Explaining a Gap in Your Resume: 3 Easy Strategies That Always Work
Vaclav Koranda, SHRM-SCP
CHRO of the Year | Influential HR Leader | Adjunct Professor | Professional Speaker | Coach | Trainer | Book Author
Recently, there has been a series of hysterical outpourings from some so-called "recruitment gurus" on social media regarding how recruiters focus too much on gaps in resumes, allegedly forcing candidates to explain these gaps (oh!) and potentially stigmatizing them. This implies that corporations lay off staff, who then become stigmatized and almost unemployable because of these gaps. However, this view is too gloomy and somewhat far from reality.
Of course, life is unpredictable, and resume gaps happen. If you find yourself ready to tackle your next role but are concerned about how to explain a gap in your resume, you aren't alone. There are strategies to address and overcome this issue, allowing you to move forward in your career. So, let’s have a closer look at them:
Why Resume Gaps Matter
Of course, there are good recruiters and bad recruiters, so anything can happen. However, a good recruiter is only interested in the following:
From that perspective, if you have a gap in your resume, they need to check two things: How did the gap affect your skill update, and how did it affect your working motivation? These are completely valid questions, and you need to prepare to answer them successfully if you want to pass.
A bad recruiter or hiring manager may, of course, have biases, but that is something you cannot influence, not even with going on rants on LinkedIn. The only thing (and the best thing, actually) you can do is to prepare as well as you can to dispel their doubts.
How Bad is an Employment Gap in Your resume?
In the past, it was typical for people to graduate, find a job, and stay with that company for the rest of their career. Company changes were quite rare, and so were employment gaps. But times have changed. The business environment evolves quickly with the constant advancement of technology. This leads to higher volatility overall and contributes to frequent layoffs, the rise of the gig economy, freelancing, and other factors that result in employment gaps.
The good thing about it is that many people have these discrepancies in their resumes nowadays, which means that companies may not care about employment gaps nearly as much as they used to. Simply put, a resume gap is no longer considered the “red flag” it once was.
How to Handle a Gap in Your Resume
So, let’s look at the three basic options you have for dealing with a resume gap:
1. Tell the Truth
This is the easiest way to deal with a resume gap. Addressing the employment gap in your resume allows you to be transparent from the beginning of the hiring process. You will appear more honest and trustworthy—traits that employers highly value.
List the gap among your work experiences and, in one to two short sentences, briefly explain what caused it and how you used that time for your personal and professional development and growth.
For example, if you used that time to finish your degree, stay at home with your newborn child, or do some freelancing, highlight it as a job. Emphasize your learnings and accomplishments during this time to show your potential employer that you used your time purposefully.
On the other hand, if you were out of work for several months due to an illness, you could simply state that you took a medical leave.
You don’t have to go too deep into the reasons or mention anything overly personal in your resume. However, you should be prepared to explain the whole situation later during the interview—continue reading, it’s just a few lines down.
2. Use a Different Resume Format
Apart from the traditionally used chronological resume, there are two other formats: the functional resume and the hybrid resume. Both of these formats focus more on your skills rather than your employment timeline, which allows you to make your gap less obvious and shift the recruiter’s focus to your qualifications instead.
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However, recruiters often dislike these formats for the exact reason you might want to use them—they don’t display a clear employment timeline, which is what recruiters want to see. Additionally, many ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) cannot properly process functional resumes because they aren’t structured with the usual section titles. Therefore, I generally don’t recommend using them.
For more tips on how to improve your resume, see my earlier article here.?
3. Consider Removing the Gap from Your Resume History
You can simply remove the gap from your resume and see what happens. This can work very well, especially if you have more recent relevant work history. Employment gaps from about five years ago or longer mean much less to recruiters, and there's a high chance no one will dig into the past, especially if you’ve had more recent, consistent employment.
To be absolutely clear, I am not talking about manipulating your employment dates to conceal the gap. That could easily backfire, as most employers nowadays perform background checks. If they discover you manipulated the employment dates, you could be seen as untrustworthy. Instead, simply list your employments in chronological order, and if there is a gap between two dates, just leave it as is. Chances are that it will go unnoticed, especially if the gap was a long time ago.
You may not believe it, but I have a gap in my resume myself, and nobody has ever questioned me about it.
How to Explain the Gap
Now, as mentioned above, during the job interview, you will likely have to address the gap in your employment history.
The best approach is to explain that the reasons for the gap were either unavoidable (such as a company closure, caregiving for a sick family member, or dealing with a serious medical issue) or you left your previous company to pursue further education or to develop your skills.
Next, vividly describe what you did during the gap to keep your skills up to date and how you spent your time productively. If you went back to school, obtained certifications, engaged in volunteer work, took courses, or learned new skills, be sure to mention all of these activities. Demonstrating ongoing professional development like this shows initiative, and employers will appreciate your commitment to your field.
You may have also been involved in activities related to advancing your profession, such as writing articles or blogs, teaching or attending classes, participating in boot camps, volunteering, or occasional consulting. These endeavors all showcase your efforts to maintain and improve your skills and dedication to your profession.
Additionally, mention any other meaningful activities during the gap period that demonstrate positive character traits relevant to the workplace, such as perseverance, initiative, creativity, thoroughness, and organization.
Find a Job Regardless of the Gap
A referral from a trusted connection can significantly improve your chances of finding a job. People are more likely to consider someone recommended by a person they know and respect. Additionally, applying through someone you know allows you to address any gaps in your resume during a natural conversation. You can share your experiences and reasons for the break even before you send your resume, ensuring that it won’t raise any doubts.
And if you want to go a step further and prevent an unwanted gap in your resume, check out my article here to learn how you can avoid being fired.
Good luck!
P.S.: There are three ways how I can help you further: