Advice?!

I'm one of the many who are job hunting right now.

I haven't had a job in 6 months because just last month I fully recovered from surgery. I had a surgery on my leg, the stitches fell out, got infected, and I almost had to get my leg amputated. Beleive it or not, It took almost 4 months for my leg to fully heal and for me to be able to walk on it.

My thing is, it looks bad on a resume to have a 6 month time period without a job. My mom suggested breifly explaining the leg situation on the resume, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea.

What would you guys do??

:) :)

I would leave the illness part out, actually. In this economy, LOTS of people have 6 month gaps in the their resume. Even though it's totally wrong and evil, many employers will think "what the hell else is going to go wrong here" when you say you were out for that long because of your health. Trust me on this one, I've been recruiting for a long time.

People know the market's hard and I don't think they're being as picky about 6 month gaps in employment as they used to be.  I had no real job for about 9 months around the time I moved to a new city.  I did an unpaid internship and a lot of temp stuff though so I at least was able to put that on my resume...

If I were you, I would seriously consider signing up with a temp agency.  It may not be the kind of work you want, but it shows employers that you're actively seeking a job and using (or at least trying) the resources available.  Besides, most temp agencies will want to see you if you have a promising skill set and they'll probably ask you why you were unemployed for so long.  That way you can explain in person.

Meanwhile, you get to add "Blah blah blah Temp agency - Temporary Employee - October, 2009 - Present" to your resume.

I think I would keep away from putting the leg thing on your resume... if a company thinks you're qualified and the only thing they have an issue with is the employment gap, they'll probably ask about it.

Leave it off the resume...tell the employer on interviews if asked....and only if asked.  I am in recrutiing too and we see it ALL the time!

It took me five months to find a job.  Nobody is worrying about gaps in employment right now because the unemployment rate is so high.  Don't mention your leg, imo.  They'll be more concerned with your health being an issue for working than the 6 month gap.

Defitnitely leave out the leg thing! They probably won't even ask, but I think that depends more on what kind of job you're looking for.

V.

I'm totally for the honesty factor. I have received jobs because of my honesty, especially being a recovered alcoholic. Prospective employers respect that....

And hey, it's a valid reason for being out of work. If it was me, I'd even tell them up front. I have an excellent employment history in the legal field...

Original Post by kae03:

Leave it off the resume...tell the employer on interviews if asked....and only if asked.  I am in recrutiing too and we see it ALL the time!

 

I would still claim good ol' fashioned unemployment to be honest

Glad to hear that you're recovering.

Don't put it on your resume, but briefly mention in your cover letter, making certain to reassure that it has been a comlete recovery.  I do a lot of hiring, and gaps present unknowns.

Another vote for NOT putting it on the resume- it doesn't really belong there.  And I wouldn't volunteer the information during an interview either.

I agree with most of what the posters have mentioned above.  When I am looking through resumes, I'm not so concerned with a recent gap in employment.  What I do look at is the length of previous employment and if there is a trend towards gaps or job hopping.

If asked, I wouldn't divulge any of the information you mentioned above.  The employer really doesn't need to know about your personal medical history.  It will only make them think that you will be unreliable in the future.  I would say that I was having a medical issue that has since been resolved and you are ready to get back to work.

Also, another tip, when you do go on that job interview, make sure you ask for the job.  A lot of people don't. 

It turns me on when I know that an applicant has taken the time to research the company and they let me know that they really want to work here.  Mention it in the cover letter and continue through the interview process.  Good luck!

Absolutely agree with advice form tciherr. 

One other thing I can add that helped me land a job after being laid off for 4 months - after the interview/s send not only a thank you email but also send a hand written thank you note.  In this difficult job market you need to stand out from the crowd and a hand written note card helps you do that and you can reinforce what a great fit you are for the job at the same time.

Good luck!

Don't put it in your resume, but if you are asked about a period of unemployment in an interview, you should definitely talk about it.