I was unemployed for nine months in 2008. I could not find a job. I changed careers and went back to school. Now, I am looking for a better job. Do I leave a gap in my time-line? Do I say "Unemployed"? The industry I worked for basically just dried up. What's resume protocol?
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
Do not write "unemployed" on your resume. Leave a gap in your employment history. If you have an interview and they ask about the gap, you can explain then.
rgchappell
There is no shame in using the word unemployed on your resume. These days saying unemployed is almost as common as saying employed. If you do a chronological resume you need to account for any gap in employment. If you lost your job through a layoff say so. If you don't the HR representative will probably ask about the obvious omission. If you lie and the company you are applying to hires you only to discover this fact later they might terminate you for being untruthful. With the exception of being terminated for cause being unemployed will not be viewed by most HR professionals as hampering your abilities.
Cewe
Do not put unemployed. Every company assumes that you are unemployed if you are sending them your resume. Google some examples of resumes to get an idea of how you should structure your resume. Make sure your resume is not longer than a page and include a cover letter. Good luck.
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/sampleresumes/a/sampleresume2.htm
Anonymous
If you were going to school, put "student" for that time frame. Otherwise, just don't put anything. Your "timeline" on a chronological resume just needs to be specific to the year - not to the specific month and day.
Anonymous
Get a pencil. Slightly start at one point, make a curve down and come back up. Add a little room. Do the same thing again, but backwards. Add space, then make a little line, make a curve backwords and make semicircle. Add space, make two upside down "U's". add space. Make a circle then make a line down from the side of the circle. add space make a line add space. make circle, add space. make a v then add a line under it. add space. make another "e". add space. make a upside down "p".
I hope this helps