Resume Help: The Wrong Way to Handle a Career Break
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Marlo is quite self-conscious about her eight-year career break. Like many parents, especially mothers, she took a hiatus to raise her two children. When her children were of school age, she decided to return to work. She is so worried about showing that she was filling her time with worthy pursuits (other than raising her children). That is what drove her to prominently feature a “Career Break” section at the very top of her resume.
This top section is in the high-value section of the resume. Often a reader will quickly glance at the top of a resume. If they don’t like what they read, they may eliminate that candidate. If they are intrigued, they will continue reading. For that reason, I would not recommend creating and placing this career break explanation in such a high-profile part of the resume. The reason is not because a career break is seen as a negative thing. It is because this information does not support the candidate’s career goal. A career break section is an unnecessary defensive move.
Another issue is that she leads with the line, “Elected to take an eight-year break…” Employers are not concerned about a candidate’s personal choice. It is not a bad thing to break and it is very common to break to raise a family. However, it is not something to feature at the top of the resume.
In Marlo’s case, I recommend that she moves those experiences to appropriate sections on page two or the bottom of her resume. Sections such as “Community Service” and “Professional Development” are suitable places to include most of that information.
Are there exceptions to placing career break experience near the top of the resume? Yes, there are. If a candidate performed duties within her career path or held a leadership role or for a charity or other organization for a significant period of time (several months, rather than a one-weekend event). In that case you would label it as “Community Leadership” or something else that matches the experience. However, it should not be labeled as a career break – ever. If you list recent experience in a “Community Leadership” section near the top, place it after the “Summary” and after a “Core Competencies” section. Present it as you would any paid job on your resume. Give an overview of your responsibilities and bullets with your major accomplishments. Include measured results too.
Remember, a break to raise your children is a good and noble experience. However, on a resume, be strategic with the way you present your experience. A resume is a marketing document to feature your accomplishments, skills, and experience most relevant to your target employer. Craft your resume to feature those top selling points.
If you have questions about your career path or your resume, contact me. For more resume help, check out these blog entries.