Ask the Expert Dr. Kathleen Wells is a professional career coach and Director of Coaches That Care. She has coached thousands of clients through the stages of successful career development. Gap in Employment Q: I left the practice of law 8 years ago to have a family. Now that my boys are in school full-time, I have re-activated my bar membership and have been trying, in vain, to find employment. While I understand that I will have to start over again as a new attorney, I can't even get responses to my resume when sent out on specific jobs. How do I overcome the 8 year gap in my resume? Kathleen A: Dear Kathleen, Having a gap in your work record can be difficult so it's time to do some serious impression forming. What you need to do is pull all the dates out of your resume. Put in an excellent professional summary right at the top. After that section you can list your jobs, giving details of the responsibilities you managed for each and be sure to bullet a few accomplishments for each one as well. This will form the impression of the professional and excellent attorney you are before they see the dates to get your foot in the door for an interview. At that point, if it comes up, you can discuss the time you took off with the family. Be prepared to say, if possible, how that made you even better. For example did you continue to read or study? Are there skills you gained during that eight years that will make you better at your job like planning, negotiating, or organizational skills. Think out side of the box, let them know what you can do for them, and avoid those dates in the resume. Good luck, Kathleen Wells, Ph.D.