What Counts as a CV Gap?
An employment gap in your resume is a period during your career when you weren’t formally employed and working. An employment gap can range from a few months to a few years and can happen voluntarily or involuntarily. Employment gaps may be a cause for concern if you don’t explain the reasons clearly, but it can also showcase the experience you might have gained during that time.
There are plenty of good reasons why you might have an employment gap, and often, they are impossible to avoid. It’s always a better idea to explain gaps directly. Your future employer will want to understand the trajectory of your employment history and your experiences to determine your personality and your character. Choosing how to weave these employment gaps into your career journey carefully can make a massive difference to your potential employer and help you out during your job interview. Explaining CV gaps can help paint the picture for employers what you were committed to during the time you were not working.
Types of CV Gaps
Today, there are a thousand reasons for having a career gap in your resume. For example, medical reasons, parental leave, travelling, upskilling, and taking time to gain new knowledge and skills can all be reasons for pausing your career. Most employers understand a gap in CV, but longer gaps may raise some questions. To ensure that the career break doesn’t negatively influence your job search, briefly explain your reasons and present them in a positive light. There are also come common cv gaps that employers would expect but it is also a good idea to have a good explanation for them.
Time off Work for Medical Reasons
Unfortunately, there are times when we all need time off work due to personal circumstances or an illness or sickness. However, there’s no need to go into much detail about whether you have a recurring medical condition or something else; instead, focus on explaining employment gaps and how you’ve used your time while away from work. Another good idea is to share what you did to improve and demonstrate that you are ready to return to work, explaining why you think the position you’ve applied for is the right fit for you.
Time off Work to Care for a Family Member
Another reason you might have taken time off work is that you might have been caring for a sick family member or helping out relatives for various reasons. Again, you shouldn’t go into detail, but you can add a conclusion and show that you are ready to move to the next step in your career journey. Showing that you successfully managed challenging situations and showcasing your caring responsibilities in your personal life can indicate that you are a problem-solver and a determined person.
Time off Work to Raise Children
If you have taken a break from your career to raise your children, you should focus on the skills obtained as a parent, like multi-tasking, negotiation, problem-solving and communication. Explain employment gaps and how you took some time to prioritise your family and focus on showing that you feel ready to go back to work and that you are excited to start on a new career journey.
Looking for a Job
There could be various reasons for gaps in your employment history. Perhaps you were made redundant or needed a career change. Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to emphasise all of your skills and achievements acquired at your previous employer to show prospective employers that while unemployed, it hasn’t affected your skill set or knowledge. Highlight your skills or any additional professional as well as personal development you’ve picked up when job searching, like volunteering or keeping up with the latest industry developments or any valuable life lessons you have learned along the way.
Tips for Explaining Gaps
One crucial thing to remember when facing employment gaps in your CV is that whatever the reason is, honesty is always the best policy. You don’t have to go into a lot of detail about the reasons, but leaving the gap unexplained can only make the gap stand out even more and confuse your potential employer. Always use your time off work to seek some mentoring, volunteer or take a course that will help you qualify even more for the position you are looking to apply for. This shows employers that you can utilise time effectively and help your resume to stand out.
Be Honest
It may be tempting to conceal the career gaps in your work history, and you may think it can help you present better to your employers and hiring managers. However, leaving the gaps unexplained is not a good idea. Hiring managers are skilled at spotting inconsistencies in resumes, so it is always best to be honest about your career path and provide detailed information about your previous employment dates and experiences.
Keep it Brief
When writing about your previous job experiences and employment gaps, share only relevant information and details to help your CV stand out. List your experiences from the past few years and briefly explain the gaps in your resume or cover letter, keeping it positive and explaining how the time away from work helped you improve your skills and knowledge.
Explain How You Used Your Time
If you have been out of the workforce for a while, you can show your employers how you’ve worked on yourself and improved your skills. If you took any unpaid roles or participated in specific projects during your time off work, it is worth mentioning that on your resume. This shows you stayed active even though you weren’t formally employed. Volunteering or undertaking any caregiving roles should also be listed on your CV, and any degrees or courses taken should be noted in your CV, too. For example:
- You went back to finish a degree
- You volunteered in your local food bank
- You pursued an important project
- You took a new course
Include Experience Gained in the Time of Gap
There’s usually always a good reason for a resume gap; you shouldn’t be concerned about it. Many people gain new experiences during their work history gaps. For example, education is an integral part of someone’s career journey. Try to demonstrate what you learned during your employment gaps, and add this to your CV to showcase valuable skills.
Good Reasons for Employment Gaps
Your potential employer would like to consider you a reliable, committed and motivated individual with up-to-date industry knowledge. If you have a gap in your CV and you are looking for a job explain to your employer, that you’ve kept up-to-date on the industry trends by attending conferences, seminars or classes to help your resume stand out and showcase your strengths.
If you didn’t do anything specific, you might have acquired some transferable skills. Many soft skills quickly transfer to other job positions as well, such as communication skills, time management, and leadership skills. If you can show all the positive things you’ve achieved, having an employment gap is nothing to be afraid of.
Partner with Olive Recruit: Your Bridge to a Better Career Future
A gap in your resume is not something that you should hide. Whenever you are asked about a gap in your CV, always answer honestly and confidently by providing examples of how you proactively used your time and what makes you suitable for the specific open job position.
Olive Recruit can help you navigate these employment gaps and provide support in creating a tailored resume for your next dream job. We will review your career history, previous position and skills and find you the right fit for your knowledge, experience and skills.
By approaching gaps positively, together, we can find the perfect match for you. Contact us today to see how we can support you on your career journey.
