Transform career breaks into resume highlights by focusing on skill development, showcasing freelance work, quantifying achievements, reflecting on career growth, including volunteer work, updating qualifications, engaging in professional networks, opting for a functional resume format, detailing project work, and sharing personal passions. These strategies demonstrate proactivity, commitment, and continuous professional growth.
How Can You Turn a Career Break into a Strong Resume Highlight?
Transform career breaks into resume highlights by focusing on skill development, showcasing freelance work, quantifying achievements, reflecting on career growth, including volunteer work, updating qualifications, engaging in professional networks, opting for a functional resume format, detailing project work, and sharing personal passions. These strategies demonstrate proactivity, commitment, and continuous professional growth.
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How Should You Update Your Resume After a Career Break?
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Emphasize Skill Development
Develop New Skills During Your Break: Turn your career break into a resume highlight by focusing on the new skills you learned during your time off. Whether you took online courses, learned a new language, or developed a new technical skill, make sure to include these on your resume. This shows you were proactive about your personal and professional development even when not working in a traditional role.
Highlight Freelance Work
Showcase Freelance or Consultancy Work: If you did any freelance, consulting work, or even voluntary projects relevant to your field during your career break, make sure these experiences are prominently featured on your resume. This demonstrates your continued involvement in your industry and your ability to manage and complete projects independently.
Focus on Achievements
Quantify Achievements During the Break: Wherever possible, add achievements or outcomes from your career break that could be relevant to your future job. Did you start a blog that gained a significant following? Did you lead a community project that had a measurable impact? Quantify these achievements to show your contributions and impact clearly.
Reflect on Career Growth
Articulate Personal Growth and New Perspectives: Use your cover letter or an interview to speak about how the career break allowed you to reflect on your career path, develop a clearer sense of direction, and gain fresh perspectives. Employers appreciate candidates who are self-aware and purposeful about their career choices.
Volunteer Experience
Incorporate Volunteer Work: If you engaged in volunteer work related to your field (or even if it was outside your field but developed transferable skills), include this on your resume. Highlight leadership roles, project management experience, and any new skills acquired, illustrating a commitment to growth and community engagement.
Update Your Qualifications
Acquire New Certifications or Education: If during your break, you completed any professional courses, obtained certifications, or pursued further education, add these to your resume's education or qualifications section. These advancements show a commitment to staying updated and enhancing your expertise in your profession.
Networking and Professional Associations
Mention Professional Engagement: Being active in professional organizations or attending industry networking events during your career break can serve as an excellent resume addition. It indicates you stayed engaged with industry trends and highlights your ongoing commitment to your professional growth and network expansion.
Rearrange Your Resume Format
Use a Functional Resume Format: If your career break was extended, consider using a functional resume format instead of a chronological one. This format allows you to focus on your skills and accomplishments rather than the timeline of your career, helping to draw attention away from any gaps.
Project-Based Work
Detail Any Projects Undertaken: Whether personal or professional, detailing projects worked on during your career break can be highly beneficial. Describe the scope, your role, skills utilized and developed, and any tangible outcomes. This approach shows initiative, creativity, and the ability to see a project through from start to finish.
Personal Projects and Passions
Share Personal Projects and Passions: If your career break involved pursuing personal passions or projects that have relevance to your career goals (e.g., starting a small business, building a personal website or app), make sure these are included. They can serve as evidence of entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and self-motivation, qualities that are attractive to many employers.
What else to take into account
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