LinkedIn is giving its members a way to explain “gaps” in their resume with its addition of a career break option in the Experience section.
The professional network said members will be able to choose from a range of options to describe their career break—including career transition, caregiving, full-time parenting, health and wellbeing—and add context.
A LinkedIn spokesperson said, “It’s time to normalize career breaks and for employers to accept that professionals today want flexibility without worry that a career break will negatively impact their trajectory,” adding that its research found that 53% of women have left or would consider leaving a job due to a lack of flexible work policies, and noting, “In many cases, it’s your off-your-resume experience that truly gets to the heart of your passions, gifts and strengths and brings unique value at work.”
The pandemic caused a sharp spike in both forced and unforced career breaks, with LinkedIn finding that 64% of women have taken career breaks for reasons including parental leave (22%), medical leave (17%) and mental health reasons (14%).
The professional network said 70% of searches related to career breaks on its platform in January came from women, as did 67% of related posts.
A global survey by LinkedIn found that 60% of respondents still believe there’s a stigma attached to career breaks, while 50% of hiring managers acknowledged that they are becoming more common and 46% believe candidates with career breaks on their resume are an untapped pool of talent.
The professional network found that 51% of hiring managers were more likely to contact applications who provided context on their career breaks, and 68% of women desire more ways to positively represent those breaks.
According to LinkedIn, 54% of women who responded to its global survey believe they perform better at their job following a career break, while 70% said the break helped them gain perspective and figure out what they really want from life. Meanwhile, 51% of hiring managers believe people can restart their careers at any time after taking a career break.
The company found that 63% of women believe the current stigma of having a career break must shift, with flexibility remaining a key theme, and 71% said the pandemic exposed an urgent need for change in the approach to
flexible working, while 50% would not accept a new job that does not offer remote or flexible work options.
LinkedIn is offering the following LinkedIn Learning courses free of charge throughout the month of March to help people emerging from career breaks and re-entering the work force build confidence and showcase their skills:
- Becoming a male ally for women at work
- Inclusive female leadership
- Negotiating work flexibility
- Preparing your family leave and return
- Returning to work with a resume gap
Source: Adweek
