Filling in the gaps of the past in a CV

By ESTELLE SARNEY

Vivien Davies doesn't know what she's doing wrong. The newly qualified primary teacher started sending her CV to schools more than three months ago, but after more than 30 applications she's had just one interview.

Her problem finding work is doubtless caused by the glut of primary teachers on the market, but Davies wonders if it is also partly because of her CV.

"I try to adapt my CV and cover letter to each job, but without any teaching experience it's hard to say I have strengths in certain areas. The only thing I can think to do is to include comments from referees."

Dealing with gaps in your CV is the biggest challenge many applicants face when applying for jobs. Whether you're a school leaver, returning to work after raising children, have been unemployed for a while, or are switching career paths, you have to downplay your lack of recent, if any, experience, in the line of work you're applying for. Just remember the old adage and accentuate the positive.

"A lot of people characterise their life into periods of employment and non-employment, but whatever you do you learn and develop skills," says Dr Marie Wilson, associate-professor of management at the University of Auckland Business School.

"It's one thing to leave a blank in your CV, another to say 'After working for X company I transferred to Australia where I spent time in self-employment and seeking work, during which time I did the following things and built skills in the following areas."

Lorraine Blackley, of Creative Adventures, counsels against starting CVs chronologically, which can highlight damaging gaps. Instead, list your skills in relation to the job, and how you've developed those skills. Make this the first page the employer sees after the cover letter and the front page of the CV (which should bear only the applicant's name and contact details).

"Readers of CVs are often stressed and don't have time to read them thoroughly," says Blackley. "A chronological CV doesn't make immediate sense as to why you're the best person for that job, but one organised functionally positions you right into the lap of the person looking."

Your CV can then continue chronologically, listing your work experience, education and naming a couple of referees. The employer probably won't study this until you've been shortlisted for an interview.

"You don't have to own up to gaps when sending in your CV," says Blackley. "Your CV is a marketing tool, not necessarily a complete record or your work history. Your concern is to present yourself as able to do the job - whether you gained your skills last year or five years ago is not the point."

Jill Bice of the Government agency Career Services also favours functional CVs.

"If someone has lots of gaps in their work history we might not put in any dates - just where they have worked and the skills they've developed."

But if you feel more comfortable being upfront about work gaps in your CV, Paula Stenberg of CV Style wouldn't dissuade you. The author of How to Write Your Own CV (Tandem, $24.95) prefers her clients to be honest from the word go.

"Don't try to hide gaps - the employer will see through that," says Stenberg.

"If you've had a lot of part-time work you can cluster the jobs under one date range for ease of reading," she suggests. "But if you've been out of work for several months or more, include that gap with an explanation of what you were doing in that time and the skills you developed."

The key is to make any downtime look productive.

As for school leavers, Stenberg focuses on skills they can transfer to employment, and interests that may align with a career.

"I would also encourage them to do any kind of part-time or voluntary work to gain some experience in customer service, communications and other areas that would appeal to future employers."