How Do I explain my year off of work?
Q: After more than a year's absence from the work scene, where my last job was deputy education director of a large professional organization, I am now considered ready to begin work again. How do I explain this absence? G.L., Montreal
A: We all have gaps in our careers. This is often a challenging issue to deal with, but it is not as unusual as you might think.
I have seen many examples of where a person took time off to travel or spend time with their children, or took a break from work for other personal choices. What makes your situation unique is the health aspect. Don't get into specifics in your cover letter or the resume. This would be inappropriate and would leave far too much room for misinterpretation. You can leave the dates on your resume, and if it comes up, deal with the time issue in the interview.
One important step is to get your references in order so they can back you up on your professional results and why you left. (Canada has privacy laws about the release of medical information to employers, and you may want to review these rules before you go to any interviews.)
One exercise you can do is to write down why you left and why you are back in the market. The process of writing it down will help you organize your thoughts and put together a message that flows and is truthful.
Do your job search the same way you would have in the past: Touch base with all your connections, pay attention to job boards and go about your search with confidence.
Personal confidence is often one of the biggest issues to deal with when moving back into the workforce. You need to be aware of this and protect your confidence along the job search. One great resource is the book Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End by Rosabeth Moss Kanter (Crown Books, 416 pp., $27.97). She really nails this issue and offers some good sound advice.
In addition, make sure that physically you are 100% sound, as the new job and related stress may take some toll on you. Build up your reserves and get yourself ready to achieve the kind of success you have had in the past.
A: We all have gaps in our careers. This is often a challenging issue to deal with, but it is not as unusual as you might think.
I have seen many examples of where a person took time off to travel or spend time with their children, or took a break from work for other personal choices. What makes your situation unique is the health aspect. Don't get into specifics in your cover letter or the resume. This would be inappropriate and would leave far too much room for misinterpretation. You can leave the dates on your resume, and if it comes up, deal with the time issue in the interview.
One important step is to get your references in order so they can back you up on your professional results and why you left. (Canada has privacy laws about the release of medical information to employers, and you may want to review these rules before you go to any interviews.)
One exercise you can do is to write down why you left and why you are back in the market. The process of writing it down will help you organize your thoughts and put together a message that flows and is truthful.
Do your job search the same way you would have in the past: Touch base with all your connections, pay attention to job boards and go about your search with confidence.
Personal confidence is often one of the biggest issues to deal with when moving back into the workforce. You need to be aware of this and protect your confidence along the job search. One great resource is the book Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End by Rosabeth Moss Kanter (Crown Books, 416 pp., $27.97). She really nails this issue and offers some good sound advice.
In addition, make sure that physically you are 100% sound, as the new job and related stress may take some toll on you. Build up your reserves and get yourself ready to achieve the kind of success you have had in the past.
posted by Alan Kearns at 12:42 PM
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