Career Break? Here’s How to Explain It with Confidence!

Life happens, and career paths aren’t always linear. Whether due to personal reasons, further education, family responsibilities, or unexpected job loss, gaps in a resume are common. The key is addressing them strategically and confidently in your CV and in the interviews ??

Here’s how you can effectively explain a gap in your CV:

1. Be Honest, but Strategic – This is the most important item to remember! You can′t get away with not addressing the gap at all but you don′t need to go into excessive detail either. A simple, straightforward explanation is best. For example, “I took time off to care for a family member and am now fully prepared to re-enter the workforce.”
2. Highlight Gained Skills – Even during a career break, you can develop valuable skills. Whether it’s freelance work, volunteer experience, or courses taken, emphasize how these have kept you engaged into work-life and growing.
3. Address It in Your Cover Letter – Briefly mention the gap in your cover letter and redirect attention to why you’re the perfect fit for the job. Your cover letter is the ideal place to address any potential questions about your career journey, including employment gaps or career transitions. Since a resume only provides a structured timeline of your work history, it may not offer enough context for changes in your career path. That’s where the cover letter comes in—it allows you to tell your story in a way that highlights your growth, adaptability, and readiness for the next step.
4. Be Confident in Interviews – And practice the answer forehand! If asked about a gap (trust me, they will ask about it), keep your explanation professional and future-focused. Show enthusiasm for the position and how your past experiences make you a stronger candidate.

Here′s an example of how to address a career break in your CV:

Remember also LinkedIn’s Career Break Feature:

LinkedIn has introduced a Career Break feature that allows professionals to openly and positively showcase gaps in their employment history. Instead of leaving unexplained gaps in your profile, this feature helps users provide context for their time away from traditional work.

How It Works

When updating your LinkedIn experience section, you can now select “Career Break” as a category, just like you would for a job. LinkedIn offers a ready selection of multiple reasons, including:

? Caregiving

? Personal health

? Travel

? Education

? Volunteering

? Career transition

You can add details about what you learned or how you grew during the break—helping potential employers see the value in your time away from work.

A resume gap doesn’t have to be a red flag. It’s all about how you communicate it. Stay confident, be transparent, and focus on the value you bring to potential employers!

Loved having you here! Before we go, if you like this newsletter, please share it with your network ??

?? Want to take your career to the next level? Discover my book Menesty – Askeleet urakasvuun at emmymarjetta.fi! This book gives you 8 proven steps to accelerate your career growth and achieve success with confidence. Don’t leave your future to chance—get the roadmap to success today!

See you soon again! ??

Emmy