When does a resume gap look bad?

[Mrs. Skeffington]

I agree, it's better to lump the jobs together than have a gap or look like a job hopper. Employers really do question gaps! I dropped my resume off at different law firms around our small town, offering my services as a summer fill-in temp when school closes in two weeks. I didn't list the cafeteria job at first, because it wasn't "pertinent" to legal assistant work, and I was questioned what I'd been doing the past year. I ended up just putting it in, even though it looks out of place.

[Osito]

It looks bad because the potential employer can't easily know what you've been up to during your "time off" or why you had it in the first place. I think some employers relax if one explains unemployment stretches smoothly. Also it's my understanding there is a type of resume that highlights one's attributes without the emphasis on the time-frame, but at the interview one would still have to explain the time-lapses.

[kodaka]

Originally Posted by chikid

Just to clarify, I am not intentionally job hopping. I was in graduate school up until December of 2011. I worked as a T.A. from August to January (Job ABC), then I was done with grad school, moved back home and got a crappy part-time (Job DEF), the one I want to remove resume, and only got it to make money while I found something more substantial . Then I found the job I am currently at, which is (Job GHI). Now I am not planning to leave this job anytime soon, however, I am well aware this is a dead end job, but provides great experience. So I am just keeping my eyes wide open in case there is something I really want and apply but I expect to be here for about a year, but like I said just in case I see something that I really qualify and really want. Obviously I won't put this job on the resume, it would be too soon, but maybe in September if I am still here I would possibly to then add it in.

Now I have one more question. While in graduate school I worked as a T.A. from August 2009-May 2010, then went on summer break got a summer job, and then went back to school and worked again for as a T.A. from August 2010-January 2011.

Now would it just make more sense to combine together those two and say that I was a T.A. from August 2009 - January 2011? I mean while there were three months that I didn't work in the summer, I was employed by the university for that period of time so I wouldn't be necessarily lying.

Okay, that explains it better.

For the case of TAing, yeah I think it's fine to list your job as one continuous job from August 2009 to January 2011. It pretty much goes without saying that the school was on summer break during the summer.

And if you just finished school, it's probably fine to leave job DEF off. Employers will just assume you were looking for work for those three months.

[pelamel]

Im having trouble finding a job i have only had 3 differant jobs over a few years and none of them lasted that long due to past relationship but now i really need one im a single mom and need advice! What do i do??