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Ask the Recruiter

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Joe Grimm
Joe Grimm, visiting journalist at the Michigan State University School of Journalism, tackles the toughest recruiting questions.
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Should I Explain the Gap?
First off, great column -- and sorely needed.

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I left a good job at a midsize daily after about three years to accept a one-year fellowship. Now job hunting again, I wonder how to best address a short gap between my past job and the fellowship. I quit my old job several weeks early to spend time with my family. But this left a gap of two months on my resume.

Since I left on good terms with my old editors, I'm not worried about explaining this in an interview, but will this lead recruiters or editors to assume I was fired and toss my resume in the trash before I even get to this stage? Exacerbating this concern is the fact that I had three beats in about three years at my old paper -- all promotions, but I wonder if this will look suspicious to editors.

Do I need to address this in my resume or cover letter to ensure that I will go on to an interview? Or am I worrying for nothing?

Thanks,

Gap

Joe Grimm
Joe Grimm
Relax. You're good.

Getting new jobs because you're something of a vertical blur is never a problem, and a little family time packed between a job and a fellowship should not bother anyone.

You have a good explanation if asked.


Coming Monday: She is interested in two or more jobs at two different papers. She wonders whether she should send a separate application for each job.


 

Posted by Joe Grimm 12:00 AM April 6, 2007
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