Posted by caroline on June 2, 2001, at 3:38:10
In reply to How do you explain gaps in work history?, posted by Jane D on June 1, 2001, at 20:24:44
Hi!
As a Careers Counselor, I see many clients' who need a way of 'filling' such gaps. It is a difficult one. Generally speaking, I wouldn't advise honesty - you might get lucky and be applying to a company where the boss/HR person has experience of mental health problems, but then again, you might not, and unfortunately you're right in thinking that disclosing might prejudice your application.
There are a number of strategies you could use to fill the gaps:
- One straightforward option is to be flexible with dates - for example, stretch periods of past employment out a bit, to fill some of the gaps. The only thing to be wary of with this option is not stretching out anything particularly recent, as this is more likely to be checked out.
- Another option would be to think about something you might have done in those gaps, had you not been suffering - e.g. might you have been having a go at being an author, an artist, a singer, an actress?
- You could also think about voluntary work you might have done - the key to this is to choose something you would be interested in and something that would illustrate to your future employer that you have particular skills/qualitites etc that would be useful to them - for e.g., you might have volunteered as a playworker, at a local hospital, or as a befriender for people with physical or mental illness.
- You could also think about commitments you might have had to relatives - e.g. you could say you had to spend a period of time caring for a parent or sibling with mental or physical illness (which would say a lot about how hard working, motivated, caring etc you are).
Good luck with getting back into employment. I always think that if only people knew just how much strength of character it takes to live with mental illness, you could fill up a resume with all the skills and qualities you have had to develop to effectively live with it!Best Wishes!
Caroline
poster:caroline
thread:6253
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010526/msgs/6261.html