on your curriculum vitae (CV), here are some strategies you could use.

Tell the truth

The first thing to do when addressing employment gaps on your CV is to tell the truth. You have to be honest about why you weren’t working for a certain period of time. This includes being open with an employer if they ask why there’s nothing listed under one section or another – don’t try and hide it as this will probably make them suspicious! What’s more, rather than gloss over any joblessness (which could lead potential employers into thinking that something dodgy was going on), talk through what happened in detail; focusing instead upon positive steps taken afterward.

Emphasize Applicable Talents and Background

There may be holes in your work history; however, it is very possible that you have learned many useful talents and gained a lot of knowledge during that time. It could be that you were doing volunteer work, freelancing or taking care of family members. If so, explain what skills or experiences you gained while being away from employment. Concentrate on transferrable skills needed for the position applied for and stress your capacity to perform well in such a role.

Opt for a Functional CV Format

A functional CV format can be used to bring out your skills, achievements, and qualifications more effectively than the traditional chronologically arranged resume format. In this type of curriculum vitae (CV) design, what takes precedence over everything else is what one has accomplished as well as their abilities; not how they have progressed through different jobs over time. Therefore, it makes it easier to downplay gaps in employment while at the same time highlighting one’s strong areas. On top of your CV provide a summary of qualifications followed by a detailed description of the relevant experience(s) gained plus achievements made during them.

Conclusion

To conclude, it is important for South African job seekers to deal with employment gaps on their resume when attempting to get back into work. This means that you must tell the truth about why you were not working; emphasize skills and experience that are useful in the current position; use the functional format of a CV, if necessary; and be ready to talk about this issue at interviews. If these steps are followed through there is more likelihood that they will secure employment. It should always be kept in mind that every person has had breaks in their career path before but what matters most is how one handles them while looking for another job or opportunity.