There are so many reasons that your resume may have gaps on it, but there are some sure fire ways to explain the gap in employment and pursue your ideal job.
Why do people have gaps in employment?
Often, people have gaps in employment for completely legitimate reasons that an employer will understand. These can be:
- Having children
Becoming a parent is one of life’s great joys and understandable that people sometimes need a gap in employment. Even if you’ve had a gap of several years whilst raising your children, employers will understand your situation. Explaining this will let the person receiving your resume know that your employment gap is legitimate.
- Upskilling
Often people want to upskill to progress in their careers and this can be a really attractive trait to an employer. There’s no harm in detailing why you chose to upskill, but be sure you make it relevant to the role you’re applying to.
- Pursuing a new career path
If you’ve chosen to pursue a totally new career path, or change the sector that you want to work in within an industry then there can be a gap on your resume. A gap in employment to figure out what you want to do is nothing to be ashamed of, and talking about your passion for your new career path can look good in a cover letter.
- Illness
- Travelling
If you’ve taken a sabbatical to travel because you’re not sure which path to take, want to explore the world before your next move or simply need a break, then it’s a good move to mention this in your cover letter. The desire to travel can be really positive, especially if it gives you a broader world view and means you’d be willing to travel for work.
Top ways to explain gaps in your resume
- Explain your resume gap in the cover letter
Detailing the gap in your resume in the cover letter can be a great way to address the situation head on. If the recruiter or employer can see straight away that you’re not trying to hide the gap on your resume, then they are much more likely to be understanding. Take a look at how to write a cover letter for tips on how to stand out.
- Explain your resume gap when networking
Networking is a great way to find new career opportunities, and if you are worried that you have gaps in your resume then explaining it whilst networking is a great idea. Breaks in employment are much easier to explain in person and it gives the potential employer a chance to get to know you before understanding more about your employment gaps.
- Focus on skills developed during the gap in employment
Talking about what you achieved during your gap in employment is a great way to stand out. Whilst gaps in your resume might seem like a bad thing, if you can prove that you did something positive during the time you took out of work then this can look good to
- Prove your passionate about your field
The first step to proving this is writing a successful career change resume that tells your passion. If you’ve had a gap in employment it can sometimes look like you lost interest or weren’t motivated during that period. It’s up to you in the cover letter, resume and interview to prove that you’re passionate about what you do.
For more tips on how to ensure that you explain your resume gap properly, take a look at the articles below:
- Cover Letter Basics
- How To Write Attention Grabbing Cover Letters in Different Formats
- Interviewing: The Resume Preparation
