It's not uncommon to have periods in your adult life when you're not working – just find ways to leverage how you spent your time to convince a prospective employer you're the best fit for your next job.

Three in five Americans (59 percent) have been unemployed or had some kind of gap in their career, according to Monster's 2019 State of the Candidate Report.

“If you're among the three out of five and you're looking for a new job, prospective employers typically understand and yes, often expect gaps,” says Monster career expert Vicki Salemi. “Even if you're concerned, employers are likely more surprised when they don't see a gap on the resume than when they do.”

When interviewing with a prospective employer, job candidates should succinctly explain any gaps on their resume, then immediately pivot to being enthusiastic about the current job search and why and how their specific skills and experiences are a fit for the role they're pursuing, Salemi says.

“Essentially, you're simply addressing the gap and then leveraging it as a talking point as to being ready for this opportunity because you're a fit and here's why…,” she says.

The top cited reasons for gaps in employment are family-related (48 percent), including taking time off to raise a family (for longer periods than maternity/paternity leave (18 percent); maternity/paternity leave (15 percent); and needing to take care of a sick family member or friend (15 percent).

Other common reasons include getting laid off (37 percent) and getting fired (16 percent). Considering over one-third of respondents have experienced a gap due to layoffs and 43 percent have had unexpected job loss (lost their job or were fired) more than once, “if you're in this statistic as well, there should be comfort in that because you're not alone,” Salemi says..

This statistic is important to highlight — regardless of whether they've been laid off before, half of Americans do not feel very secure in their current position and company layoffs are a major reason why, she says.

“It's a good thing — of course, you don't want to arrive to the office every day anxious, nervous and/or paranoid, but a good healthy dose of insecurity bodes you well,” Salemi says. “This way, you're never caught off guard.”

If individuals keep their resumes up-to-date and in circulation, set up job alerts and apply to opportunities that pique their interest, network over coffees and conversations, they're “truly in the driver's seat.”

“You're proactive rather than reactive, she says. “And if layoffs don't occur, chances are during your exploration of other opportunities, you'll probably find some enticing ones to pursue anyway.”

Two additional reasons for gaps in employment include needing a break from work (18 percent) and going back to school (13 percent).

“It's empowering to see people taking time off to take care of themselves such as wanting to take a break from work or go back to school,” Salemi says. “I think we're going to see more of this going forward — employees are people and in turn, employers are responding with more flexible work arrangements (personal day policies, sabbaticals) to try to retain employees who not only have passions outside the office, but who want to maintain both their physical and mental health in the process.”

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Employment gaps more common among today's candidates

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