How to update your resumé — even if you haven't had a job in years

Looking for a job can be daunting at any stage of your career, but if you have a sizable gap in your work history, crafting a convincing resumé can feel like an impossible feat. For recent graduates, a lack of work experience may lead to a long period of unemployment. People who take time away from formal work to look after their children or care for ailing family members may also find themselves explaining a career gap to potential employers.

And with other reasons including returning to school, travel or even burnout, career breaks may be more common than you think.

According to a LinkedIn survey, nearly two-thirds of employees have taken a break at some point in their careers — a stat the platform shared when it launched "Career Breaks" as an option for users' online work profiles to help them highlight the value gained during their time away from the workforce. 

Plus, in this post-pandemic economy, we're seeing a shift in how people approach work, and companies are taking note. Some companies are even offering sabbatical benefits for employees seeking out-of-work experience, helping them clarify their career goals.

Still, despite this shift, 57 per cent of Canadians feel there is still a stigma around taking a career break, and just over half believe career breaks on a resumé make candidates less attractive to hiring managers. Perhaps rightfully so: that same LinkedIn survey found that one in five hiring managers still viewed gaps in work history as unfavourable, particularly when left unexplained.

So, how can you navigate career gaps and market yourself as best as possible to potential employers?

Honesty is the best policy

When it comes to breaks in employment, "It's always best to be open and transparent," said Mehreen Khan, a certified executive resumé writer and HR and communications specialist. This sets a good precedent, she said, and shows your character as an honest employee. "The employer doesn't want surprises.… It brings up a question of 'What else could you be hiding?'" 

Employment gaps can be included in chronological order under your "Work Experience" section as a distinct "Career Break" subsection, with a few bullet points explaining the reason for the gap. "Focus on the work you did during the time that you were away from employment," said Khan. This could be volunteering, community work, philanthropy or formal training including micro-credentials (short-term, intensive courses offered by many companies, colleges and universities).

Nadine Deacon, director of talent acquisition at Nicola Wealth, a Canadian wealth management company, said that sharing how you kept up your skills during the break is also important. "If you put your efforts in other places, you should really highlight that in your resumé to show the employer that you're eager to learn, [that] you keep up-to-date in terms of industry knowledge or even self-development," she said.

Show off your transferable skills

Career pauses for parenting or caregiving involve growth and learning that can be marketed on your resumé, too. After all, those roles involve critical skills such as organization, time management, communication and conflict resolution. "Having kids makes you more mature," Khan said. "It helps you build all these skills," also known as transferable skills, which can be applied across different domains, professional and otherwise.

According to Deacon, hiring managers look for skills that are not only relevant to a particular role but also those that are generally desirable. "Quite often, we look at someone who is very curious, who can come in and ask a lot of questions to figure out the business. Someone who's driven," she said.

Deacon believes companies are becoming more progressive in their thinking about parental leave and career gaps for those re-entering the workforce after caring for family. She shared the story of an employee at her company who switched industries after spending 13 years raising her children and successfully climbed the career ladder to become a senior vice president.  

First impressions matter

Khan stressed the importance of staying up-to-date on resumé layouts and best practices. "It's good to research and see what templates are current right now," she said. Make sure you're following acceptable standards, especially if you're switching to a different industry or career, advises Khan. She warns that using photos, colours and graphics may come across "as if you're trying to almost hide or cover something up by making it look very pretty" (unless, of course, you're in an industry like graphic design where that's part of the job).

Beyond esthetics, Khan suggests including an "Objectives" summary paragraph at the top of your resumé, where you essentially "sell yourself" in two to three concise sentences. But, avoid a common mistake here, she cautions: "A lot of times, people will just indicate what they're looking for [in a position], but the employer [is] not here to serve your needs and make sure that you get ahead in your career." It's up to you to highlight why you're the best choice for them, she said. "Be very smart about every word you use and every accomplishment you share [in this section]."

Deacon adds that you want to avoid a resumé that flows poorly or is extremely long. Hiring managers often sift through hundreds of resumés a week, she said. "Sometimes, we'll get six pages and it's just a lot, with a lot of context … [and you're] doing yourself a disservice." Your resumé should be clear and concise, she said. According to the experts, two pages is a good length for those in mid-career roles. "For senior-level roles, four pages should be the maximum," said Khan.

Prepare your online presence for views

One way to get around space limitations is to use technology to your advantage. "Technology really runs the show when it comes to recruitment," Khan said, explaining that using an online platform like LinkedIn can be very strategic at a time when you're likely to be looked up by potential employers on Google or social media platforms. Since space is unlimited online, this can be where you showcase your skills and talents in detail and describe all the opportunities you couldn't fit on your standard resumé.

Khan also noted, "Make sure that your [LinkedIn] headline is updated and your bio section is current. If you're open to work, make sure you display that banner so recruiters can know you're looking for work," she said, referring to the "Open to Work" banner that can be added to your LinkedIn profile photo, increasing your visibility to potential employers. This way, instead of you finding a job, you increase your chances of the job finding you. 

Learn to work with AI and ATS 

The evolution of technology has changed not only the way we work but also the way we find work. Artificial intelligence interfaces like ChatGPT have been heralded as game-changers in many industries. Deacon notes that AI is a good tool that can help with various parts of work, including resumé building, but both she and Khan agree that using it to craft an entire resumé is not ideal. 

"AI is a language model, and a lot of times, the language it uses is very easily recognizable that it wasn't written by a human," Khan said. "It can't really … understand your skills, your competencies [and] your experiences [to] show you in the best light." Khan believes AI can be helpful when brainstorming or selecting more professional language. However, she and Deacon assert that hiring managers are really looking to understand your journey.

For those who do choose to use AI to build their resumé, Deacon suggests not relying too heavily on it to tell your story. "Just ensure you really go in and edit it … personalizing those accomplishments and achievements," she said. "Because that personal aspect is as much, if not more, important than your background."

AI technology has also become a standard part of the hiring process. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are often used as the first review stage before resumés reach a human. The best way to avoid getting filtered out by ATS, said Khan, is to skip using pre-made templates, like those offered on Canva or Etsy. "Templates are often not ATS compliant," she said. "Resumé templates use fonts, tables and text boxes that confuse the ATS." Khan also noted that ATS filters resumés by looking for keywords from the job listing. To enhance your chances of getting through the system, strategically incorporate those keywords throughout your resumé. 

Don't mind the gap

Of course, what you include on your resumé is up to you, and Deacon points out that you should feel comfortable about what you end up sharing there, knowing that the interview stage is where you can get into things more — and that interviewers will generally be understanding. "Having more of a dialogue around it is sometimes really helpful as well," Deacon said, "but I would say in general, like, life happens and we all understand."