E08: Explaining Career Gaps: What Employers Really Want to Hear
Release Date: 06/20/2025
Career Crossroads
In this episode of Career Crossroads, listeners will learn how to confidently address gaps on their resumes and navigate conversations about time away from the workforce. Whether the gap was due to a layoff, caregiving, mental health, or a career shift, the episode offers practical advice on how to explain it clearly and honestly, highlight transferable skills, and use the right resume format to showcase your strengths. Listeners will also discover how to rebuild confidence, prepare for interviews, and access free support and resources to help them successfully reenter the workforce.
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In this episode, you’ll learn how to take control of your finances after a job loss with practical tools and a grounded mindset. Discover how to assess your current income and expenses, create an essentials-only budget, and identify areas to cut back without losing your stability. You'll hear about helpful budgeting apps, local support resources, and how to make smart decisions around emergency savings or retirement funds. Most importantly, you'll gain reassurance that financial setbacks are temporary—and that with the right plan, you can move forward with confidence and clarity.
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In this episode, you’ll learn how to take control of your online presence and rebrand yourself for today’s job market. From updating your LinkedIn profile to managing your digital footprint, you’ll discover practical tips to make sure what shows up online reflects who you are now and where you want to go professionally. Whether you're making a career pivot, reentering the workforce, or simply want to stand out to recruiters, this conversation offers clear, actionable steps to help you align your online image with your career goals.
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In this episode we shed light on the growing problem of scam job postings. Discover how to identify the red flags of fraudulent job ads, the sneaky tactics scammers use to lure unsuspecting job seekers, and the critical steps you can take to protect yourself. From spotting fake company profiles to recognizing the warning signs during the interview process, this episode arms you with the knowledge and strategies to navigate your job search with confidence.
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In this episode, you will discover best practices for creating compelling job resumes and cover letters. Learn how to move away from generic chronological resumes towards skills-focused hybrid resumes tailored specifically for your desired positions. Get tips for effectively communicating career gaps due to caregiving, illness, incarceration or military service by highlighting your transferable abilities. You’ll also learn how to access free local experts to translate your background into resumes that help you stand out to employers.
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In this episode, you'll learn about utilizing labor market information in career planning and job searching. Shelby Cunningham, RESEA Program Manager for Wyoming Workforce Services explains that labor market data encompasses employment trends, wages, job outlooks, and more on a granular, geographic basis. She also provides details about how those receiving unemployment benefits can access this information from their case worker and how to access online resources that drill down labor market data even further by interest inventory and required education.
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Tune in as Shelby Cunningham, RESEA Program Manager for Wyoming Workforce Services, returns to discuss best practices for job interview preparation and success. Shelby outlines helpful tips like getting enough rest, testing your tech setup, finding a quiet space, and researching the company and role. She also explains how interviews now often focus on behavioral questions that reveal how you handle conflict, mistakes, communication styles, etc rather than just technical skills, and stresses practicing answers with specific examples and thoughtful questions about company culture. You'll also...
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In this debut episode of Career Crossroads, you'll hear from Shelby Cunningham, RESEA Program Manager for Wyoming Workforce Services. Shelby discusses the goals of the RESEA program to connect unemployment benefit recipients back to work more quickly. She also addresses common misconceptions of the workforce centers as just "unemployment offices," when in fact their mission is the opposite - to help people find and retain good jobs. You'll also hear the wide range of free retraining, skill-building, and placement services the workforce centers offer job seekers and employers alike,...
info_outlineIn this episode of Career Crossroads, listeners will learn how to confidently address gaps on their resumes and navigate conversations about time away from the workforce. Whether the gap was due to a layoff, caregiving, mental health, or a career shift, the episode offers practical advice on how to explain it clearly and honestly, highlight transferable skills, and use the right resume format to showcase your strengths. Listeners will also discover how to rebuild confidence, prepare for interviews, and access free support and resources to help them successfully reenter the workforce.