Career Gap | How to Manage the Missing Career Gap in IT Industry

How Does Gap in Work History Impacts your Career?

If you are from the IT industry, it's quite prevalent that the technology and processes change very fast. And a career gap means you lack knowledge and information on the latest updates in the sector, which makes you less competitive than your counterparts. So taking into account these job gaps is again a big hurdle that you need to deal with.

Whether you have a short gap or the longer one in employment, staying out of a job for a few years or months creates a bridge that you need to conceal. Adopting a constructive approach and attracting potential employers are a few ways. Occupy your time working on your strength and finding the best possible solutions for you.

Bolstering your CV is a must if you have had enough job gaps in seeking the attention of employers. Researching new short-term courses can be a good idea to revamp your profiles and make them appear more suitable for the job positions. Employees from the IT industry can occupy their time in brushing up their skills or upgrading themselves with the latest technological advancements. Getting a job becomes easier when you have a professional CV, making the application relevant to employers.

Issues Leading to Jobs Gaps and Potential Solutions for the same!

1. Lack of Experience

   Those looking for a career change and having very minimum experience depict their personal qualities skills through various mediums. Many people tend to take a job break in IT as they are not competent enough to tackle work challenges. Those with less past working experience might face more difficulties than those with long years of experience in the work field before the break.

   Solution: Demonstrating your past experience on the CV with a unique cover letter can be a good idea. Mind it, strong networking can be very beneficial to you, and it helps the right candidates to reach the right workplaces. Go for organizations that account for the skills and working style rather than an elaborated CV with multiple job changes. Having a positive attitude can help you to succeed in life.

   Seek the help of strong professional networking options like Twitter and LinkedIn to find many opportunities to resume working in the IT sector. Another good idea is to do internships, work part-time or gain experience in relevant sectors. A good way to do this is to take up freelancing projects and test your potential and craft them into your CV for finding new jobs.

2. Dismissal from Jobs

   Were dismissed from an earlier job? Was that a reason demotivating you for a gap of a few months? Well, a smart person does not highlight their flaws in a CV. In a few conditions, your past job does not matter, like if it was not relevant to the profile in a recent job or if the employer does not ask about it. Dismissal of employment can be a big reason for your rejection, and its imperative to stay cautious about it always.

   Solution: Firstly, never lie about your past jobs if asked, as it creates distrust in the organization's mind. Learning from experiences is fine, but it is also important to mentor and train yourself about the latest updates in your industry. Be committed to achieving goals at your workplace and never let the past dismissals affect your caliber or zeal for working.

   Once you prove your value and efforts to the entity, there's nothing that could push you back on the job front. Getting regular feedback from the team leaders or managers is also a good way to grow and bridge the gap created in your IT career after halting for some time.

3. Health Issues

   This is one of the most genuine issues for taking a job break, and no employer would ever counter you for these reasons. Health background is a legit reason that led to the career break, and mentioning it in your job application won't negatively impact you.

   Solution: Any type of illness needs attention, and until you are 100% fine to get back to work, do not give it a try. You can also mention the contact details of your GP or the consultant in the CV for further process. It is also advisable to mention any other ongoing health problems that could have any type of effect on your workarounds. For example, if you are lined up for an interview in the IT job, take that opportunity to create a positive impression and then mention the health issues to get added value.

Winding Up

This gives you a fair hang on possible hurdles you might face while filling the missing gap in your IT work portfolio and steps to overcome it. More and more people choose an alternate lifestyle and take voluntary career breaks to churn out some time for skill development or exploring new prospects. And that's fine!

Career break should not appear like unemployment as many people choose it to experiment with new hobbies and skills in their life. Filling in the gap in your employment is subjective, and every person has their reasons. Evaluate the prospects, learn skills and find solutions that could accelerate your career performance to new heights!