Gaps in CV's...

Last month I was supporting a client panelling interviews to fill a range of roles from the junior to one which would sit on their senior leadership team. For each role there was at least one candidate that was visibly anxious when asked about employment gaps in their CV. If this applies to you (as it did me a few years ago) then please consider this advice.

Before I get into it I want to highlight that a prospective employer considers these 3 questions when making a hiring decision (there's more formal language like 'Skills and Qualifications', 'Potential and Adaptability', 'Cultural Fit' but I believe in the use of inclusive language wherever possible) and these are:

1. Can the candidate do the job (if not exactly as they are then with how much support)?
2. How much does the candidate actually want the job?
3. How will the candidate fit in with my organisation/team?

Take a breath, we're not looking to maliciously catch you out. In most cases we're worried that you may have omitted a job that covered the period. If that is the case then try to be as up front as you can. There's no shame in saying your role was made redundant. If it was because you were let go then you can still make progress if you can reflect positively about what could likely have become a learning experience. They are often opportunities to highlight resilience and growth. Examples and good responses I've recently encountered:

• I was fired for poor performance. Following this I took steps to be more accountable and learned better ways to prioritise and organise my time. This can attract more questions but don't be disheartened as it's often a sign that the hiring manager is assessing how much more support they need to provide you when you start the job.
• I quit before things escalated because the relationships between myself and my employer/manager/colleagues had deteriorated significantly. I reflected on the situation and took steps to mitigate against it happening again. One of those has been that I've been more diligent in maintaining professionalism. I've also been more careful about the roles and organisations I've been putting myself forward for. Expect to answer in detail what those reflections were and what steps/actions you've taken.
• I left to start a family. My view and priorities changed after I became a mother, so I left the company. I want to return to the profession and pick up my career. You'll have a wealth of learning relating to prioritising, time management and resilience but be prepared to respond to questions looking to understand how you can be reasonably supported.
• I had to quit and become the primary carer. I couldn't maintain a full-time role and discharge my caring responsibilities. As above but particularly if you still have those responsibilities, be prepared to respond to questions looking to understand how you can be reasonably supported.

All of the examples above were offered the respective jobs they were interviewing for. Most employers are people first and will likely have encountered similar chapters in their respective lives. They can sympathise, they just need a little more context to be drawn into investing into you. Many understand that the return on investment in most cases is significant. If you can show that you're willing to apply yourself and work with the employer, then (far) more often than not, YOU ARE WORTH IT.