If you've got a gap of time between jobs on your resume, what's the best way to present it? Should you ignore a career gap? Note it on the resume? Or save an explanation for the interview? Here are some tips to help you decide how to address your career gap.

Play with your dates. Some people can get out of explaining career gaps simply by taking the month connotation off their resumes. For example, if you worked a job from March 2001 to January 2006 and began your next job in May of 2006 and worked it until May of 2008, you can reference the jobs as such:

2001-2006

2006-2008

You won't be lying doing this and it helps your resume flow better. Of course, if asked, always tell the truth. A lapse in employment can be normal, especially if you were laid off or took a break to continue education or start a family.

Note the gap in your resume. I only recommend that you do this if you took a multiple-year sabbatical. Many women who took a few years off to raise their children or tend to a sick relative can note this as a personal sabbatical. All it takes to do this is to include a reference at the end of your professional experience that says something like:

Took personal sabbatical from 2001-2006.

I don't recommend doing this all too often in the body of the resume, because it can distract the resume reader from what you can offer. There are other ways to note a career gap and be honest and upfront; doing so in the body of your resume may not be how you want to deliver the news.

Use your cover letter. You can use your cover letter to explain an employment or career gap--just don't make that lapse front and center. Talk about what you have to offer before stating that you took a medical/personal leave. One or two sentences will do it. You may want to write something like:

Previously, I spent 3 years taking care of my family.

or

Between 2002 and 2006, I took a medical leave.

or

I was laid off from Company ABC from 2007 to 2008.

Always do this toward the end of the letter, so you can end on a positive note that you're ready to continue your work. You may not want to note this, but an employer is more likely to see you as reliable if you do. The other way to bring it up is during the interview.

Prepare to be grilled--sorta. The interviewer won't interrogate you about an employment gap during a meeting, but if it's not noted on your resume or in your cover letter, be prepared to answer for yourself. Saying something as simple as, "Yes, I was on a medical leave from 2002 through 2004." Better yet, bring it up if you're going through your experience chronologically on the resume and say something like, "You may note that I did not work from 2002 to 2004. I took a personal leave to raise my children." Be kind and don't delve into too many details, especially since they might make you emotional or upset during the interview. Don't focus on the career gap--acknowledge it and let it go!