How to Handle an Employment Gap

How to Handle an Employment GapHow to Handle an Employment GapMany of us have had periods in our work history when we were not employed. That might be due to going back to school, raising children, illness or job loss. While it might not seem like an issue from the job-seekers perspective, it can send up red flags to employers. Gaps in your employment history without explanation make potential employers question those periods before having the option to meet you.Heres how to handle an employment lapseAvoid Gaps Altogether. If you arent in a paid position, you can certainly find creative ways to fill that time and make it more appealing to future employers. For example, an internship or volunteer work can both help boost your resume learning new skills can as well.Show how you put your time to good use, says Patrick Sweeney, president of the management consulting firm Caliper. Examples could be learning more about your industry, networking with others, taking a course, a volunteer rol e, working closely with your friends or family on a project together or any number of things- no one is absolutely static when they are unemployed. Show that you filled that time with purpose.If adding skills acquired during an employment eu-agrarpolitik doesnt fit into your resume, give a brief explanation of the period and what you did in your cover letter. Only discuss recent employment gaps (those in the last three to five years) nothing older. You can always go into detail in your interview if youre asked about it.And once you explain the gap in your cover letter, let it be. Many job-seekers obsess about how the gap might appear to hiring managers, but you shouldnt bring it up unless they do. Think of it like this, if you received a bad haircut, you may be self-conscious of it, Sweeney says. But you dont want to walk into the interview and start talking about it...Communicate with enthusiasm and show that youve done your homework. That you know about their company and their bus iness.Keep Up to Speed. If youve been out of the market for awhile, a potential employer might be concerned that you lack technical skills and an understanding of current industry trends. You can remedy this with a little do-it-yourself work Read industry blogs and publications so you can intelligently have a conversation about whats going on in your profession. Take continuing education classes or seminars that bring you up to speed on things like social media and new industry applications so you can compete with the current workforce.By showing that you are proactive in learning skills, you demonstrate to potential employers that youre dedicated to your professional development. That can put you in a more favorable light than a job candidate who has done only the bare minimum, even if he has a more consistent job history.Dont let an employment gap become an excuse for why you didnt get the job you really wanted. Proactively work to continue your career development while youre unem ployed, so you stay sharp for potential employers. A gap is like a missing chapter in a book, Sweeney says. Left unaddressed it becomes a concern. Your resume is your brand, your advertisement to be hired. And it is an opportunity to differentiate yourself from other similarly experienced candidates.Lindsay Olson is a founding partner and public relations recruiter with Paradigm Staffing and Hoojobs.com, a niche job board for public relations, communications, and social media jobs. She blogs at LindsayOlson.com, where she discusses recruiting and job search issues.

How to Look for a Job You Love

How to Look for a Job You Love How to Look for a Job You Love Lets departure with a simple question Do you love your job?If the answer is no, nowis the perfect time to make a change. The first step is to identify what you like and dislike about your current job. Being in tune with your feelings will help you spotthe perfect new opportunity.What would make you want to go to work every day? Are you looking for more meaning? Would you like a bigger paycheck? Do you prefer more autonomy and respect from your boss? Perhaps you want all of the above.What do you like about your current job? Do you feel youre working on something with a purpose or a mission that motivates you? Does the job give you flexibility in your daily schedule?What else do youenjoy about your work?Whenyoure unhappy at your current job, your first instinct is often to start looking through job postings for the perfect job title. You assume that the right title and job description will make all the difference. However, a job change is rarely that straightforward.Finding the right job is about finding the right situation. Its about finding a supportive boss and good coworkersat a reliable company in a stable industry.The perfect job title doesnt mean much if you hate your boss or your workplace. Alternatively, you might be willing to make a little less money if you could just find a job you loved.Remember, finding a job is a lot like dating. If you breakup witha personbut you dont take time to reflect on what went wrong,you very well might end up in anotzu sich equally unhappy relationship. The same thing happens whenyou run from one job to another without first understanding what you need to be happy at work.Once you have a good idea of the pros and cons at your current job,you should start building your professional network. Even if youre not ready to make a change today,you will need your network when you are ready. Plus, finding a job through networking givesyou a higher chance of success. You may already know your future boss you just havent figured it out yet.The more you know about the company going in, the more likely you are to find a match. After all, finding a job you love is all about fit.A version of this article originally appeared onCopeland Coaching.Angela Copeland is a career coach and CEO at her firm,Copeland Coaching.

