How to Talk About a COVID-19 Employment Gap
How to Talk About a COVID-19 Employment Gap
How to Talk About a COVID-19 Employment Gap
By Heather Krasna
November 13, 2020
Summary
Job searching while you don't currently have a job always comes with worries about how potential employers will look at this gap.
Because I focus on public health-I work at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and I'm co-authoring the third edition of the book 101+ Careers in Public Health-I read epidemiologists' predictions for how a global pandemic could affect the job market long before the coronavirus hit, and have thought a great deal about the ways in which this pandemic is radically changing the job search.
So when job seeking, should you disclose your coronavirus-related employment gap up front or even emphasize it? Or is it better to downplay and hold off mentioning it until an employer asks you directly? And how should you talk about it if and when you do? It all depends on your situation and personal choices.
Regardless of how or when you bring up the reason you're looking for a job, one of the best ways to address any employment gap is by talking about the ways you're filling it, either with volunteering, learning a new skill, or taking on other responsibilities-paid or unpaid.
Most job seekers use a chronological resume format, which lists your past experience from most to least recent and typically includes start and end dates for each job.
In the job entry for your last position, directly state that you lost your job due to COVID-19 and point to projects or achievements you were working on prior to the layoff, says Steve Levy, Technical Sourcing Lead at M&T Bank and cofounder of the Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals.
Use your answers to interview questions to overcome the employer's possible worries: Focus on the positives, don't seem like you're hiding anything, and avoid sounding desperate for any job and instead sound enthusiastic about this job.
"I'm in transition and looking for a new opportunity. Your company seems like a great fit!" sounds better than, "I'm unemployed and need a new job right away." And always talk about how you've been filling in the gap: "Tell me what you've been doing; tell me specifically what you've been learning." Levy says.
If you'd rather not lay it out there right away, that's OK. But you may still be asked interview questions like, "Why did you leave your last job?" or, "What have you been doing since you left your last job?" So it's always best to be prepared in advance in case such questions arise.
Heather Krasna, MS, is a career coach with 22+ years' experience and the author of Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service and 101+ Careers in Public Health, 3rd Edition, as well as Assistant Dean of Career Services at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Reference
Krasna, H. (2020, November 13). How to Talk About Your COVID-19 Layoff in the Job Search. Retrieved November 23, 2020, from https://www.themuse.com/advice/coronavirus-employment-gap-resume-cover-letter-interview-examples