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Seattle, WA
USA

Tandem Powered offers a full suite of Professional Resume Writing, Career Development, and HR / Business Consulting services.

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The Change Laboratory’s blog is dedicated to empowering people by highlighting best practices in the arena of personal / career development and organizational effectiveness.

How to Overcome Resume Roadblocks

Kent R.

I was just reading a blog post written by a recruiter who was going on and on about how it’s nearly impossible to get a job if:

  1. You’re over 50 years old.
  2. You have gaps in your resume.
  3. You aren’t working while you search for a job.

Assertions like this make me crazy; they are shortsighted and outmoded.  Sure, I wouldn’t say that these things make a job search easier, but making such sweeping generalizations is irresponsible because of its inaccuracy.

First off, in the last 10 years we have gone through a tech sector bust, a post 9-11 economic standstill, and a recent/current “deep recession.” Because of those events – and the way that the world of work is shifting in general – rarely do I see a resume without gaps. Also, in this chilly job-search climate, I don’t know too many people who are working and searching for a job – most people are still in “hold tight” mode until the employment landscape improves further.

Beyond those facts, though, I have little patience for unwarranted negative spins that don’t point to solutions. The aforementioned blogger was erroneous and unhelpful in her post. No thanks.

Here’s the deal. There are a lot of people over 50 and looking for work. Many people have a gap or two in their resumes, and – certainly – most of the people looking for work are currently unemployed. The key – if you are in any one of those situations – is to stay positive and proactive. Here are three things to think about:

  • Gaps are quickly overlooked if you have a resume that communicates accomplishments (not responsibilities). Employers want to hire people who get things done. THAT will make you stand out more than an employment gap will.
  • Employed or not, a powerfully worded resume helps to make you highly marketable. If you can demonstrate, via your resume, that you are on top of your career (not the other way around), you are a more desirable candidate. Quality employers know that great candidates come from the ranks of both the employed and unemployed.
  • Age can certainly work against you; it’s been proven in court time and time again. Having said that, successful job searches do not end when you turn 50. In this new economic climate, especially, employers are looking to maximize the efficacy of each new hire. Great experience – even a lot of it – can work to your advantage.

Need a resume that helps potential employers to overlook a perceived “flaw” on your resume? Get in touch.

Have a great week ahead!