Einstein on the only productivity tip youll ever need to know

Einstein on the only productivity tip youll ever need to knowEinstein on the only productivity tip youll ever need to knowIn 1902, a young, depressed and solemn, 21-year-old, Albert Einstein, was on the verge of giving up on his dream of becoming a physicist.Six years prior, Einstein had enrolled in a Mathematics and Physics teaching diploma at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland where he frequently skipped classes and spent his spare time wooing girls, whilst playing his violin at ladies luncheons and cocktail parties.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraAs a result of his devil-may-care attitude, Einsteins professors cast him aside as a lazy student destined for a mediocre career in Physics.And after graduating, Einstein couldnt get a job- in fact, he was passed over a job role as a lab assistant, and even contemplated selling insurance.After two frustrating years of job hunting, Einstein moved to Bryne, the capital of Switzerland, to work as a clerk in the Swiss kapitnspatent office.Working six days a week as a patent clerk, Einstein could barely find any time to develop his scientific ideas, and would eventually give up on a career in Physics.Or would he?In March 1905, Einstein submitted a paper that challenged the general consensus that light was a wave, and instead proposed that it was a particle.Two months later in May 1905, Einstein submitted a second paper. This time he challenged widely held beliefs that atoms didnt exist, and provided proofs of their existence.But Einstein wasnt done yet.In June 1905, Einstein submitted a third paper- the granddaddy of them all.Einstein proposed the idea that time and space were the same, and formalized his thoughts as the special theory of relativity.Then, in September 1905, Einstein published a furth paper as a follow-up to the previous one.He suggested that mass and energy were equivalent, and der ived the most famous equation in the history of mankind E=MC2.In the years to come, these fur papers- produced during Einsteins Miracle Year- would radically transform the way humans understand the world.And by the end of his career, Einstein would publish over 300 scientific papers, receive a Nobel Prize in Physics and firmly establish himself as one of the greatest physicists of all time.So, heres a puzzling questionHow is it possible that this failed scientist and unknown 26-year-old clerk destined for a mediocre life, could suddenly produce four groundbreaking papers within the span of a year, that would change the course of history?And whats the most important lesson on productivity and success, we can learn from Einstein?The cult of extreme productivityIf youre lonely when youre alone, youre in bad company.? Jean-Paul SartreWe live in a world that rewards busyness andthe idea of getting things done an addictive rat race to cross off as many things from your to-do list, as fast as possible.Because of this viral hype, we bury ourselves in busyness and attempt to achieve much mora than were capable of.Each day, we create unrealistic expectations torespond to every single emailin our inbox, spend quality time with our family and friends, exercise, read a book, sleep by 10 a.m. and so on.But, these superhuman attempts to get so much done and the constant bombardment of new productivity tips, hacks and gadgets, leads toprocrastination, stress, burnout and disappointment.And worse of all, the cult of extreme productivity has robbed us of the ability of enjoying our own company.Astudyconducted at the University of Virginia, discovered that participants would rather subject themselves to electric shocks, than be left alone with their thoughts.Likewise in our everyday lives, we distract ourselves with social media, emails,new goals and ideas, to avoid being alone with our thoughts.The cult of extreme productivity has traktement us the lie that boredom should be av oided at all costs, and doing nothing at all is an unproductive strategy for lazy people.Yet, it is during moments of solitude that we can discover ingenious solutions to familiar problems and gain clarity to make better decisions.A time to do nothing but be aloneIn his book,Einstein His Life and Universe(audiobook), biographer and historian, Walter Isaacson shares Einsteins thoughts on the need for solitudeI am truly a lone traveler and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart in the face of all these ties, I have never schwefellost a sense of distance and a need for solitude.From his youth, Einstein had a habit of spending a lot of time away from his friends, family and work, to do nothing but think.He would regularly go for long walks, wander off to quiet cabins in the mountains, play his violin, or sail in the seas with his wooden boat to find serenity.It was during these moments of solitude that Einstein would disc overingenious solutions to difficult problemsHe would often play his violin in his kitchen late at night, improvising melodies while he pondered complicated problems. Then, suddenly in the middle of playing, he would announce excitedly, Ive got