"After nine years at one company, my position was just eliminated in May . The current state of the job market coupled with my guarded approach about finding a good match is the primary reason for my current unemployment status. If I'm asked about my gap during the interview, should I refer to the current employment trends, or do you think this would be perceived as a "cop-out"?
- Barry
This is a good question Barry.
Although not widespread, there have certainly been the occasional lay off stories this year. Mix this in with a less than vibrant job market and there's bound to be others with undesirable unemployment gaps on their resume.
Here's the deal with regards to covering this during the interview...
- It's all about perception! Make this about you being "discerning, cautious and thoughtful" about your next job move and less about you being a "victim" of a tougher job market. Do you want to come across as someone in control or suffering from misfortune? Focus your "gap" explanation on your job search direction and not the job market. In response to a question about a longer unemployment gap, you could say, "I know it's taking a bit longer than I'd like to get working again, but I'm really taking my time to make sure that the next move I make is the right one. Here's what I am looking for..." or "I want to make sure the next job I take is one I will be able to stay at for a long time. It needs to be the right fit and I need to the right fit for them..."
- Addressing a small gap (anything less than 3 months) - I know it seems like a lifetime to you when you are out of work but don't make a mountain out of a molehill. Being out of work for a few months is not a big deal from any employer's perspective. They won't be eyeballing this as a serious problem and probing you on it during the interview. So don't be insecure about it and certainly don't proactively bring it up and draw attention to it. A month or two gap is completely normal and in a lot of ways might even be expected when switching jobs. Think about it, what does it say about you if you turn around from getting let go and take another new job within 3 weeks (...maybe that you rushed into taking the very first offer you got?). A little bit of a gap can be looked at as a good thing if you articulate it the right way.
- Addressing a long gap (anything over 4 months) - Being unemployed for four, six, eight months is another story. In this scenario, an employer will no doubt be saying to themselves..."something's wrong with this picture". And you will need to provide an explanation or they will assume their own answer. Here are the different categories of reasons you could be out of work for this type of extended period of time: (medical) you were ill or pregnant, (personal) you were caring for a sick family member, (social) you were traveling, (geographic) you were in the process of moving your family, (spousal support) you were accommodating your spouses career, (educational) you were attending school, (market conditions) economy is in a recession or (the sad truth) you're just simply unemployable. If you have a truly long gap, delve into the real reasons why and feel free to share this truth with the company. Trust me, they will understand why you (cared for your father, took a once in a lifetime trip, supported your wife who just got promoted, went back to school, etc...). These are all real answers and although they aren't the ideal thing to admit to a hiring manager, it's better than the alternative of letting them come to the conclusion that no one wants to hire you.
Your unemployment gap is a minute detail of your professional background. Give a brief explanation (only when it is due) and move the emphasis off of this and on to why you are the best candidate for the job.