Getting back to work after a long time off

Jan 26, 2017 5 Comments

My family member has a huge gap in his resume due to illness. He was been battling cancer for a few years. But he's beaten it and ready to get back to work. We are trying to figure out how to explain the missing time to prospective employers on his resume. Any advice here? Should we mention time off due to illness?

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  • Intel
    Pumpo""78

    Go to company page Intel

    Pumpo""78
    Tell the truth ! Hiring managers will mostly understand- the trick is to get past HR screening and resume databases. Tell your family member to use their network to get referrals - with a huge gap in their resume that is their only option.
    Jan 26, 2017 0
  • Just tell it like you did here. The fact the person beat it and wants to go back to work tells the person tough. Getting the interview will be tough. I suggest spend time and maybe money on a good resume. The person may not like the job they get but the one after will be great. You gotta start somewhere.
    Feb 10, 2017 0
  • Don't worry and be confident . We hired one recently who is off for 2 years . Trust me he is the best
    Feb 5, 2017 0
  • Props to your friend for beating cancer! That's huge.

    A good way for anyone to dial in their job search is to put together a resume/portfolio and get it in front of people in their network. I'm talking about market research, as a precursor to job searching.

    Reach out to people in your primary and secondary networks and tell them, "Hey, I just beat cancer and I'm ready to get back to work. Can you take a look at my resume and let me know 1. am I representing my experience well, and 2. what kinds of jobs should I target given the gap in my employment."

    Iterate on that a few times and see what you learn.
    Feb 2, 2017 0
  • Do you think the same applies if they have no experience? Meaning illness soon after graduation so limited to no work experience.
    Mar 3, 2017 0