One of the biggest troubles about extended unemployment is that being unemployed can make it more difficult to get employed in the future.

It's not that employers are discriminating; it's just that in many professions, being unemployed also means your skills are rusting.

If you're an engineer for example, if you haven't fixed a piece of machinery for a year, chances are you're going to need some re-training when you start up on the job again.

If an employer is presented with a choice of 20 candidates and one candidate has holes in their resume that can't be explained, chances are that candidate isn't going to get picked.

But if you have gaps in your resume, don't panic! There are many ways you can patch those holes and actually have them come across as a positive thing, making you seem more employable.

 

Make it Seem Like You Developed Skills

If you're having trouble finding a job, why not spend an hour or two a day taking some sort of class?

Even if you just took one or two classes over a six month period, you can put the course in your resume. You can claim you took a personal break, but also used the opportunity to develop new professional skills.

This shows initiative and also gives the impression that your skills have improved rather than deteriorated.

 

Volunteer for Projects in Your Field

Volunteer to help with projects that are in your area of expertise.

If you're a graphic designer, offer to do some pro-bono work for various non-profit organizations.

If you're an engineer, why not help solar companies install solar panels for free?

If you're a lawyer, why not take on a few pro-bono cases while you're looking for your next employer?

By volunteering your time to worthwhile causes, you make your gap time seem like it was spent doing something meaningful, while also keeping your skills sharp.

 

Get Creative

There are many ways you can make it seem like your skills have stayed sharp or improved during your time off.

The main thing employers don't want to see is someone who spent 6 months or more doing nothing related to their profession.

Don't try to fake it. Instead, fill your gaps by actually doing something productive. Just one or two projects or one or two classes are all you need to fill several months of gaps.