Mental illness may have limited your ability to work consistently. Potential employers might view gaps in your work history as a limitation. It is important to promote your skills and experience when applying for jobs.
Your resume
A resume can have gaps in work history or show limited work experience. Your resume should emphasise the skills and experience you can offer the employer. Your resume should include information that relates to the employer's job requirements:
- you can include unpaid work and volunteer work
- try to use years rather than months for the time you worked in different jobs
- a good resume promotes your skills and summarises your work experience
- include a positive summary of the tasks you did and skills you developed when you were not working
Your resume should not tell a person’s life story. Think of a resume as an advertisement aimed at getting an employer interested in your skills and experience. After reading your resume, an employer should want to interview you. Emphasise the present, not the past. For more information, including resume templates, see:
Reasonable explanation
Develop a reasonable explanation for gaps in your employment history so that you can discuss in the interview or in your application letter. This must not be misleading or dishonest. The employer does not have a right to your complete life history. The employer only wants information that is relevant to your ability to perform the job. Some of these explanations might be true for you:
- I had some health problems that are now taken care of.
- There was an illness in the family.
- I was taking care of my children or a family member.
- I was doing volunteer work with a community organisation.
- I had the opportunity to pursue some non-work interests.
- I took a few years off to travel.
There is no reason to provide detail. Giving too much information could make the employer uncomfortable. Do not lie or give inaccurate information. This can cause you anxiety and may put you in a difficult situation later. If you feel comfortable in the interview, you can expand on your explanation.
There are benefits and risks to disclosing your mental illness to your potential employer:
More information?
Contact the JobAccess Advisers if you would like advice on how to apply for a job if you have an episodic work history. Call them on 1800 464 800 or contact them online: