I have a different opinion. I think the truth on a resume with an honest reason for the gap is best. You don’t have to go into real personal details unless you are asked in an interview and you want to. It is possible the hirer wants to give you a second chance. Illness and recuperation should be enough.
My gap spans 2008 to 2014! Thats a heck of a gap; any HR people out there see gaps like that? And what is the first thought you have if/when you do?
“2008 - Present: Not at all in prison”
I 2nd the idea of avoiding mention of illness. Particularly if you’re older. I know a lot of people in their 50’s who had a hard time getting interviews. Health care is a huge cost for companies now.
I am 53 awwwrrrrr . . .
Don’t get discouraged just yet. I was in an industry that looked very narrow on a resume so getting laid off was painful. The broader your skills look the better. Concentrate on that aspect of your resume.
And you can always go into business for yourself. You can charge $20/hr for handyman work and get more work than you can handle.
You know you have skills. It’s just the frustration of finding a buyer for them. Don’t rule out temp agencies or head hunters.
2008 - Present: Weighing the couch down, eating Cheetos and watching talk shows
2008-2014 - Please see attached portfolio of CAT scans.
HR people see gaps like that every day of the week. It’s frequently women who stayed home with their kids for a few years. You might consider looking around at tips and sample resumes for women in this situation. You might get some ideas that will help you in yours.
Just remember that every HR person is well aware that a functional resume is the go-to for people with unusual work histories. If they see one, they know that chances are there’s a story behind it. That is not to say you shouldn’t use one. It may be the better choice regardless.
I’m thinking the phrase “family medical leave” might be just the ticket.
Some very good advice you guys are giving me, and some laughs too! Does anybody know of a online resume critiquing site? A free one? I’m getting ahead of myself perhaps but I must make this happen very soon.
I want to see “a non-BS functional recap” too. The problem is that most of the resumes I look at with a functional recap at the top are full of BS.
On topic for the thread - the thing that would concern me the most as a hiring manager when looking at a resume with a big gap in it is that the person’s skills would not be current. That’s going to vary depending on the industry you work in.
Depends on the field. Functional resume is useless in mine; I need specific counts of number of months/years in a position.
Crap . . . I apologize. It’s 6 years away from work; 2008-2014. Maybe I am not ready to go back.
I struggled with the same issue. I was out of work for 4 1/2 years because I couldn’t find any work period. So, I made up a company name, labelled it as Freelance, and listed things I did that sounded relevant to my field (graphic design). Such as, designed a few websites (my brother’s online portfolio, my friend’s wildlife refuge), proofing and evaluation (read my friend’s screenplay, read another friend’s short story), and book publishing and designing (I helped a friend figure out CreateSpace).
Did you do any online training or research into your illness? You could attribute that to schooling, or personal training in the healthcare field. 
I think a potential employer’s main issue would be if they hired you, would you become sick again and miss work? You could probably talk to somebody at your local Unemployment office about that. They may have classes you could attend that help you find work. I went to one for using social media. The instructor said a lot of recruiters use LinkedIn nowadays, so he showed us how to optimize our LinkedIn profiles. One thing recruiters will do is search for key words such as skill types and experience with certain programs such as MS Office. That’s how I found work, through job recruiters.
The problem with a functional resume is that it stands out and makes many managers wonder why you picked a functional resume. What is it about the titles you’ve held and the dates you held them that you don’t want them to know about?
One piece of advice I’ve heard is to go back to school for a bit and get some qualification, even one you don’t truly need to do what you want. Then you can have the “new grad” label. You just finished an MBA and are eager to get back into the workforce.
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Did you do any online training or research into your illness? You could attribute that to schooling, or personal training in the healthcare field.
I did a ton of research into my illness; symptoms etc. but unfortunately I am not in the healthcare field, I was in manufacturing. Maybe I could present it as “project management”. Thank you for your thoughts!
Yes, I have considered returning to school. My SS disability is very close to being taken away.
:smack:
Fortunately for the OP, it’s illegal to discriminate against a candidate on the basis of past or potential future illness. She just needs to prepare herself with a stock response if an interviewer tries to ask about/insinuate something related to this, because the question is illegal–although pointing that out rudely (whether it deserves it or not) might lead to a Game Over for your candidacy, so tread tactfully.
Q: Are you planning to be out of work due to illness in the future?
A: There is nothing that would prevent me from performing the duties as listed in the job description. genuine smile
I love the idea of getting a certification in something.
Actually, any concrete thing you could do to show that you’re keeping current would be good, even if it’s informal. It might not be reasonable to put on your resume that you’ve done a program of free online Excel tutorials, but it would give you a good interview answer and give you more confidence.
This is why a vague “family medical - situation resolved” explanation would be a good idea. That could easily be “caring for a family member who has since passed away.”
All great feedback!! Thanks so much!
Who told you you need this? Your mom?