| Are you wondering how to handle a time gap or two | | | | effect of making him look very unstable since he |
| on your resume? Or maybe you had a couple of jobs | | | | generally did not stay on any consulting project more |
| that were pretty short in duration, and you don't | | | | than a year or two. |
| want employers to rule you out because of that. | | | | Omit positions that lasted only three months or less. |
| In this competitive job market you want to do | | | | The general rule of resume writing is that it is not |
| everything you can to reassure employers that you | | | | necessary to list positions of such short duration. |
| are the right person for the job, but if you have a | | | | Fill in gaps in the resume by listing volunteer, contract, |
| few minor blemishes on your work history, those | | | | and part-time work. I have written resumes for |
| issues could prevent you from progressing in the | | | | several clients who have not had full-time |
| selection process of candidates. | | | | employment in two to three years as a result of the |
| This issue of a steady work history has become | | | | recession. I probe to find out if they have done any |
| more prevalent as a result of the economic downturn | | | | type of work-related activities during that time that |
| of the last couple of years. Many executives and | | | | we can highlight. It is almost the kiss of death to |
| professionals who had a solid work history up until | | | | leave gaps on the resume that are unexplained. |
| recently now find themselves having to explain a lack | | | | If you are actively involved in board memberships, |
| of full-time employment over an extended period of | | | | you can put that down as experience. Or maybe you |
| time. | | | | participate in the local chapter of your professional |
| Here are some practical tips for addressing such | | | | association. It could be that you are one of many |
| issues on the resume: | | | | professionals doing consulting work until you find that |
| Group your jobs under one position if you have been | | | | next full-time job. All of these experiences can be |
| doing consulting work. Many people use their first and | | | | listed under your work history. |
| last names for the name of their consulting | | | | Only list years, not months for dates of employment. |
| organization (i.e., James Smith Consulting Group). It | | | | Putting the months along with the years on your |
| makes the resume much crisper and cleaner to | | | | resume only emphasizes how long (or how not so |
| summarize consulting jobs under one position and | | | | long) you were at any given position. Listing only the |
| combine the dates for all of the consulting work | | | | years can smooth over gaps of a few months |
| rather than listing them all separately. | | | | between jobs. If someone worked at a job from |
| I had one client who listed every consulting job he | | | | November of 2008 to June of 2009, for example, |
| had for the last 10 to 15 years. It was nearly | | | | putting 2008 to 2009 looks much better than making |
| impossible to keep the resume to two pages using | | | | it obvious that the person only worked at that |
| this method. And of course it had the unfortunate | | | | position for seven months. |