Should a Resume include Bridge Jobs?

No, not those dangerous, highly-skilled construction jobs that pay a lot of money, but almost exactly the opposite: bridge jobs are the low-paying jobs that you are overqualified for that you take when you are between jobs and you have bills to pay. These are retail, restaurant, service or unskilled labor positions; all at the low end of the pay scale and nowhere to be found on the prestige jobs list. Most of the time they never find their way onto your r�sum�.

When unemployment statistics are calculated, very rarely are the underemployed considered. But the numbers of those who are underemployed may tell a bigger story than that of unemployment. For some, unemployment benefits have run out, others may not have qualified for unemployment in the first place.

Many of these so-called bridge jobs are part-time and, of course, there are no benefits. Some of them are day labor jobs or are paid off the books, none of them are meant to be permanent.

Another reason to call them bridge jobs? They take their toll on the people who take them just to get by. After the high-tech market went bust, there were a lot of computer-oriented workers without jobs. They went from 6 figures to minimum wage and that does not just create financial havoc, but emotional turmoil as well.

For many who have taken these jobs, it has often been after a series of disasters and disappointments. First there was the good job, or at least a decent, fairly well paying job, that was lost. Or, as is the case of recent college graduates, it is the promise of a good job with a bright future.

After that job or that dream is gone, then comes the search for another job. Out go the r�sum�s and phone calls to acquaintances and contacts in the field. Then more r�sum�s and cold calls and online employment agencies. Finally, in desperation, comes the "I'll take anything" job. It is a stressful and depressing downward spiral and it has ruined relationships, torn apart families and destroyed people.

As for where these jobs fit in to your r�sum�, you have a choice. You can format your resume to reflect the skills you gained from these jobs; it shows you are resilient and willing to do anything to keep yourself going. You can show that you are the type of person to make the best of a bad situation and, in turn, make the employer want to meet you. Another choice is to gloss over the gaps in your relevant employment by using a format that highlights work experience rather than chronological details.

The importance of a well-created resume should not be underestimated. It is easy to convert unrelated positions to learning experiences - if you know how. If you have trouble creating a winning resume, one that can pull you out of the bridge job cycle, enlisting the help of an expert will reap rewards in the form of increased interviews - first step to getting that job.