Employment Gaps In My CV: How Should You Address It?

Writing your CV can prove to be a difficult task. From deciding which skills you should include and highlight to getting a professional format that appeals to the recruiter.

Explaining employment gaps, however, is probably one of the most challenging obstacles when writing your CV. How do I address the two-year career break in my CV?

This was an email I received from Paul, who worked as a nurse but had to resign to take care of his parent. The process was difficult when he resumed his job search because most of his applications didn’t go through. He decided to focus on his CV to find out what was wrong. Our Professional CV Writers advised him to work on his employment gap because a gap of two years signaled a red flag to potential employers. His CV was revamped, and the first month after applying for another job, he was called for an interview.

Like Paul, what should you do if you have taken considerable time away from your career? Here’s how to explain career breaks while writing your CV.

1. Don’t be afraid of honesty.

It’s 2024, and people are more open to taking career breaks to tend to personal projects, travel, care for loved ones, and many more reasons. Unlike twenty years ago or so, such reasons are not frowned upon. So, feel free to talk about your gap on the CV openly.

Honesty is the best policy; therefore, it is important to reveal the gaps in your employment. Having a well-crafted CV and being truthful show that you want to return to work.

2. Show skills acquired during the gap period

When writing about your employment gap, try and spin the focus to skills you might have acquired. If you took a break for travel purposes, it would seem simple enough just to mention. However, you can elaborate on some of the skills you either acquired or demonstrated.

Moreover, if you were involved in any activities during your break, you can also find a way to incorporate them into your CV. Such activities include;

• Volunteering—Volunteering for a good cause or charity shows your willingness to help others. It also offers experience in skills such as fundraising and event management.
• Personal projects – Personal projects could range from running a book club to building a website. You can use the projects to display an assembly of skills.

3. Don’t seek to explain every tiny detail

If you had a few weeks where you were not working or probably job hunting, you do not have to mention it. Only emphasise a period if a considerable amount of time has passed or there has been a key development in your career.

Ultimately, your CV must contain all the essential information, highlight your key competencies, and remove any redundant material.

Final Thoughts

Addressing employment gaps on your CV can be tough, but as long as you stay professional and state what you have gained, you will likely get interviews.

After you have made these changes, be sure to consult our Professional CV Writers for FREE Review!