itIronically, Einstein often lamented about the distractions of communication devices his discoveries later created.In a letter to his friend, he wrote, How conducive to thinking and working the long sea voyage is- a paradisaical state without correspondence, visits, meetings, and other inventions of the devil 5If Einstein were alive today, hed be labelled a loner in need of more social time. But, without his solitude hed never have achieved an extraordinary level of success in his lifetime.Coincidentally, throughout history, theres a theme of great thinkers- leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, writers, religious figures, artists- who regularly sought solitude to rejuvenate and refine their thoughts Leonardo Da Vinci, Martin Luther King, Niet zsche, Jesus Christ, Nikola Tesla and Ernest Hemingway, to personenname a few.Likewise, practicing solitude would help to improve our productivity, creativity and decision-making in everyday life.For example, I take daily walks in a quiet park, travel without my headphones, and spend a few days in the woods once every couple of months.And I can say without a shadow of doubt, that my breakthrough ideas and clarity on crucial life decisions, have shown up during these moments of solitude.Simply block out a few minutes each day to be alone and do nothing at all.By doing so, youll tap into your inner genius and uncover the most effective ways to take action.Embrace solitudeWriting, at its best, is a lonely life.- Ernest HemingwayIn our pursuit of getting more things done, weve lost sight of the true meaning of productivity.Productivity isnt about getting more things done, rather its about getting the right things done, while doing less.The best way to figure out the right things to foc us on and the best ways to tackle them, is to spend more time alone with your thoughts and embrace solitude.And just like Einstein, youll achieve much more and unleash your potential.Mayo Oshin writes at MayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus, join his free weekly newsletter.A version of this article originally appeared at mayooshin.com as Einstein on the Only Productivity Tip Youll Ever Need to Know.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people Einstein on the only productivity tip youll ever need to knowIn 1902, a young, depressed and solemn, 21-year-old, Albert Einstein, was on the verge of giving up on his dream of becoming a physicist.Six years prior, Einstein had enrolled in a Mathematics and Physics teaching diploma at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland where he frequently skipped classes and spent his spare time wooing girls, whilst playing his violin at ladies luncheons and cocktail parties.As a result of his devil-may-care attitude, Einsteins professors cast him aside as a lazy student destined for a mediocre career in Physics.And after graduating, Einstein couldnt get a job - in fact, he was passed over a job role as a lab assistant, and even contemplated selling insurance. 1After two frustrating years of job hunting, Einstein moved to Bryne, the capital of Switzerland, to work as a clerk in the Swiss patent office.Working six days a week as a patent clerk, Einstein could barely find any time t o develop his scientific ideas, and would eventually give up on a career in Physics.Or would he?In March 1905, Einstein submitted a paper that challenged the general consensus that light was a wave, and instead proposed that it was a particle.Two months later in May 1905, Einstein submitted a second paper. This time he challenged widely held beliefs that atoms didnt exist, and provided proofs of their existence.But Einstein wasnt done yet.In June 1905, Einstein submitted a third paper - the granddaddy of them all.Einstein proposed the idea that time and space were the same, and formalized his thoughts as the special theory of relativity.Then, in September 1905, Einstein published a fourth paper as a follow-up to the previous one.He suggested that mass and energy were equivalent, and derived the most famous equation in the history of mankind E=MC2.In the years to come, these four papers - produced during Einsteins Miracle Year - would radically transform the way humans understand the world.And by the end of his career, Einstein would publish over 300 scientific papers, receive a Nobel Prize in Physics and firmly establish himself as one of the greatest physicists of all time.So, heres a puzzling questionHow is it possible that this failed scientist and unknown 26-year-old clerk destined for a mediocre life, could suddenly produce four groundbreaking papers within the span of a year, that would change the course of history?And whats the most important lesson on productivity and success, we can learn from Einstein?A young Albert Einstein working as a clerk in Bern, Switzerland, 1905. Photo by Lucien Chavan, public domain.The cult of extreme productivityIf youre lonely when youre alone, youre in bad company. ?Jean-Paul SartreWe live in a world that rewards busyness andthe idea of getting things done an addictive rat race to cross off as many things from your to-do list, as fast as possible.Because of this viral hype, we bury ourselves in busyness and attempt to achieve much more than were capable of.Each day, we create unrealistic expectations torespond to every single emailin our inbox, spend quality time with our family and friends, exercise, read a book, sleep by 10 a.m. and so on.But, these superhuman attempts to get so much done and the constant bombardment of new productivity tips, hacks and gadgets, leads toprocrastination, stress, burnout and disappointment.And worse of all, the cult of extreme productivity has robbed us of the ability of enjoying our own company.Astudyconducted at the University of Virginia, discovered that participants would rather subject themselves to electric shocks, than be left alone with their thoughts. 