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CV gaps are points in your life where you were not employed and where the break from employment cannot be explained by something obvious (such as being a full-time student). People can worry that even the smallest gap in their CV will make them unemployable or less attractive to potential employers.
Most potential employers won’t notice a gap shorter than a few months. While you might be asked to explain a more temporary gap, it’s unlikely. As a general rule of thumb, be prepared to explain any gap of 3 months or longer.
Gaps from a long time ago are also less likely to be questioned. Employers tend to be more interested in what a candidate has been doing recently.
Life is unpredictable, and sometimes things happen that we cannot control. Similarly, sometimes people need to take some time away from the working world for all sorts of reasons.
No! People have breaks in their employment history all the time and for all sorts of reasons. While you might be asked to explain the reason for the gap, no reputable employer will hold it against you in and of itself.
The idea that any CV gap is terrible is among the most commonly given bad advice for young jobseekers.
If you’re stressed about an explainable CV gap, consider this: an employer who would judge you for something so normal and common is not an employer you want to be working for! Because chances are, their expectations and perspectives will be wildly out of sync with the norm in other areas, too.
Read on to learn how to handle the CV gap question with confidence and professionalism.
There are different schools of thought on this. After researching what various experts think, my answer is “no, unless the gap was very long, very recent, or both.” If this is the case, explain the gap with a brief, one-sentence summary.
There are different schools of thought on this. After researching what various experts think, my answer is “no, unless the gap was very long, very recent, or both.” If this is the case, explain the gap with a brief, one-sentence summary.
For example:
No! People have breaks in their employment history all the time and for all sorts of reasons. While you might be asked to explain the reason for the gap, no reputable employer will hold it against you in and of itself.
The idea that any CV gap is terrible is among the most commonly given lousy advice for young jobseekers.
If you’re stressed about an explainable CV gap, consider this: an employer who would judge you for something so ordinary and everyday is not an employer you want to be working for! Because chances are, their expectations and perspectives will be wildly out of sync with the norm in other areas, too.
Read on to learn how to handle the CV gap question with confidence and professionalism.
If you can, it’s always good to explain what you did while away from work that makes you more attractive as an employee. No one expects you to be learning to speak three foreign languages while recovering from a severe illness. But using your time productively is essential for those with a CV gap due to unemployment.
Here are some ways to use your time to help employers see your CV gap is not a problem:
Filling in that time is a great way to show employers you are a Young Professional building the essential skills we all need in life and work.
Remember that unpaid and voluntary experience can be included on your CV, as can any qualifications you’ve gained outside of the workplace.
Employers are (usually) not concerned about CV gaps out of judgment or a moral issue with periods of unemployment. Their concern is this: can this person be a reliable, loyal employee?
This means that while you should explain your CV gaps honestly, you should keep the primary focus of your CV, cover letter and interview on what you can do for this employer – now and in the future.
For example, say you took a year off to go travelling. A great explanation might be, “I took time out to travel. I immersed myself in other cultures and learned a lot about myself and the world. It was a great experience, but I’m settled back in the UK now and ready to throw myself into focusing on my career.”
If you were made redundant, your contract expired and wasn’t renewed, the company folded, or something outside your immediate control happened, say so!
Explaining a CV gap after being dismissed could fill up a whole article by itself. In short:
Employers are likely to be impressed by your honesty, especially if you show reflection and self-growth because of your experience.
If the gap in your CV is due to a period away for health reasons, you can state that. You do not have to give details, and it is illegal for a potential employer to ask you to. “I needed to take some time out to deal with a health issue” is usually enough. You can add “I’m fully recovered now” if that’s true for you.
If your health issue is related to an ongoing illness or disability, you are entitled to have reasonable accommodations made for you if you are offered a job. You only have to disclose this at the interview stage if you need adjustments made (e.g. a ground floor interview room, a BSL interpreter, etc.) It is illegal for employers to:
Your CV gap is going to be less of a big deal than your fear is if you’ve had job issues due to the COVID-19 crisis. Millions of people are in the same boat right now, and young people are being hit particularly hard. As a result, employers have to make difficult decisions about staffing cuts that they’d instead not make.
No one with even a shred of decency will hold a CV gap due to a global pandemic against you. But, if they do, it speaks to bizarre values and a lot of workplace dysfunction lurking under the surface.
