How to address an employment gap in your resume

How to address an employment gap in your resumeHow to address an employment gap in your resumeYou made it to the interview, but you know theres aglaring employment gap on your resume. Heres how to talk about it the right way.Dont be sorry about your storyThis isnt a good idea.Kim Isaacs, Resume Writing Services Director and Resume Writer at Resume Power and former Monster Resume Expert, writes on the Monster site about why this is important to keep in mind.If youve been out of work because you raised a family, continued your education, cared for a sick family member, or recovered from an injury, be sure your tone is not apologetic. Theres nothing wrong with being out of work for whatever reason, and a negative attitude might affect your resumes quality, she writes.How to talk about taking time off to travelBe sure to focus on the right things.Sjoerd Gehring, the Global Head of Recruiting at Johnson Johnson, writes in The Muse about how to talk about a gap caused by you resigning to backpack around the world.The key with this one is to focus on how traveling contributed to your personal development, rather than how much fun you had schlepping around the world with nothing but a backpack and a smile. If you took on any paid or volunteer work during this time, concentrate your response on the additional personal and professional skills its given you, he writes.Dont badmouth a former workplaceThis is never a good idea.Bronwen Hann, President and Senior Partner at Argentus Supply Chain Recruiting, writes on LinkedIn that you need to keep it positive when talking about why you left your job before the gap.Explanations that scream I didnt like my previous employer dont look good. Hiring managers might just ask why you didnt wait to find a new job before quitting your old one, especially because its easier to find a new job when youre already working, she writes.Make sure youre super prepared to talk about your strengthsIf you dont, who will?Alison Doyle, a career exp ert, author and founder and CEO of CareerToolBelt.com, writes about this in The Balance.In all instances where you need to account for a gap, you should share as much concrete evidence of your success in the jobs prior to the gap and after you resumed employment. Itemize your accomplishments by referring to situations where you intervened, specific actions you took and the results you generated, she writes. Emphasize how your company benefited from your role. If possible, secure recommendations from supervisors to support the explanation you plan to give during the interview.