How to Handle Gaps on your Resume

Most of us have gaps on our resume - periods of time we were unemployed, travelling, taking it easy - whatever.  You need to explain those gaps in your cover letter.  As a recruiter receiving hundreds of resumes for a single job, I am not going to try to figure out what you have been doing.  If you were laid off, no problem but say so.  The end goal is, of course, to stay employed for as long as possible but sometimes it really is out of your hands.

If you quit a job without having another job to go to, you are going to want to have a very good reason.  If your reason is because your manager was crazy and you couldn't stand him, tell the recruiter that while you enjoyed your position and all of the people you worked with, you just felt it was time for you to move on and you wanted to take a little time off to go home and see your family before taking on a new challenge. 

*** One very important piece of advice - Don't bad-mouth your manager or company.  No one will hire you if you do that.  Learn the art of diplomacy and exercise that art freely.

If you are looking for positions that one might consider a departure from what seems to have been your chosen path, for example, you have been an IT Help Desk Support person for the past 10 years but are now applying for Customer Service positions, you need to explain yourself in your cover letter.  Be honest with the recruiter - she will only appreciate it.  She may not call you because she does not feel you are the best fit for the job, but at least you have been up-front and she will hold your resume for other positions that become available.