Gaps on CV

MissSarah1972

So if you were made redudant at the begining of Dec last year and your CV ends with this job should you put that you are now unemployed on it and not working?

My cover letter states that I was made redundant and am looking for a new role etc but just got feedback from an 'unknown' company saying they didn't take my application further as my CV says nothing about what I have been doing since December 2011

What do you think?

westv

Until I got voluntary work and mentioned that on my CV I didn't add anything to my CV apart from a general leaving date from my previous employment.
The fact that there is no employment after your last job should make it obvious that you are not in paid employment without having to mention it.

1940sGal

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

So if you were made redudant at the begining of Dec last year and your CV ends with this job should you put that you are now unemployed on it and not working?

My cover letter states that I was made redundant and am looking for a new role etc but just got feedback from an 'unknown' company saying they didn't take my application further as my CV says nothing about what I have been doing since December 2011

What do you think?

I'm not sure I would say in so many words that i had been unemployed since then.

If it were me I would put, perhaps in my personal statement, that I had been 'working on personal projects since being made redundant', which as a photographer can mean anything but it's hard for a company to dispute it. And it's partly true, since leaving uni i've been making products out of my photography and working on other little projects.

Have you done any voluntary work you could mention?

MissSarah1972

1940sGal wrote: »

I'm not sure I would say in so many words that i had been unemployed since then.

If it were me I would put, perhaps in my personal statement, that I had been 'working on personal projects since being made redundant', which as a photographer can mean anything but it's hard for a company to dispute it. And it's partly true, since leaving uni i've been making products out of my photography and working on other little projects.

Have you done any voluntary work you could mention?

Why does EVERYONE go on about voluntary work?

Maybe it was an idea I could have thrown at my company when they let 3 of us go, that I would stay of for FREE and work there voluntary!

Looking for a job is a full time job and I will not waste my time working somewhere for free when all I have on my mind is where I am going to get a job from and bills, lack of £ etc.

And before anyone says 'oh it will get you a reference' I have three references from employers - one my last job of 5 years from HR and the finance team, one from a boss I worked with in 3 seperate companies who is now a finance director of a big company in London and one from (would you believe it) a director of a leading recruitment agency in London who placed me at my last job. Plus two people who have in the past provided me with a 'personal' reference. I do not see how working for free helps you. Show me someone who wants to work for free and I will show you a liar!

m-bee

I have a few gaps on my cv and I don't say anything. It's pretty obvious if someone hasn't put anything it means they are not working. I only mention it if I'm filling out applications and they ask me to explain any gaps in employment history.
People mostly do voluntary work to gain experience in a career which they are trying to get in to. I'm doing voluntary work at the moment, alongside full time work.

ohreally

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

Show me someone who wants to work for free and I will show you a liar!

I do an element of free work for some charities, I enjoy doing it and the charities benefit into the bargain.

westv

None of my voluntary work will help with my career and sometimes it can be quite dull. I do it so I have something to add when I'm asked "What have you been doing in the 2 1/2 years since redundancy?".

MissSarah1972

ohreally wrote: »

I do an element of free work for some charities, I enjoy doing it and the charities benefit into the bargain.

How do you benefit? Do you have a job?

MissSarah1972

m-bee wrote: »

I have a few gaps on my cv and I don't say anything. It's pretty obvious if someone hasn't put anything it means they are not working. I only mention it if I'm filling out applications and they ask me to explain any gaps in employment history.
People mostly do voluntary work to gain experience in a career which they are trying to get in to. I'm doing voluntary work at the moment, alongside full time work.

I don't need experience to get into a career that I am trying to get into as I have 20 years experience in accounts and looking would you believe for an accounts job.

ohreally

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

How do you benefit? Do you have a job?

I get satisfaction in providing a quality service to the charity that would otherwise have to engage someone at a cost to do for them or do without and that would impact on their ability to operate effectively.

1940sGal

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

Why does EVERYONE go on about voluntary work?

Maybe it was an idea I could have thrown at my company when they let 3 of us go, that I would stay of for FREE and work there voluntary!

Looking for a job is a full time job and I will not waste my time working somewhere for free when all I have on my mind is where I am going to get a job from and bills, lack of £ etc.

And before anyone says 'oh it will get you a reference' I have three references from employers - one my last job of 5 years from HR and the finance team, one from a boss I worked with in 3 seperate companies who is now a finance director of a big company in London and one from (would you believe it) a director of a leading recruitment agency in London who placed me at my last job. Plus two people who have in the past provided me with a 'personal' reference. I do not see how working for free helps you. Show me someone who wants to work for free and I will show you a liar!

First, voluntary work can be as little as a couple of hours a day for one day a week.

Secondly, last night I went to my former Air Cadets squadron to ask about volunteering so that a, i would have something to do and b, I thought it would be a great thing to add to my CV. I'll start off as a civilian instructor then eventually I can move up, take a commission and go as far as learning to fly to become a flying instructor. The possibilities from it are endless and I get to do all sorts of course paid for by the RAF that could lead to paid work.

And I'm incredibly excited about it. Wednesday and Friday nights plus weekends. It will be work. And I am certain I will enjoy it. And i'm not lying.

It really all depends on the type of work. Just because i mentioned volunteering it does not = standing bored in a charity shop or working in some kind of shop while others around you get paid.