Hi L.P.

I’m so glad you reached out to us. The fact that you're thinking strategically about how to present yourself to employers says a lot about how you’re approaching the process of restarting.

Your question about the resume gap is one we hear very often at CAC. Yet, while this is a common concern, it is also true that because of ongoing challenges with the economy and job market more and more people have gaps on their resume for reasons not related to their health. This may help you stay focused on the skills and experiences you have that really matter most.

Here are a few practical tips managing the gap on your resume:

- It is commonplace now for skills or core competencies to be at the top of your resume. In this case, it helps to focus the hiring manager’s attention to your abilities before they ever get to the timeline.

- Listing any volunteer work, courses you took and/or certifications you completed during your gap in employment can help offset it on the page. They can be framed in a way that lets the reader know you’ve been intentional in your use of time. If you haven’t already taken any courses, don’t worry – you can start now. There are many free options available online and through local libraries that can help you re-engage and build your skillset.

- Listing your experience with years-only (rather than month and year) is standard practice with resumes and doing so can help to reduce how large a gap appears without misrepresenting anything.

Also, we typically advise people not to disclose their cancer history on their resume or in a cover letter. Since these are static documents, often uploaded to a portal, there is no opportunity for the person reviewing to see how vibrant, engaged and brilliant you are.  If it is important to you to disclose your cancer history or current health status prior to starting a job, we recommend waiting until you’re into the interview process. This lets the hiring manager get a sense of who you are in person. How you answer questions, process information, your sense of humor and other aspects of you show up are all things that can’t be fully communicated in writing and are critical pieces of what you offer as a job candidate. It also gives you time to gauge the company culture and how you feel about what you are learning about the role and the team as you proceed through the interview process.

It is important to remember there is generally no requirement to bring up your health or health history during an interview, so if you’re asked about the gap you don’t need to go into detail. Using a verbal technique we call The Swivel can help you address the subject briefly, and confidently while keeping the conversation moving forward. The key to Swiveling is to make sure the language feels comfortable and natural to you, so be sure to practice. You can learn more about the Swive technique here.

I’ve also included some additional CAC Resources below that you may find helpful as you navigate your job search. I and the CAC team will be here if you have any additional questions.

Articles & Publications

Minding the Resume Gap

“The Swivel” in Interviews
Interviewing Methods & Tips

Looking for Work

Publication (available as PDF or hard copy): Job Search Toolkit

 Upcoming Events

Full-day Virtual Event: National Conference on Work & Cancer

Balancing Work & Cancer Webinar: Networking: Unlock New Opportunities

 Archived Webinars

First Impressions: Resumes and LinkedIn

Career Shifting: Tips, Tools & Techniques

Marketing Yourself: Job Search and Beyond

Job Search Tools: Using AI Strategically

 Resources

Free Resume Review Service offers personalized guidance from an expert career coach to get your resume into top shape