Be Honest about Employment Gaps

Here are a few tips on how to tackle some of the holes in your career

List consulting, self-employment and volunteer work: If the amount of time between jobs was lengthy, it's helpful to show that you were doing something productive to maintain or hone your skills. Whether you worked as a freelancer or consultant, or did volunteer work for a community organisation or non-profit, you should consider listing this activity and outlining the experience you gained from it. If you chaired a major fundraiser for a civic organisation or helped run a food pantry or clothing exchange, consider putting this information in a section at the bottom of your resume entitled "Additional Experience."

List positions and employment dates by year only: If you were laid off and out of work for only a few months, include just the years you were employed at each job. This is especially useful if you were laid off from more than one employer and if your periods of unemployment were relatively brief. Your resume should list your employment history in reverse chronological order along with your accomplishments.