CGC Ebook 5.0

What should I do about gaps in my career history? If you have had short gaps of between a couple of weeks or a few months due to being in between jobs, contracts or minor ill health, there is no need to explain the gap. If you have had caring responsibilities for adults or children, that’s acceptable to state within your work history as a period of voluntary work. If you have been unable to secure work but have done other forms of volunteering than add that in. For larger gaps it may be better to go for a skill-based CV format where the chronology of your work is less important than the abilities you can present to an employer. Often in Skill-based your dates are simply recorded by year and this can support your gap issues. Long gaps may need explaining at interview, so as long as you have sort help to find work, undergone a programme or training during that time or can talk about ill health or caring requirements, an employer is likely to be sympathetic to your situation.

Should I pay for a professional CV? Paying for a CV writer might sound like a quick win but until you have had some careers advice you might find all they have done is to reconstitute your document but without really understanding where you are going with it. The analogy would be the cart before the horse. The other concern is that often CV writers will add language and shape to the CV that is not you. If you are after a simple freshen up, then this might be a good option but if you are struggling with the ‘what next?’, consider getting some qualified careers advice to help you in the process.

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