Last updated on Sep 17, 2024

You're facing gaps in your resume during networking events. How can you address them effectively?

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Selected by the community from 15 contributions. Learn more

Dr. Dianne Tsen (曾小轩)

Top Brand Strategy Voice | Top Personal Branding Voice | GRI Certified Sustainability Professional | Corporate Trainer…
Dia Drame

Founder & CEO of MindBrown | Mckinsey's Forward Program Alumna | Trend Forecasting | Brand Management |
Eva Au

🚀 Growth Architect | Technology Advocate | Engaging Global Leader | Executive Coach |

Confronted with gaps in your resume during networking? Spin them into narratives of personal development and learning. To tackle this:

- Emphasize skills gained during those periods, whether through freelance projects, courses, or personal endeavors.

- Be honest but positive about the reasons for the gaps, such as family commitments or exploring new career paths.

- Prepare a brief explanation that focuses on how these experiences have prepared you for future roles.

Curious to hear how others have turned their career pauses into compelling stories?

Add your perspective

Dr. Dianne Tsen (曾小轩)

Top Brand Strategy Voice | Top Personal Branding Voice | GRI Certified Sustainability Professional | Corporate Trainer | Image & Etiquette Professional (AICI CIP) | NLP Practitioner | Author |
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Indeed it is crucial to be honest and positive. Don't be shy about your reasons for taking time out. Instead, focus on the skills and experiences you gained during that time, such as volunteering or freelancing, and how they’ve contributed to your professional growth. For example, if you took time off for personal development, highlight how completing a certification or gaining new industry knowledge has made you a stronger candidate with a fresh perspective.

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Dia Drame

Founder & CEO of MindBrown | Mckinsey's Forward Program Alumna | Trend Forecasting | Brand Management |
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Les engagements familiaux sont souvent mis en cause: maternité, éducation des enfants, paradoxalement problèmes financier..... Parfois il s'agit de périodes de chômage, d'années sabbatique.... Les raisons des lacunes dans les CV peuvent être diverses mais elle joue un rôle essentiel dans la construction et la direction prise dans une carrière professionnelle: Une mère peut prendre la decision de devenir entrepreneure en créant une marque de vêtement pour enfants, Un étudiant peut décider de créer une start up; les examples sont nombreux. Ces périodes d'inactivité nous donne l'occasion d'avoir une introspection personnelle sur la direction qu'on veut donner à notre vie avant de se lancer sur le marché du travail.

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Eva Au

🚀 Growth Architect | Technology Advocate | Engaging Global Leader | Executive Coach |
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When discussing resume gaps at networking events, focus on your skills and experiences rather than the gaps themselves. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, don't be confined by job titles and force yourself to a corner. Highlight what you’ve learned and achieved during those periods, whether through professional projects or personal activities. This approach showcases your proactive nature and growth, making your professional narrative more engaging and robust. It is your diverse experiences that define your capabilities, not the chronological order of your jobs.

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Samina Parveen

Building Founder strong Presence on LinkedIn with brand & Content strategy | Personal branding Strategist
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Be honest about the reason for the career gap.Write down skills you learnt during that time. (soft skills, freelancing, volunteer). Align them with the required job.

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Marie Plassard

Founder of Bloom Advisory - Personal Branding for Premium CEOs - Surpass your glass ceiling with vertical videos in 1 shooting/month.
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Resume gaps aren't career killers: They're plot twists in your success story. I've seen countless luxury execs turn "time off" into their secret weapon. Best example? David Salomon, aka Goldman Sachs' CEO. He swaps his suit for a DJ turntable in his spare time. Your "gap" is your power move: Freelanced? You're adaptable. Traveled? You're cultured. Cared for family? You're devoted. We all rather prefer people who lived, not just worked.

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You're facing gaps in your resume during networking events. How can you address them effectively?

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You're facing gaps in your resume during networking events. How can you address them effectively?

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