In a recent development, LinkedIn has launched a feature that enables users to articulate their career breaks, which is particularly beneficial for women who often encounter gaps in their resumes. The pandemic and various challenges over the past couple of years have led to an unprecedented number of women exiting the workforce. Concurrently, many other professionals are leaving their positions amid the Great Resignation, driven by factors such as burnout, childcare duties, and furthering their education.
A silver lining amid this workforce upheaval is LinkedIn’s proactive approach in creating a feature that allows individuals to label and explain their career breaks, showcasing the skills acquired during their time away from traditional work environments. The platform emphasizes the value of experiences outside conventional career paths, encouraging users to highlight what makes them distinctive.
For those who have taken time off from work, addressing gaps in their resumes can be a daunting task. It’s evident to anyone who has dedicated time to parenting that such responsibilities involve significant work and foster essential skills like multitasking, conflict resolution, and crisis management. If you can manage a fussy baby, a corporate crisis seems far less intimidating.
Since last spring, LinkedIn has allowed users to select titles such as ‘Stay-At-Home Parent’ in response to the surge of individuals, particularly women, leaving the workforce to manage childcare and health-related crises triggered by the pandemic. Now, the platform has enhanced this offering by allowing users to add a career break to their profiles and emphasize the skills gained during this period.
To incorporate a career break into your profile, simply click “add section” beneath your profile picture and choose “career break.” You’ll find a variety of descriptors to classify your break, including “full-time parenting,” “caregiving,” “bereavement,” “pursuit of professional goals,” and “health and wellness.” There’s also an option to elaborate on how you spent your time and the skills you developed.
Liam Farrow, a product manager at LinkedIn who led this initiative, stated, “Often, it’s the experiences outside your resume that truly reflect your passions, abilities, and strengths.” Conversely, a significant gap in a resume can seem suspicious or raise questions, making it uncomfortable to address. According to a LinkedIn survey, 60% of respondents believe there’s still a stigma surrounding career breaks.
“Explaining what you’ve done during a career break can be challenging for those ready to return to work. This feature provides a platform to demonstrate how those experiences translate to potential roles,” Farrow explained.
Interestingly, LinkedIn discovered that 46% of employers regard individuals returning from career breaks as untapped talent, and 51% believe that having an explained career break is preferable to an unexplained one.
“Many individuals, especially women, experience imposter syndrome,” Farrow noted. “Viewing every experience as an opportunity for growth is crucial. Learning from those who are more knowledgeable than you is a definite win.”
The reality is that countless individuals have undergone significant changes, particularly in the past two years. Whether these changes were voluntary or imposed, anyone with a resume gap deserves an opportunity to re-enter the workforce. Kudos to LinkedIn for helping normalize the idea that life can sometimes interfere with career progression, especially for women and parents.
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In summary, LinkedIn’s new feature allows users to effectively communicate their career breaks and the skills gained during that time, aiming to reduce the stigma associated with resume gaps. This initiative is particularly beneficial for women and parents, helping them navigate the complexities of re-entering the workforce after significant life changes.
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