How to Explain Gaps in Your Resume

Having a gap in your resume is completely normal. Many of us need to take an extended break from our careers in order to raise kids, recover from illness, enjoy a sabbatical, care for a loved one, or any of a wide range of other reasons. Everybody’s life takes different paths, and that’s okay! But the sad reality is that many recruiters or hiring managers look poorly on resume gaps – and they’re guaranteed to ask about them in interviews. So how do you navigate that? Here are our 5 steps for explaining a gap in your resume.

Step 1: Nail Down Your Explanation

No matter how big or small the gap in your resume, it’s bound to come up at some point in your job search – so you’ll need to have an explanation if you want the interview to go smoothly. This is your chance to control the conversation, and project an air of confidence and authority in who you are and what you can accomplish. But what do you say? That takes us to our next step.

Step 2: Be Open and Honest

Establishing trust is important between you and your prospective new employer – and for that, honesty is the best policy. When they ask why you weren’t working, tell them! But of course this is your first meeting, so be careful not to overshare. For example, let’s say you had to act as a primary carer for a loved one. Simply state that that was the case, but you always knew it was a temporary arrangement and now that period of your life is over, so you’re ready to refocus on your career. Recruiters want to know that your work is important and meaningful to you, so be sure to frame your reentrance to your career as such. In our next step, we’ll cover how to reframe your time off as productive and beneficial to your work.

Step 3: Fill the Gaps With Experience, Not Work

No matter what you did during your time away from paid work, you were still gaining experience in something that can be translated into value for an employer. Raising children, for example, involves a lot of planning and coordination, as well as empathy and communication techniques. It can also help to let an interviewer know how you’ve kept up with your industry while you’ve been away from it (ie. reading publications, networking, further education, etc.), as well as steps you might have taken to reacclimate to working life in the lead up to your interviews. Be open-minded to what your time has taught you, and give yourself the credit you deserve. Above all, be sure to position yourself and your experience as beneficial to the company you’re applying to.

Step 4: KISS It

Keep It Short & Simple. An interview is your chance to sell your expertise as a worker, and that’s what you should be focusing on. While there’s a chance an interviewer will empathise with your situation and warm to your personality, there’s an equal chance that they’ll be turned off by you talking about personal matters in an interview – so it’s best to remove the possibility entirely and focus on what matters to them. When your resume gap comes up, just give them the basics, reframe the time as beneficial to your career, and proceed with the interview. And remember: if you ever feel like the conversation is going down a path you’re not comfortable with, you’re well within your rights to politely decline the question.

Step 5: Practice, Refine, Prepare

Preparing for your interviews is important no matter when you’re having them, but after a break it becomes vital to success. Write out your answers to expected questions, practise your answers in front of the mirror or with a friend, and remember that you got this interview because your resume has already impressed the interviewer. Prepare yourself, settle those nerves, and remember that we believe in you.

Almost every professional experiences a gap in their resume – in fact, the USA’s Bureau of Labour Statistics estimates that 9 in 10 professionals will have to take a break from work at some time in their lives. No matter what the reason for your gap is, the important thing is that you’re putting yourself back out there – and that takes bravery. So good luck, and we hope these tips will help you nail those big interviews!