If you've been out of work for a while, it can be difficult to figure out how to show off your skills on your resume. But if you're looking for a new job and have gaps in your employment history, it's time to get creative. Here are some tips for creating an eye-catching resume that makes the most of any gaps in your work history:
Use the right formatting
When you're creating a resume, it's important to use proper formatting. Make sure your font is easy to read and use bullet points in place of long paragraphs. Use bold and italics for emphasis, but only if they will help convey your message or highlight important information.
List your skills and experience in reverse chronological order--that is, starting with the most recent job on down through each previous employer until you get to high school or college jobs. Include the name of the employer, job title and dates worked there (or start with an objective statement).
Tailor your resume to the job you're applying for
The first thing you should do when writing your resume is to tailor it to the job you are applying for. This means using keywords from the job description, matching your skills and experience with those required by the employer, and using a resume template designed for that specific type of position.
If you use a generic resume for every job application without customizing it first, chances are high that you will end up sending an ineffective document that does not highlight all of your strengths or get noticed by employers who want someone just like them (you).
Focus on your strengths, not on what you don't want to do
When you're trying to show off your skills during a gap in your work history, it's important not to focus on what you don't want to do. Instead, focus on the things that make you great at your job and use those strengths as talking points for why hiring managers should hire you over other candidates.
For example, if one of your biggest strengths is writing blog posts or articles for an online publication (like this one), then highlight that experience instead of saying "I'm looking for something where I can write articles." This way, if they like what they see in person and want more information about how good of an employee they would be able to get by hiring them--they'll find out right away that their resume was accurate!
Find a way to show off your skills during a gap in your work history
You can use a resume to show off your skills and accomplishments during a gap in your work history. If you don't have any experience or job history to put on your resume, try highlighting some of the things that made up for it. For example:
I took classes at night school or online during my time off from work. This demonstrates that even though I wasn't working full-time, I still worked hard at finding ways to improve myself and my career prospects.
I volunteered at an animal shelter two days per week while looking for full-time employment opportunities; this shows how much commitment and motivation I have when it comes to finding new jobs so that I can provide for myself financially again!
Don't be afraid to use your personal network
One of the most important things you can do during your time away from work is use your personal network to find jobs. Your friends and family may be able to help with this process, but don't stop there!
If you're trying to get back into a career after a gap in employment, consider reaching out directly to people who have worked at companies similar to yours. They could point you towards opportunities that aren't advertised publicly yet or offer advice on how best to re-enter the workforce.
If all else fails, ask around for recommendations from people who know what they're doing when it comes down hiring new employees (like recruiters).
You can overcome gaps in your work history with creativity and discipline. Your resume is the first thing a potential employer will see, so you'll want to make sure it stands out from the crowd.
In order to overcome gaps in your work history, you need to be creative and disciplined. You can't just write off a gap as something that happened to you and expect it not to affect your career prospects. Instead, you need to find ways of showing off your skills during this time period so that potential employers will see past their concerns about what they don't know about these gaps--and focus instead on what they do know: that despite being unemployed or underemployed for an extended period of time (or even years!), you're still qualified for some jobs out there because of all those other experiences that might not show up on paper at first glance but still matter when considering candidates for employment opportunities!
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