For all of you reliability engineers and predictive and industrial maintenance professionals, job hunting probably feels like a full time job. Although you may feel overwhelmed with your job hunt,  even more worrisome are the large gaps on your resume that look unsightly when applying for positions.

Don’t be discouraged by the gaps in your resume. Look at them holes to mend and blanks to fill in. As a highly talented individual you have an arsenal of skills at your disposal. Put them to work!

 A rising trend for those who are unemployed is volunteering. A report released in June by Volunteering In America found that 2009 was the largest single-year increase in the number of volunteers since 2003.  The increase equates to 8.1 billion hours of volunteered service with an estimated value of $196 billion.

Not only does volunteering help your local community and serve others, it fills out areas of your resume that may need a little substance.

Find a volunteer group or position that allows you to use the skills you already have. The following websites are great resources for finding a volunteer position:

volunteeringinamerica.gov

serve.gov

networkforgood.org

dosomething.org

volunteermatch.org

If you’re having trouble finding a volunteer position that matches your specific talents reach out to your network of colleagues and friends. Your network is a great place to turn to when looking for the right place to volunteer. Colleagues and friends will be able to recommend places they have volunteered and get you connected with the right contacts.

Some perks of volunteering are:

• Giving back to your community and helping those in need
• Setting a good example for others to follow
• Enhancing your resume and variety experiences
• Learning new skills
• Combatting the unemployment blues
• Making contacts and creating relationships

While your resume may still have holes from being unemployed, your volunteer work will be a great topic of conversation for your next interview. Volunteering helps dodge the unwanted questions about gaps in employment and opens the doors for you to speak about your values and character.