How Do I Approach Employment Gaps on My Resume?

By Kyla Hensley for HHUSA’s Serving Spouses Program

It’s that time again. Your service member received orders for another PCS, and on the neverending to-do list that accompanies the move is “find a new job.” You feel the dread and the flood of worry about having yet another gap on your resume. 

I must have PCS on the brain because my family’s next relocation is just a few months around the corner. Thankfully, I can take my laptop and my job with me this time, but I’ve been in that uncertain situation before. It can be daunting to face job searching as a military spouse when we relocate so often. 

Here are three tips to enhance your resume, even if you have employment gaps due to military life. It’s important to note, these resume types do not pertain to federal employment applications, as that process requires a different type of resume altogether.  

1. Choose Your Resume Format 

Depending on your work history, the type of resume format you choose can make a vital difference. A reverse chronological resume is the most common and accepted version. This format starts with your most recent position and works backward for the last 10 years of work history.

A functional resume highlights relevant skills as opposed to listing the jobs or employers where you learned those skills. This type of resume is not preferred, so it’s typically only used if you have no work history at all or no employment history within the last 10 years. But don’t fret, make a list of the relevant skills you see listed in the job description and include information about how you gained those skills, even if it wasn’t in a typical work setting. 

A combination resume is just what it sounds like: it’s a combo of the two above. A combination resume includes a mix of skills that are relevant to the specific job you’re applying for in addition to your work history. If you haven’t held a role in the last few years, or if you are making a bit of an industry shift, this could be a good option for you. 

2. Showcase Your Most Important Skills 

Yes, resumes need to have a clean aesthetic but don’t forget to add a little creativity. It’s important to show employers the qualifications they are asking for right up front, and this could be a great way to highlight why you’re qualified, while minimizing any employment gaps you may have. Did you work at a job several years ago that qualifies you for the position you’re seeking? Think about adding a “Relevant Experience” section followed by a “Work History” section. The goal of the resume is to show the employer how undeniably qualified you are and have it listed in a way that’s easy for the reader to find the information they are looking for. Remember, your resume needs to pass the “10-Second Test.”

3. Mind the Gap 

There are alternative ways to fill employment gaps on your resume. As I mentioned in last month’s article, paid positions are not the only experience to include on your resume. Even if you weren’t showing up to a place of work every day, what else were you doing during this time? Did you volunteer for your Soldier and Family Readiness Group? Did you volunteer at your kid’s school? Did you actively pursue a degree or certification? Did you take online training courses? Each of these examples and others can be listed on your resume to fill employment gaps. It is important to show employers you enhanced your skills, collaborated with teams, and demonstrated a strong work ethic.

I hope this helps you along in your job search journey as a milspouse, and I wish you a happy and safe next PCS whenever that comes. May all (and I stress the word all here) your household goods arrive on time and in one piece!

Kyla is a Transition Specialist with the Serving Spouses Team at Hire Heroes USA. Her husband is active duty U.S. Army, so she understands the challenges and rewards of military life. She is an active member of the military community and volunteers her time to be involved in local family readiness efforts. Her career working with the military began at an Army Education Center in Germany. She then worked with the Army Career Skills Program and has since found her home with Hire Heroes USA. She has dedicated herself, personally and professionally, to supporting our service members and their families. She enjoys getting to know her clients individually to help them achieve their career goals and find meaningful work the same way she has. She has helped 250 veterans and military spouses find employment since joining Hire Heroes USA in 2019.