Find a Job After a Long Period of inactivity:
Unemployment, parental leave, illness or sabbatical… A professional career can be punctuated by more or less long interruptions. And if after a downtime the return to employment may seem problematic, it is above all about knowing how to present it in a positive way.
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Being ready to find a job after a long period of inactivity is one thing. Being ready to talk about it is another. “The first advice is not to lie, hide or modify the dates,”
However, this does not mean that the vacant period must be written down in full on a CV or a motivation letter. “Not all truth is necessarily good for writing. It is often better to opt for oral explanations”
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Clearly, it is better to leave “a hole” in a CV. And even if this challenges a recruiter, it is not a source of concern. “What worries an employer above all is the contact kept with the job market during this period,” He explains. Because a period of professional inactivity does not mean “inactivity” in the broad sense.
Dare to talk about Unemployment:
“It is not shameful to be unemployed,” says Philippe Nasciet Light, president of the recruitment firm Light Consultants. During an interview, the recruiter will try to understand this period of unemployment. Prepare to explain the Job After a Long market situation and present your previous applications with some perspective.
It is also a good idea to highlight your activities during this period of unemployment. “It can be associative, creative occupations, but also temporary work assignments.” Besides, don’t hesitate to include them in your CV (Resume).
Approaching sick leave:
If each period of inactivity prompts recruiters to ask questions, sick leave is “completely personal”. “And even more than for others, the disease must not be discriminating in order to find a job.” Concretely, it is enough to approach it briefly during the interview when you are asked the question, without going into details.
Talk about Parental leave:
“What a beautiful thing to become a parent,” says the president of Light Consultants. Of course, no need to explain this leave, recruiters know what it is all about. However, they will question your ability to return to find a job after a long period of inactivity and leave the child. To enhance your motivation and your interest in the job market to reassure the employer.
Take advantage of sabbatical leave:
“It is better to explain sabbatical leave orally rather than in writing, and trust once again the exchange with the recruiter” (Says the director of AJ Conseil). And whether it is to set up a project or to get involved in the creative or associative environment, “sabbatical leave corresponds to a personal objective”. Prepare to explain what you have learned from it: the skills acquired, such as initiative, time management or budget management.
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Promoting travel experience:
The way to approach leave for travel is similar to that of sabbatical leave. Exploring different regions can only be enriching” It would be a shame not to take advantage of it during the interview.” This supports skills like openness and adaptability. “
