Resume Gaps Blossom into Opportunity with LinkedIn Platform Enhancement

March is officially underway. From beneath the melting snow, tenacious leaves of brilliant tulips, daffodils and crocuses spring from the surface, while dainty bubs dot thriving tree limbs and birds sing praise for each new day. But there’s something else not so silently germinating…

Intentional or not, cast against the spirited backdrop of National Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (observed March 8), LinkedIn, the business-oriented social networking behemoth connecting more 722 million members, zealously enhanced its platform to allow users the opportunity to digitally explain resume gaps and to highlight skills gained through non-traditional work. As a women-owned and women-run business, we, like many of you, know first-hand resume gaps are commonly brought upon by parenting responsibilities, bereavement, layoffs, career transitions and more. We also know these gaps have long been looked down upon by hiring managers and that they often plague re-entry into the workforce.

Collectively, we’re not alone. According to LinkedIn, in January 2022, an estimated 67 percent of worldwide career break posts were penned by female members. As another proof point, in a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 64 percent of women polled across the globe have taken a career break; the highest percentage of breaks attributed women in the U.S. Within the same survey, nearly 70 percent of participants credit a career break for helping them to gain perspective and figure out what they really want from life.

Might the season for understanding be blossoming before our very eyes? To read more about LinkedIn’s recent upgrade, read LinkedIn wants to normalize career breaks with new feature. If you’re considering a return to the workforce, check out LinkedIn’s free online courses designed to help with returning to work after a career break; courses include work flexibility negotiations and inclusive female leadership.

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