You’ve got a stellar resume, great references and a list of skills a mile long. Unfortunately, you also have an employment gap that feels miles wide. How can you mind the gap and still keep prospective employers interested? Whether you were laid off, took a sabbatical or stayed home to care for family, follow these five time-tested rules for explaining employment gaps.
1. Have a plan
Don’t hope recruiters and HR contacts will gloss over your gap, even if it’s just a few months. They will ask and expect an answer. Therefore, be proactive and briefly address the reason for the gap in the cover letter. You can go into more detail at the interview.
2. Be honest
Honesty is the best policy when addressing a break in employment. The gap may not be a reason for eliminating you from the running for a job, but a lie will be. And that one little lie can haunt you much farther down the road in your career. Take the high road and demonstrate your ethical standards with honest answers.
3. Stay positive
It’s easy to see a gap in employment as a negative, but you have the power to set the tone for how the gap is perceived. By staying confident and positive when talking about your employment break, future employers will be more likely to see the break as a good thing, too.
4. Share what you did
Ideally during your break you volunteered, freelanced or took courses to further your skill set. Make this known at the interview. Even if your break focused on travel or caring for an aging parent, be honest and explain why this was important to you then, and why you’re excited to get back to focusing on your career now.
5. Explain how you stay current
Employers worry that employment gaps mean candidates will have out-of-date skill sets. This is why it’s important to share how you’ve stayed sharp, whether your gap is six months or six years. Are you part of an industry association? Do you volunteer? Reference a few industry blogs that you read regularly. Share what you learned during your break that makes you a better person and employee.
