Lengths of gaps in resumes?

I'm in the process of updating my resume. Since I may be getting another part time position, I'm considering dropping a volunteer gig I list as part of my "experience" and possibly moving it to "additional experience" if necessary or applicable.

However, since I only volunteered there for 3 months (the nonprofit office ended up closing because the organization couldn't afford to keep paying the rent and it wasn't at all profitable), do I need to explain that gap at interview time if say I do leave it off my resume?

No one has ever really asked about my work there, except for one place which found it relevant to their goals. However, since I had recently started the volunteer work, I guess it wasn't enough and I didn't get the position. : P

If the volunteer work was relevant experience - I'd leave it there. It doesn't matter if it was paid or not! (Think of all the unpaid student interns.)

If you were there, gaining good experience, leave it - then you don't have to "explain" anything. You WERE working, just w/o pay.

Best of luck!

When the company I worked for folded and I had a two month gap of employment due to the layoff it seemed inevitable that someone would ask about it during an interview. So I found that as long as I brought it up first and let them know that I wasn't afraid to talk about it - they would usually respond with "that's no biggie". They'll be impressed you talked openly about it first and it keeps you from getting defensive about it when they ask you later on in the interview.

Also, if you bring it up first it kind of shows that you're not trying to hide anything. They'll love you ten times over for that.

Good luck!

A three month gap isn't enough to worry about in a resume. If they want to know what you were doing then, they'll ask.

I'd leave it in there just so your resume won't have a gap. If it doesn't help your resume you can make the description as short as possible, but better not to have a gap. Besides many people would like that you took a few months off to volunteer, even if they don't talk about it much in the interview.