Many people believe that the longer you are unemployed, the more difficult it is to find a job again. Just like one of those catch 22 situations, the more you need a job, the harder it is to get one, since unemployment will look bad on your resume. When an employer looks at your resume and finds out that you have been unemployed for a long time, he will start to question your ability. In this harsh economy, unemployment can be a serious problem. So what can you do to look good in the resume even though you have been out of work for a few months? There are several ways you can do to make your resume not look like “I’ve been unemployed for ages”. The trick here is to get rid of the big blocks of unexplained breaks from a job.

If you want to look professional even though you have been out of work for a long time, why not put in some volunteer positions or some training classes you have taken during the gap? If you are currently unemployed and haven’t participated in any volunteer activities, you may want to do that now. If you can manage to list your work at the Red Cross along with your normal paying jobs will shift the attention away from the gaps in your work history. If you are creative and smart, you should not use the typical chronological resume if you have many gaps in your employment history. You can use a resume that lists only a few noticeable of your previous positions that are most relevant to the current job application. You can highlight your achievements and responsibilities to make yourself glow and forget all about your dates of employment.

Even if you can explain clearly why you have an employment gap, you do not need to do that on your resume. Instead, you can use your cover letter to imply the fact that you have solid reason why you have been off from work for a long time. A perfect example to demonstrate this is: I am so excited to read your job opening, since I feel it is a perfect opportunity for me to break into the job market in the city of New Jersey. When you actually get a job interview, be sure to prepare solid answers that will support your resume and make you look like the perfect candidate to the employer.