Mind the Gap - Constructing a Professional Resume After a Career Break

Thinking of returning to work after a career break? Before you start looking for a job, you will need to update or create a new resume.This can seem a daunting task if it has been a while since you were in paid employment and life has been more about diapers than database management. However, don't despair, follow these straightforward tips to constructing a professional resume.

• Your resume is designed to give a recruiter a snapshot of your life and work experience to date. As such, it should be a living document that you are always updating and/or tailoring to the role to which you are applying.


• The length of a resume may vary from anywhere between 1 and 10 pages (consultants may need length to detail their projects) but for most people, 2 or 3 pages is plenty.


• Make sure your resume is concise and easy to read, recruiters view hundreds weekly, your most relevant information has got to POP!


• Most importantly remember to put your name and contact details. Sounds obvious but you would be surprised how many people painstakingly put together the perfect resume but forget to include their telephone number.


• You don't need to put your age and don't include a photo unless the application requires it or you really think it is to your advantage. It might make you stand out but might influence the recruiter's decision-making. If you do include a photo, make sure it's good quality and reflects your corporate persona. No glamour shots here!


• Include all relevant qualifications with most recent or most relevant first. As your work experience grows, high school qualifications become less relevant so don't feel you have to continue to list every grade unless a school leaver or recent graduate.


• List your work experience with most recent experience first and include the company name and dates of employment.


• Include a quick overview of the company - e.g. "mid-sized financial services firm", "family run bakery".


• Bullet point your duties. Concise bullet points are much more effective than lengthy paragraphs.


• List your most relevant duties first. This might need to be adapted if you are applying for roles in different fields or you may need to have a number of differently focused resumes.


• Where possible, list your reason for leaving a company (e.g. maternity leave, redundancy, looking for new challenge etc).


• You might also like to list your most outstanding achievements. You can do this under a separate heading or under each work experience entry. E.g. "Voted employee of the month five times in a year", "I was instrumental in gaining a preferred supplier agreement with a large insurance company" etc.


• Include references if possible as they strengthen your application.


• Think carefully about whom you ask to be referee. You need to ensure they will give you a positive or at least a fair review. At the same time, if they are actually your best friend, a recruiter will soon suss that out too.


• Make sure you prepare a referee by asking for their permission before putting their name and contact details down. If possible tell them the kind of job you are looking for and the kind of details you think are relevant.


• It is not always necessary to include interests and hobbies. If you don't have much work experience, it can help to fill out the CV and maybe can add a bit more context.


• Be aware that interests may be judged either positively or negatively by a recruiter based on their own likes and dislikes (consciously or unconsciously). If you want to include this section, make sure it adds value.


• Spell check and ask some-one to read your resume over before sending it out. No point saying you have "excellent attention to detail" if your resume is littered with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors!


• A good resume can mean the difference between getting the interview or not...if you are not confident in your writing skills, get professional help...it is worth the investment.

Gaps and Maternity Leave

This can be a tricky one if you have not worked for a few years. However, you need to ensure you resume explains your life up to the present and try to explain any gaps in employment because if you don't, the recruiter might see this as a red flag.

It is OK to indicate that you were engaged in home duties, on maternity leave or made redundant. Don't lie about this either because this becomes very obvious at interview. If you have held any unpaid positions of responsibility during this time (e.g. PTA chairperson) you might like to include these. Likewise if you have run any small businesses from home, carried out volunteer work or managed investments. Think about the relevance for the role you are applying for - helping out at the tuck shop might not be relevant for a role as financial adviser but might help a retail or customer service application. Writing a blog might not help your chances as a call center manager but could aid you to secure a copy-writing position.

Generally, keep this section brief, the intention is to explain the valid reasons for your apparent "gap" in employment without pigeon-holing yourself as a "cuddly Mommy"!