How Do You Explain A Gap In Your Employment When Applying for a Caregiving Job?

Recruiters for senior care companies are trained to look for a consistent employment history when evaluating a caregiving job applicant.  Why?  Because especially in senior care, reliability is important.  Having a consistent employment record means you performed well enough to not be fired and stuck with a job until you had another one and probably gave the appropriate two-week notice.  You didn’t drop the ball. 

As senior home care agencies, nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living communities often must provide caregiving staff to assist a senior around-the-clock and provide a minimum amount of Certified Nursing Aides to meet licensing guidelines, it is even more important for them to know they can depend on an employee.  They do not want to scramble to find a back-up nursing aide at the last minute.  These senior care companies want to hire people who will be reliable and dependable.

But what if you were fired from a job or quit a job to take time off?  It happens, for both good and bad reasons.  Some people who are excellent workers have been fired because they had a boss who felt intimidated or insecure by their performance or just didn’t like them.  Or sometimes an employee has a boss who is simply unqualified to be a manager.

We have all been in those shoes. 

Separately, maybe you were fired for lack of performance or because you just weren’t a good fit for the job.  Maybe you had a personal situation which kept you from fully committing to your job.  Now you have learned your lessons and are ready to go back to work and grow your career.  You will need to go the extra mile to communicate this to your future employer.

Caregiver turnover is high.  This is because client schedules and needs change and because the work can be demanding both emotionally and physically.  Experienced caregiver recruiters know that there will sometimes be gaps in employment for even good caregivers.

How do you convince an employer you will be a quality caregiver and a dependable employee? 

First, be prepared for questions about gaps in employment.  Plan ahead for how you will respond and be confident in communicating what you are now looking for in a job and in a boss.

As you explain your employment history, address the gap in employment in a positive manner and move on to explain how you are interested in applying your skills to the current open job position.  Be honest while presenting the situation in a positive manner.  Follow these guidelines when talking about your previous positions:

• Why You Left
• What You Learned
• What You Liked Best and Worst About the Job
• Why You Sought Employment at the Next Job
• What You Did While Not Working (School? Volunteer? Have Children? Move?)
• Explain Career Path You Are Now Seeking

Remember, convincing your future employer you will be reliable and a good fit for the job will help them to understand any challenges you may have experienced in the past.  Usually a job will go to the person who shows they are motivated and really want it.  Everyone deserves a second chance.  You can demonstrate your current reliability by being organized when you apply for the job (with updated resume - you may use Caregiverlist's free Resume Builder), showing up on time and following up with a letter and phone call after the interview.

As long as you can communicate you skills and dependability, by being dependable throughout the job interview process, you will find yourself waking up in the morning to get ready for your new caregiving job.