Dear Cindy – Outside of My Field

Do I need to include on my résumé jobs that were not in my field? I took a year off from nursing to work in the family business.

Sincerely,

TE

It's better to state something, because if you don't put anything down and leave a gap, a recruiter will ask anyway. You don't need to go into detail, just answer the question before it's asked, e.g. "Worked outside of nursing" or "Helping to operate the family business," etc. But if any of your work during the period of absence is a transferable skill, such as budget management or staff supervision, say so.