How to Address Employment Gaps on Your Resume

On an interview desk, you should be well equipped to address the question: “Can you walk us through your resume?” or some version of it.

Having a picture-perfect employment history was something you always strived for but couldn’t escape a scary employment gap somewhere in your career.

An employment/career gap is a period spent out of the workforce or between roles (job hunt period). This could be a voluntary decision to take a career break for reasons such as traveling or it may be a result of redundancy or personal issues.

Also, you might have become a victim of a dwindling economy during Covid, took some time off for caregiving,     or were struggling with a certain health condition or whatever it was that created a string of short-term or unrelated gigs becoming part of your resume, you must deal with it now. Knowing how to address the empty spaces in your resume can be challenging and failing to do so may reflect badly on your professional profile.

If you have come across any of these situations in your career, read this guide to salvage your resume and make a better case for your candidacy.

What Counts as a Career Gap?

Spending time away from a workforce and then trying to hide in them is always a challenge. A career gap typically refers to a period of time, usually six months or more, during which an individual is not employed in a formal job role. This can occur for various reasons, including personal circumstances like caregiving, health issues, pursuing education, traveling, taking a sabbatical or simply being laid off. Remember that contract work, launching a new business, or pivoting your career before making a return are not considered part of the career gap.

Also, non-traditional employment and activities such as volunteer work, freelancing, or skill development can still contribute to personal and professional growth during this time. Understanding how to articulate these experiences can help mitigate concerns from potential employers.

Don’t Show Furtiveness! Career Gaps are No Longer Red Flags

You have been absent from the workforce for 5 months, 5 years, or even longer! Don’t worry! Explaining your career may not be as hard as it seems.

Over the past few years, career gaps are increasingly viewed with understanding by recruiters, who recognize that life circumstances can lead to breaks in employment. Many employers appreciate the skills and experiences gained during these periods, whether through personal projects, volunteering, or further education.

This shift reflects a broader acknowledgment of work-life balance and the diverse paths individuals take in their careers. As a result, candidates are encouraged to frame their gaps positively, highlighting resilience and adaptability rather than viewing them as setbacks.

6 Ways to Address Career Gaps on a Resume

When putting together a resume or updating it make sure that you stick to the standard format. Include a start month and year and end month and year for each time you were in employment and also add the start and end dates for any career gaps if they stretched to six months or longer.

Also, follow the chronological order when mentioning both the periods when you were working and away from work. Don’t forget to include any relevant activities, experience, or upskilling you were involved in during the employment gap, and try to establish a connection between them and the job you are hunting for.

When explaining a career gap in a resume, clarity is key. Start with a straight forward statement about the gap, briefly outlining the reason—whether it was for personal, health, or family matters. This transparency helps to set the context and alleviates any potential concerns from hiring managers. Be concise and avoid dwelling on the details; the goal is to maintain a professional tone.

Next, emphasize what you accomplished during the gap. Highlight any relevant activities, such as volunteering, freelance projects, or coursework that enhance your skills. This shows potential employers that you remained proactive and committed to personal development during your time away from traditional employment. Framing the gap in a positive light can turn it into a valuable part of your narrative.

You can certainly not fill your employment gaps but you may address them with clarity. Here are some tips to explain your career gaps in a resume.

1. Be Prepared, Clear and Confident

Be ready to shape the narrative around any gaps and try to clear it as a non-issue or nearly a non-issue. Having a gap on your CV won’t hurt your application and will not either cast a shadow on the interview process. However, prospective employers will expect an explanation from your end.

You need to prepare it beforehand so that it doesn’t feel off the cuff during the interview. Your answer should project confidence and positivity. After identifying the reason, prepare a brief explanation and if there is something too personal to be shared, you can always determine the limit to which you want to disclose your reasons.

2. Be Honest in Your Explanations

Honesty is the key! Explain your employment gaps being as honest as you can.

At some point in their careers, almost everyone, even the hiring manager vetting your CV has had an employment gap. If you don’t omit it from your CV and take the time to explain what was going on during a two-year-long work gap, the recruiters will be more understanding and less discriminating. On the contrary, if you want to scamper around the issue or try to downplay it, you are giving a negative message to the potential employer. 

So be truthful and try to frame your explanation without going into unnecessary detail. A basic template for explaining the career gap could be:

“Took a purposeful break from full-time employment to [brief reason, e.g., care for a family member, pursue further education, or focus on personal health]. During this time, I [mention relevant activities, e.g., volunteered, completed courses, or worked on freelance projects to enhance my skills and stay engaged in my field. This experience has equipped me with mention key skills or insights that I bring to my next role.”

3. Fill the Gap

Without going into details, you should come up with the specific reasons about what caused your employment gap. Break the silence by mentioning anything you did during that period, i.e., got involved in upskilling, stayed in touch with industry updates and fraternity or how you prepared your comeback. You may also cite any freelance, remote, or gig work, volunteering, and other things that kept you busy and productive. If you volunteered for a role or took an unpaid internship, highlight it in your resume. Remember, the goal is to convey that you have remained engaged in some form without a formal occupation.

4. Remove the Gap (Old ones)

If your employment gap is old, you can safely exclude it from your CV. For example, you don’t need to fret over an employment gap that came 8-10 years ago, you don’t need to mention it because you will not even be including employment that is so outdated. After all, you are a seasoned professional and want to keep your resume as relevant as possible. So, an old gap is not serious and you are not supposed to go that far back. Also, feel free to omit the 6-month employment gaps even if they are from recent employment history.

5. Use Your career Breaks for Professional Growth

If you have left the job suddenly, have not moved to new employment, and are worried about how this will reflect on your future engagements, get proactive!

