I’ve been out of work for nearly two years. I’m afraid that the gap in employment is now contributing to my difficulty in finding a job. Any advice?
Lengthy periods of unemployment are not uncommon these past few years, so employers are not necessarily holding them against applicants. But two years is stretching the norm, particularly if you haven’t worked in any capacity, even part time, in the interim. When it comes to dealing with gaps in your résumé, the first rule to remember is that you can never lie: Don’t stretch dates of employment or fabricate jobs in between. Lying is not only unethical but will disqualify you from consideration if discovered and could lead to termination if hired and discovered later. In your case, I’d immediately try to find even just a temp job to put on your résumé, so that the last thing a prospective employer sees is current employment. Sometimes there are activities that people do which they don’t realize can be used to at least partially bridge some employment gaps, like charity work, volunteering, traveling, going back to school, etc. So if you’ve done any of that, you can include it in résumés and cover letters to add to the narrative about who you are and what you’ve been doing. Good luck.
I have an amazing memory. Is that something I can put on a résumé?
Listen, Kreskin: having extraordinary ability in almost any skill is certainly worth including on a résumé, and something like this would appear in a personal-interests type section. I wouldn’t lead with it in a cover letter or interview, or even mention it. But if it’s on your résumé down near the bottom as an interesting fact and the interviewer asks about it, then by all means have some fun and be prepared to dazzle and amaze with a little demonstration. Just be careful that you’re not overestimating your special skills, or you might quickly discover another hidden talent: An ability to make things, like your job prospects, disappear faster than Houdini.