Filling gaps in CV
LEENA was keen on getting her career back on track after taking a break to nurture her child in the first few crucial years. Jagdeep quit his call-centre job to do a computer course and is on a job search now. But, whenever they attended interviews, the first question would invariably be about what they did after quitting their previous jobs.
Unfortunately, the potential employers were not very happy with the answers of Leena and Jagdeep. In fact, the answer, many a time, became an excuse for rejecting their candidature.
Does this story sound familiar to some of you? How would you answer such a question? Here are a few tips on activities you can do between jobs.
As career counsellors advise, it is important that you project the image of a can-do job seeker to potential employers and convince them that you were productive with your time between jobs.
To project an attitude of being an active, engaged job-seeker during your job-hunt, consider some of these options which can keep you gainfully occupied when out of work:
Volunteer your services for a cause or organisation; you stand to benefit doubly. In addition to working for a good cause, it also offers an opportunity to network with people who see you in action.
You can join an association or guild related to your line of work. This helps you stay connected with your profession when you attend meetings and you can interact with professionals from your field.
Employers are wary of candidates with outdated skills, especially in technical fields. You can use the time between jobs to do a course or acquire a higher degree in your field that will highlight your involvement in your profession.
Another option would be an internship in an organisation that will enhance your professional skills. This can be particularly useful for those in the starting phase of their careers and also for those that are into a career transition.
Take up a teaching assignment in a school or a college. Apart from helping in networking, it will also impress potential employers and project you as an expert in your field. It will also display your ability to teach that expertise to others.
If you are likely to face a drawn-out job search, counsellors advise setting up your own consultancy. Though the assignments may be small ones, the experience will allow you to market yourself as someone involved in your field.
You can consider taking up freelance, part-time or temporary work during a career break. Use your contacts and placement agencies to land such assignments.
The time between jobs can be ideal for setting up your own business, provided you have the time and the resources. Even if you cannot pull it off, the contacts you develop in the process will be useful in other aspects of your career.
Use the time between jobs to build your social network; you never know some of these contacts can be crucial when you are on a job hunt.
The lighter option would be to use the time to have fun. Learn to play a new sport, or go on a trekking expedition. These can become starting points for your conversation during interviews and conversation is very important to a successful job-search.
Some of these tips, if followed, will project your continued involvement in career-oriented activities, even when out of job.
It will impress your interviewers and will not leave you searching for words when that all-important question about your activities between jobs crops up.
HEMA G
Hema.hyd@cnkonline.com
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Opportunities
