Whatever your profession, it’s normal to have gaps in your resume. These might include periods when you weren’t working or when you were re-training.
For the nursing career path, there are plenty of ways to handle career gaps in employment on a resume and turn them into a positive for your job prospects.
In this article, resume experts from jobseeker.com provide a comprehensive guide to handling resume gaps in your nursing career.
Common reasons for nursing career gaps
IN THIS ARTICLE
There are various reasons for taking a break during your nursing career, and you shouldn’t be worried about mentioning any of them in your resume.
The stigma around career gaps has been reduced by the pandemic and the increase in people taking time off work. A recent study shows that more than two-thirds of US employees have a career gap on their resume.
Here are a few of the most common reasons for a nursing career gap:
- Burnout: nursing can be a stressful career that places people under significant mental and physical strain. In fact, research indicates that more than three in 10 nurses who leave their job report burnout as the primary reason. Burnout can occur from long hours, difficult working conditions and the mental and emotional strain nursing can exert.
- Family commitments: taking time off to care for family is one of the most common reasons for people taking a break from their careers. This can include taking leave to have a baby, looking after children or caring for older, sick or disabled family members.
- Education and training: another common explanation for taking time away from a nursing job is to take part in education or training. This might be preparing you for a new specialism, or to qualify for promotion to a more senior role.
Where to mention nursing career gaps on your resume
It’s important not to shy away from mentioning career breaks in your resume. If you leave unexplained gaps in your employment history, employers might question what you were doing and why you didn’t want to mention it.
This can create a negative impression. The best approach is typically to mention your career gaps and explain why they occurred, while drawing positives out of your experience.
There are several places you can choose to mention career gaps in your job applications. Here are some tips for where to reference them:
Mentioning gaps in your resume
Your resume is usually the most suitable place to mention your career gaps. Depending on the nature of the career gap, and when it happened, your approach might vary.
However, the most appropriate place to highlight gaps in your career is usually in your work experience section.
Bridge any gaps between jobs with a brief explanation of the nature of your break. If you’re currently on a career break and hoping to return to work, you might also want to reference it in your resume summary, explaining that you’re returning to nursing after taking a break.
If the break in your career was for the purposes of training, you can list this in your education or training sections without needing to further explain the gap in jobs in your work experience section.
The same applies if you took time off work to carry out voluntary work or anything else that sits within its own distinct section in your resume.
Bonus: Check out our article on the top 5 resume tips for nurses.
Mentioning Nursing Career Gaps in your cover letter
If you want to provide further details and context about your break from work, you can mention it in your cover letter.
If your career gap was significant, or if you’re looking to return to work, it might be worth a brief mention in your cover letter to explain your reasons and any valuable skills or experiences you gained during your break.
However, don’t overstate your career break as this might draw attention away from your credentials, relevant skills and experience.
Tips for presenting your career gaps positively
There are various ways to put a positive spin on your nursing career gaps that can help convince employers that you’re right for the job. Here are some of the best ways to approach career breaks on your resume:
Treat it like a job
Listing your career breaks in your work experience section gives you the chance to showcase the positive elements that came from your time off, and how they contribute to your suitability for the role. Use bullet points under the details of your career break to show skills you’ve learned that match the job description.
For nursing, these might include compassion, empathy and patience, or aspects of personal care and hygiene when looking after children or family members.
You can definitely find ways to highlight how these gaps overall contributing to your career goals and professional career.
Demonstrate your personal development
If you took any training or gained new qualifications during your break from nursing, be sure to highlight these in your resume.
They will show hiring managers that you’ve used your time productively and been proactive about your development.
Depending on the training you’ve completed, this can also show you’ve kept up with industry trends or added skills that can improve your performance.
Use a functional resume format
If you’re worried about your resume gaps standing out to the reader and negatively affecting your chances, you could organize your resume in an alternative structure.
A traditional resume draws attention to your career chronology and can accentuate career breaks.
However, adopting a functional resume format focuses on your skills rather than your timeline. This can be an effective way of proving your credentials to employers.
Making the most of a nursing career gap
If you’re taking time away from nursing, you needn’t fall behind other candidates during your time off. There are plenty of ways to remain competitive in the job market and ensure that your skills stay up-to-date and relevant for when you want to return to the workforce.
Here are a few things you can do during a career break that will look great on your nursing resume:
Learn a new skill
Using your time away from work to develop a new skill can pay dividends for your future job prospects.
You might want to learn a hard or technical skill that you can put to use in your work, or you may wish to focus on soft, transferable skills.
If you can showcase the skills you’ve learned in your resume, and highlight how they’ll help you in your work as nurse, this is likely to impress employers.
Take part in training
Being proactive with your education is one of the most positive things you can do during a career break. This might mean enrolling in online training or taking a professional certification that qualifies you for a new specialism or a promotion.
You could train, for example, as a critical care registered nurse, as a nurse educator or as a family nurse practitioner to open up new employment opportunities on your return to work.
Build your network
Networking can be a valuable way of staying connected to nursing during a career break. Consider joining professional networking groups that specialize in nursing, or building your LinkedIn profile to connect with other industry professionals.
Any extra network connections you can build during your break from work may be useful in the future.
Do something purposeful
It’s easy to feel disconnected and lacking purpose when you’re not working.
Jobs give our lives structure and meaning, so it’s understandable that there can be a hole when we’re not working. Filling that gap with something purposeful can help keep you motivated and connected while you’re away from work.
This might include volunteering for a local charity or community group. Nursing skills, both hard and soft, are likely to be in-demand for various non-profit organizations, so if you can find the time, it’s worth putting them to good use during a gap between jobs.
Ensure You Always Have Job Opportunities with NurseRegistry
Want to minimize your nursing resume gaps for prospective employers? One great way is by working per diem jobs with NurseRegistry.
We connect RNs and LVNs/LPNs with healthcare facilities, such as hospice care centers, residential eating disorder clinics, and drug and alcohol rehab facilities.
Additionally, we have a network of private duty clients with whom we match nurses.
Whether you want to work per diem full-time or pick up shifts here and there, the choice is completely up to you!
Learn more about per diem nursing with NurseRegistry today.