2Likewise in our everyday lives, we distract ourselves with social media, emails,new goals and ideas, to avoid being alone with our thoughts.The cult of extreme productivity has sold us the lie that boredom should be avoided at all costs, and doing nothing at all is an unproductive strategy for lazy people. Yet, it is during moments of solitude that we can discover ingenious solutions to familiar problems and gain clarity to make better decisions.A time to do nothing but be aloneIn his book,Einstein His Life and Universe(audiobook), biographer and historian, Walter Isaacson shares Einsteins thoughts on the need for solitudeI am truly a lone traveler and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude. 3From his youth, Einstein had a habit of spending a lot of time away from his friends, family and work, to do nothing but think.He would regularly go for long walks, wander off to quiet cabins in the mountains, play his violin, or sail in the seas with his wooden boat to find serenity.It was during these moments of solitude that Einstein would discoveringenious solutions to difficult problemsHe would often play his violin in his kitchen late at night, improvising melodies while he pondered complicated problems. Then, suddenly in the middle of playing, he would announce excitedly, Ive got it 4Ironically, Einstein often lamented about the distractions of communication devices his discoveries later created.In a letter to his friend, he wrote, How conducive to thinking and working the long sea voyage is- a paradisaical state without correspondence, visits, meetings, and other inventions of the devil 5If Einstein were alive today, hed be labeled a loner in need of more social time. But, without his solitude hed never have achieved an extraordinary level of success in his lifetime.Coincidentally, throughout history, theres a theme of great thinkers- leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, writers, religious figures, artists- who regularly sought solitude to rejuvenate and refine their thoughts Leonardo Da Vinci, Martin Luther King, Nietzsche, Jesus Christ, Nikola Tesla and Ernest Hemingway, to name a few.Likewise, practicing sol itude would help to improve our productivity, creativity and decision-making in everyday life.For example, I take daily walks in a quiet park, travel without my headphones, and spend a few days in the woods once every couple of months.And I can say without a shadow of doubt, that my breakthrough ideas and clarity on crucial life decisions, have shown up during these moments of solitude.Simply block out a few minutes each day to be alone and do nothing at all.By doing so, youll tap into your inner genius and uncover the most effective ways to take action.Embrace solitudeWriting, at its best, is a lonely life. - Ernest HemingwayIn our pursuit of getting more things done, weve lost sight of the true meaning of productivity.Productivity isnt about getting more things done, rather its about getting the right things done, while doing less.The best way to figure out the right things to focus on and the best ways to tackle them, is to spend more time alone with your thoughts and embrace sol itude.And just like Einstein, youll achieve much more and unleash your potential.Mayo Oshin writes atMayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus,join his free weekly newsletter.A version of thisarticleoriginally appeared atmayooshin.comasThe Physics of Failure Why We Fail In Life and Work (and What to Do About It).FootnotesMichio Kaku, Physics of the Impossible (2008).Wilson et al (2014).Just think The challenges of the disengaged mind.Science (New York, N.Y.). 345. 75-7. 10.1126/science.1250830.Walter Isaacson, Einstein His Life and Universe (2007)4. Johanna Fantova, Journal of conversations with Einstein, Jan. 23, 1954, in Calaprice, 354.5. The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 19236. The period in wh ich Einstein produced the groundbreaking papers is referred to as Einsteins miracle year. To put this in context, over the lifetime of a physicists career, publishing any two of Einsteins groundbreaking papers would have been an outstanding career, let alone producing four of them within the time period of a yearBy the age of 12 years old, Einstein also independently discovered his own original proof of the Pythagorean theorem, and by the age of 15 years old, he had mastered calculus on his own.