Instead of simply explaining your work gap as a career break or job searching, start a personal project or try to learn or create something that compensates for the time away from the workforce. For example, you can join one or more courses related to your profession or begin to work on your dream project. Talking about courses, there are many free and low-cost training opportunities available online and in person where you can always get enrolled to invest in professional development.

That way, you will have much more to offer than exchanging furtive smiles on the interview desk. The goal is to effectively show the recruiters that you are constantly growing even when not in the workplace.

6. Consider using a different resume format

If you cannot make your skills and experience look good with the standard resume format, you can switch to a functional resume. A functional resume focuses more on skills than professional experience which can prove helpful to fill the employment gaps in a resume. However, you should only fall back on this tactic as a last resort. Proceed with caution when applying functional format as it can also create an impression that you are attempting to hide something. Hiring managers generally don’t prefer the functional resume because of its unorthodox appeal. A functional resume may also hurt you chances of hitting the ATS radar because of its structure.

12 Good Reasons for an Employment Gap

Obviously, there can be multiple reasons to take a career break, and if you don’t explain the employment gaps they can become a cause for concern. Whilst this is by no means a complete list, we have tried to outline some of the possible reasons with examples you can include in your resume to address the employment gap.

1. Accidents and Illness

This is a reasonable explanation to fill a resume gap as accidents are unavoidable. Tell the hiring managers that you have fully recovered from injury.

Example 1 (Illness): Took time off to recover from a significant injury. This period allowed me to focus on rehabilitation and self-care, teaching me resilience and the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The experience has strengthened my determination and adaptability in the face of challenges.

Example 2 (Health Issues):  Focused on recovering from a health issue, which taught me resilience and the importance of well-being. During this time, I developed skills in self-management and stress reduction that are beneficial in any work environment.

2. Caregiving Responsibilities

If you left the workplace to be the primary caretaker of your family, you can mention it as a reason in your resume.

Example: Took time off to care for a family member or loved one. This experience honed my organizational and multitasking skills while reinforcing my commitment to supporting others in need.

3. Further Education

If you left the job for further education or professional training. Here is how you mention furthering or finishing your uncompleted academic goals or gaining new skills:

Example: Pursued additional qualifications or degrees to enhance my expertise in my field. This investment in my education allowed me to gain valuable knowledge and skills that I can apply in my next role.

4. Career Transition

Pivoting at some point of your career is not an unusual exercise. Don’t look strange in your resume. Here is an example of how you will explain a career switch:

Example: Took time to evaluate and shift my career direction. This period allowed me to explore new interests, research potential fields, and acquire skills that align more closely with my long-term career goals.

5. Traveling

As a writer your sedentary job was getting too hectic after continuously working for the past 5 years.  To relieve your writing neurons, you took a break to travel to Asia. Here is how you will put that in your resume: 

Example: Engaged in travel which broadened my perspectives and cultural understanding. These experiences enhanced my adaptability and communication skills, making me more versatile in diverse work environments. I’m now ready to start focusing on my career.

6. Relocation

You are a closed knitted traditional family and were relocating to remain as one unit. Here is how you will define your relocation in your resume:

Example: Temporarily paused my career to relocate for personal reasons. This transition provided me with the opportunity to reassess my career path and network in a new community, preparing me for future opportunities.

7. Freelancing

Bringing up any freelance work could be a good way to fill the career gaps.

Example: Worked as a freelancer during my gap, which allowed me to manage my own projects and clients. This experience strengthened my entrepreneurial skills and helped me maintain industry connections.

8. Parenting

Taking time off from the commercial workforce to raise children is normal and you should know how to explain it in your CV.

Example: Took time off to raise children, which taught me valuable skills such as time management, negotiation, and patience. These skills have translated into my professional life, enhancing my ability to collaborate and lead effectively.

9. Skill Development

Sure, you might have not worked for a while but never stopped working on developing yourself. During career gaps, it is an ideal practice to invest time in upskilling using online courses and certifications to keep yourself competitive. If you left the workplace to update or enhance your skills before reentering your field, here is how to bring any upskilling in your resume.

Example: Dedicated time to develop new skills through online courses, workshops, or certifications. This proactive approach allowed me to stay current with industry trends and expand my professional toolkit.

10. Personal Growth

You focused on personal growth and used the time off to prepare yourself for future endeavors. You can include personal growth as a reason for a career break. 

Example: Focused on personal development, exploring interests such as creative projects or hobbies. This time for self-reflection and growth has made me a more well-rounded individual, ready to contribute positively to my next workplace.

11. Self-Discovery

Working to redefine your path with self-realization is totally OK if you convince the HR managers that you are not a short timer or job hopper but are on a journey to self-actualization.

Example: Engaged in a period of self-discovery to evaluate my career goals and personal values. This introspective time helped me gain clarity about my professional aspirations and align them with my passions, ultimately enhancing my motivation and focus for future roles.

12. Sabbatical

Sometimes you take time off to do nothing. You can simply state that you were on a break you were entitled to take.

Example: Took a sabbatical to pursue personal interests and recharge mentally and emotionally. During this time, I traveled, engaged in creative projects, and volunteered, which provided me with fresh perspectives and renewed energy that I now bring to my professional endeavors.

How are you handling employment gaps on your resume? Get a free resume review to find out.

Conclusion

Employment gaps are not the end of the world until it isjail time. There are many reasons why someone would take a career break. But no matter what the reason is, you should come up with appropriate explanations to address the empty spaces. It is not unusual to have a career gap in your work history and it will only stand out if you don’t explain it. You can either choose to explain a string of short-term or unrelated gigs or omit– even if they were full time - short tenures altogether from your resume. Remember! Owning your career trajectory means connecting all the dots for your prospective employer.