Did you take a break? Normalising career gaps on resumes

From it’s never going to happen, to it’s FINALLY here!

Silencing the stigma surrounding career gaps, and discussing my own personal launch into team FINALLY.  Here’s what I’ve seen during my first few weeks at one of the best agencies I’ve ever worked for!

DON'T MIND THE (CAREER) GAP

Do you worry about your career gap on your CV? Good news! The once rigid world of business is changing…

Offices have recently been turned upside down in recent years, with more workplaces opting for remote and flexible working schemes - all due to the pandemic. 

The pandemic was of course a horrible time for everyone, however it has skewed the often stiff view of professionalism. Career gaps are no longer something to be frowned upon, as businesses now understand that there are usually very valid reasons for them. Be that the economy and subsequent job losses, tragic bereavements, health or another personal issue.

I personally have a gap in my own career due to a number of reasons, some of which stemmed from the pandemic, others from bereavements and health issues. However, now more than ever having holes in your CV is no longer viewed as negatively as it once was.

Linkedin has been part of this change, with the new “career gap” feature. With this new feature, Linkedin allows the user to provide an explanation for this gap such as bereavement, career transition, caregiving, or alternatively give no explanation at all. LinkedIn is the business social networking platform, and enabling candidates to address the blank space on their CV marks a massive move towards normalising career gaps.

The job application game is changing.  The pandemic has forced the world of business to open itself to new and modern concepts. I personally feel as though I’ve recently found myself in a role that feels like a dream come true. With flexible working hours, remote work opportunities, an amazing team, a great boss and so much room for growth - I have to ask myself, would this have been possible without what has happened over the past few years? All I know is that FINALLY my career has begun.

I have FINALLY found my career...

Have you ever heard the saying “today is the first day of the rest of your life?”  Well, that’s how I felt walking through the doors of the FINALLY office in Canterbury, Kent.

I started my day with most of the team coming in to greet me despite being a largely remote-working office. My new boss, Rob, instantly made me feel welcome, before stepping into his life to arrange and organise his hectic schedule as his newly appointed personal assistant. Following the standard introductory meetings… I was left to my own capable devices to get stuck into my new role. 

I appreciated the confidence that FINALLY had in me following my interview, and the honesty in my role being a new position at the agency. They had pretty much given me complete freedom over designing my role, other than the standard needs that were set. This allowed me to exchange ideas and develop myself even further than I ever thought possible. 

I can already see how much the company invests in their employees, and how far they truly take flexibility, rather than just dancing around the concept with slightly adjustable working hours. This was true freedom, true belief in your employees to not only deliver, but to do so whilst allowing them to manage their own lives in between.

This is something that I believed was introduced to many agencies following the pandemic; however it was only after I joined the team that I learnt that FINALLY implemented their flexible working scheme prior to the pandemic even happening, which just illustrates how cutting edge this agency is.

I’ve been working at FINALLY for almost a month now, and I can honestly say that the energy at work is entirely palpable. The office is always alive with this proverbial buzzing atmosphere which is an absolute joy to come into work to.

I truly believe that the progressive nature of this agency is something that people need, especially after the family time, freedom and flexibility that the pandemic brought through lockdown. 

Any capacity that you have as employees at FINALLY can be used to develop yourself further with endless opportunities to learn new things and build your career. I’m currently writing this blog post because I had some free time in my day to do so, and it was encouraged by the team despite it technically not being within my job role.

It’s things like this that keeps me looking forward to seeing how much this role will allow me to develop myself. Even though I feel like I’ve missed out on a lot of career building time during my career gap, FINALLY I’m part of a team that understands.