Lets face it. If you have been unemployed for a long time now, you probably do not have the required confidence level to gather yourself up and go out looking for another job. On the other hand, there could be a number of reasons why you took that break in the first place. Nobody is expected to work continuously until their retirement. However, when it comes to explaining why you took a gap from employment can be a little tricky, since your interviewer will be on a high alert while talking to you. Lets take a look how you can land a job after an employment gap.
Be honest
The first thing you need to make sure is maintaining honesty throughout your interview. Whether you have an embarrassing reason, or whether it was an emergency situation let your interviewer know why that break was taken. More than the answer, your interviewer will appreciate that you are not hiding anything and maintaining transparency.
Start off slow
Just like running a marathon, sculpting a pot, or writing a novel, start things off slow and steady. If you’ve been out of work for a while, you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with everything at once. Make a list of all the things you need to do in your job search and consistently knock one or two off the list every day. Once you get back in the swing of things, you’ll find that you don’t need a list anymore, and you won’t be burnt out either.
Do your research
Take the attention away from yourself for a moment, and start researching about the company you’re planning to join. Companies fall in and out of favor, profits fluctuate, and processes change all the time. Do some research and learn where your unique skills and experience fit best, and how they can create a competitive advantage for you in the job hunt.
Re-build
If you haven’t been job hunting since more than a month or two, you’ll need to rebuild your job search tool kit. Look at your resume, your portfolio, personal website, and even your professional wardrobe. Some things may stay the same, but you’ll find you might need to completely re-haul others.
Assess yourself
Before applying for any firm, make sure that you fit the job profile well, or whether you’ll be able to carry out the tasks that are assigned to you or not. Job search requires a great deal of self-evaluation. If it’s been a while since you’ve worked, try to know if the industry demands has changed or are the same. Figure out what skills make you a competitive applicant and which ones are irrelevant. Don’t be too hard on yourself, but honesty is the key.
Living in a city like Mumbai can be tough, especially because of the competitive industries. If you haven’t been working since a while, and require some help finding the right job, consult Unify Search Solutions, one of the leading HR Consultancies in India.
