{"id":51,"date":"2024-07-29T06:00:53","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T06:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/?p=51"},"modified":"2024-07-29T06:00:54","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T06:00:54","slug":"career-gaps-in-a-resume","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Deal Career Gaps In A Resume (With Examples)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Though employment gaps are uncommon, they\u2019re still quite scary. This is because hiring managers usually assume the worst when it is mentioned on a resume. However, the reason is justifiable in most cases, such as professionals going back to school or simply taking time off for their children and loved ones. In some scenarios, they also take it to explore their wanderlust spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Employment gaps are not a big deal if you know how to mention them well on a CV and make a good impression. We have put together this handy guide to explain to you in-depth how to address a career break. Scroll below to uncover it all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#Heres_How_You_Can_Explain_A_Work_Gap_In_Your_Resume\" >Here\u2019s How You Can Explain A Work Gap In Your Resume<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#Honesty_Is_The_Key\" >Honesty Is The Key<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#Remove_The_Outdated_Employment_Gap\" >Remove The Outdated Employment Gap<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#Provide_An_Explanation_Regarding_Your_Gap\" >Provide An Explanation Regarding Your Gap<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#Take_Advantage_Of_Resume_Layouts\" >Take Advantage Of Resume Layouts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#Prove_That_You_Used_Your_Time_Effectively\" >Prove That You Used Your Time Effectively<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#Should_I_put_gaps_in_employment_on_your_CV\" >Should I put gaps in employment on your CV?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#How_do_I_describe_the_employment_gap_in_my_resume\" >How do I describe the employment gap in my resume?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#What_is_the_best_answer_for_the_career_gap\" >What is the best answer for the career gap?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/career-gaps-in-a-resume\/#Final_Takeaway\" >Final Takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_How_You_Can_Explain_A_Work_Gap_In_Your_Resume\"><\/span>Here\u2019s How You Can Explain A Work Gap In Your Resume<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Honesty_Is_The_Key\"><\/span>Honesty Is The Key<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your resume is the first thing a hiring manager would notice about you and then comes your cover letter and professional profile. Hiding a work gap in your CV and then opening your LinkedIn profile about it or revealing it during an interview can throw off your bad impression. Even if you try your best to hide your career break, your potential employer will find it out sooner or later. The longer or more recent it is, the more obvious it becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the recruiter realizes you were hiding it, they would believe that you\u2019re keeping your more professional facts secret. Keep in mind that honesty is the key, and recruiters look for it in every employee. So, prove that you\u2019re honest right from the beginning, aka your application. Feeling anxious about it is obvious, but know that recruiters are humans too, and they will probably understand if you\u2019re straightforward about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Remove_The_Outdated_Employment_Gap\"><\/span>Remove The Outdated Employment Gap<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is that you can omit your employment gap if it is too old. For instance, you can skip mentioning your career break that you had taken some ten years ago. A seasoned professional doesn\u2019t need to mention their work experience, which is ten years old. The goal of the perfect resume is to make it as relevant as possible while limiting it to one to two pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, you can skip mentioning it if it is in your recent past but is too short, such as six months. Seek help from reputable and trustworthy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/\">resume writing services<\/a> if you are still feeling confused about whether to include your employment gap. CV experts will help you make this decision and present it professionally if including it becomes necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Provide_An_Explanation_Regarding_Your_Gap\"><\/span>Provide An Explanation Regarding Your Gap<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply writing down your employment gap dates isn\u2019t enough. It would leave your potential recruiter in confusion, letting them interpret things on their own. You should provide a proper explanation to clear out their doubts and prove that you\u2019re away from work for a meaningful reason. It would ensure that they don\u2019t think of you as some couch potato. Therefore, write out the exact reason for your career break in between your work history entries. You can write as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp; 07\/2020 \u2013 01\/2023 &nbsp; From September 2020 to January 2023, I explored countless destinations throughout Europe and South Asia. I successfully achieved my goal of letting my wanderlust spirit free before turning 30. &nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Take_Advantage_Of_Resume_Layouts\"><\/span>Take Advantage Of Resume Layouts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An effective trick to emphasize your credibility and bring less attention of recruiters towards the employment gap is to cleverly choose resume layout. A resume comes in different formats, and you should learn to take the most advantage of them. For instance, you can consider a functional CV layout or a combination format to emphasize your skills and competencies over your professional experience. But it doesn\u2019t mean you should omit mentioning your career break from your application altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We nowhere suggest you lie or hide important professional facts from your potential hiring manager. Apart from addressing the career gap in your vitae, highlight it as well in your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/cover-letter\">cover letter<\/a>. Mentioning the same thing in these two different marketing documents would require a different approach. Study about how you can mention it in your cover letter other than the vitae to make your best impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prove_That_You_Used_Your_Time_Effectively\"><\/span>Prove That You Used Your Time Effectively<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While taking your career break, involve yourself in something meaningful enough to describe in your CV. Use that duration effectively either by polishing your specific technical skills or taking up some personal project. It will prove that you\u2019re not lazy and you\u2019re always finding ways to enhance your professional integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of simply mentioning \u2018career break\u2019 or \u2018job searching,\u2019 create something more valuable to put on your application. For example, you can join online courses related to your job title while you\u2019re not employed. Otherwise, you can work on the project that you have always dreamt about but never had the chance to. This way, you\u2019ll have something much more credible to speak about rather than merely stating that you were looking for jobs. Here\u2019s how you can prove it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>\u00a0 07\/2021 \u2013 10\/2022 \u00a0 Took a year off from employment to focus on my professional and personal development, as well as growth. During these months, I managed to: \u00a0 Launched my blog and affiliate marketing website Completed 5 courses related to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/what-is-digital-marketing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital marketing<\/a> Read 15+ books on personal discovery, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_I_put_gaps_in_employment_on_your_CV\"><\/span>Should I put gaps in employment on your CV?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, you should be honest about your professional history, including gaps in your employment tenure. It isn\u2019t always seen as a bad thing, especially if the candidates mention what they were doing during that duration. Make sure you clearly explain how you consumed your time during that timeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_describe_the_employment_gap_in_my_resume\"><\/span>How do I describe the employment gap in my resume?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Describe whether you took time off from your work for a voluntary cause or personal development. If there have been some external factors, mention them as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_best_answer_for_the_career_gap\"><\/span>What is the best answer for the career gap?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can write as: \u2018I took some time off to focus on myself. Now that I\u2019ve discovered myself completely and have figured out what I want, I\u2019m more motivated than ever.\u201d This example is suitable for candidates who took space for personal growth and rejuvenation. If your reason is related to your family or some other personal issues, clearly mention it, as the right employer would respect it too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Takeaway\"><\/span>Final Takeaway<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s a wrap on how you can address employment gaps in your resume! Now, you know all the right ways to tackle them so they don\u2019t hurt your CV and let you professionally present yourself. Always be honest and there is no need to mention a career break that is either short or outdated. Choose the right job application format, such as functional layout, to emphasize your skillset more than your work experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Provide a proper explanation regarding why you took time off your jobs and include your meaningful tasks\/projects. It would boost your professional credibility and wouldn\u2019t let your potential recruiter make false assumptions. Connect with expert CV writers if you are still facing hardship in addressing your career gap in your job application.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Though employment gaps are uncommon, they\u2019re still quite scary. This is because hiring managers usually assume the worst when it is mentioned on a resume. However, the reason is justifiable in most cases, such as professionals going back to school or simply taking time off for their children and loved ones. In some scenarios, they&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[16,15,4],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-and-tricks","tag-career-gaps","tag-employment-gaps","tag-resume"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resumeagency.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}