sample resume for career gap

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How to Fill an Employment Gap on Your Resume

  • Vadim Revzin
  • Sergei Revzin

sample resume for career gap

You don’t need long-term roles to showcase your skills.

How can job candidates — especially those who are unemployed right now — address potential resume gaps and avoid them in the future?

  • Try this exercise to get you started: Write down every project you’ve spent time on in between the roles currently listed on your resume or since you’ve been unemployed.
  • Now, look at the descriptions of the jobs you’re interested in applying to and see if you can make any connections between your list and what the hiring managers are looking for.
  • Ask yourself, “Have I gained any skills that align with the job requirements?”
  • Your goal is to reframe your experiences in a way that will help employers draw a connection between the role they are trying to fill and the skills you can offer.

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Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

There was once a time when people were expected to — slowly — climb the corporate ladder, work for one employer that paid for their insurance, and stack up a neat series of consecutive job titles on their resume. This narrative, however, is no longer realistic. A predictable, linear career path is now the exception, not the norm.

sample resume for career gap

  • VR Vadim Revzin is a Co-Founder of School16 , an alternative education company that develops skills for non-technical roles in tech. He is also a professor of entrepreneurship and management at New York University and co-host of a podcast called The Mentors featuring stories from successful founders and creators. He’s advised hundreds of entrepreneurs, and has been both a founder and leader across several early and growth stage startups.
  • SR Sergei Revzin is a Co-Founder at School16 , an education venture that helps professionals acquire skills to break into non-technical careers in tech. Sergei is also a venture investor at the NYU Innovation Venture Fund where he leads the university’s technology investments and is the co-host of The Mentors podcast with his twin brother Vadim. He has mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs all over the country through his work with Venture for America, and has been an early employee and founder at tech companies in NYC and Boston.

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sample resume for career gap

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How to List Gaps on a Resume (Without Making It a Big Deal)

Learn how to address and explain a gap on your resume with confidence and clarity, whether it's a short-term gap or a 2-year employment hiatus

3 years ago   •   10 min read

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Whether you've chosen to take a breather from the work or faced unforeseen circumstances, gaps on your resume can happen to anyone.

If you've taken a few months — or even a few years — off between jobs, either voluntarily or due to external factors, it doesn't have to be a big deal or a looming shadow over your resume. In this guide, you'll learn how to explain these gaps confidently in a professional and convincing manner.

The truth about employment gaps

In the current job market, the rise of remote work and the gig economy are reshaping traditional views on resume gaps. Many workers now juggle flexible roles, short-term contracts, and prioritize work-life balance, leading to irregular career paths. As a result, employers are learning to reevaluate resume gaps as indicators of adaptability and diverse experience rather than shortcomings.

Why some employers are still wary of gaps on your resume

In and of itself, a resume gap isn't an issue. The reason modern employers notice resume gaps is because they raise questions, such as:

  • Were you fired?
  • Did you quit on a whim or with no warning?
  • Did you leave without another job lined up?
  • Have you left one or more jobs off your resume?

These all basically boil down to one thing: Is there a gap on your resume because you're trying to hide something?

When a resume gap is not a big deal

Most resume gaps are unlikely to be a problem. In particular:

If it's short Employment gaps of less than six months aren't likely to stand out. Six months is a fairly standard timeframe for a job search, so you may not even need to explain a shorter gap.

If it's a one-time occurrence If you only have a single gap on your resume, it's unlikely to raise red flags the same way a series of gaps might. Like anything else on your resume, context matters.

If there's a good reason What is a good reason for an employment gap? Basically, anything non-work-related. If you've relocated, had a child, or taken time off for a family or health emergency, those are all good reasons that have nothing to do with your work performance. A career change is another good reason, especially if you've used that time to return to school or update your skill set.

If it’s a 2-year gap While short gaps might go unnoticed, a 2-year gap requires an explanation. Mention any activities you participated in during this time that contributed to your personal or professional growth. Even if the activities aren't directly related to the job you're applying for, showcasing that you were proactive, learned new skills, or took on responsibilities can be beneficial.

When do resume gaps become a problem?

Employment gaps only become red flags if your resume shows a pattern of extended, work-related gaps that aren't explained. A brief explanation of the reason for a gap is far more beneficial than an unexplained hole.

Common reasons for resume gaps

Here are some common reasons to have a gap on your resume:

  • Personal reasons: Life events like marriages, births, or health issues.
  • Layoffs: Resulting from company downsizing or restructuring.
  • Returning to school: Pursuing additional education or certifications.
  • Travel: Taking time off to explore or for personal development.
  • Caregiving: Looking after a family member, elderly parent, or child.
  • Sabbatical: Personal or professional breaks to recharge or refocus.
  • Extended job search: Extended periods spent seeking the right opportunity.
  • Contract end: Completing a temporary or contract position.
  • Starting a business: Trying to establish a start-up or personal venture.
  • Economic downturns: Factors like recessions or global crises.

Remember, while these gaps may stand out on paper, what's most crucial is how you address them and showcase your growth or productivity during these periods.

How to explain a gap in employment on your resume

If you've taken a break from your career for any reason, you want to present your time off in a positive and professional way. Here are strategies to help you navigate this potentially tricky area.

Address a career break directly

If your employment gap is straightforward, such as taking time off for personal reasons, it's best to address it head-on by mentioning it briefly in your cover letter .

You can also list a career break under your work experience to provide more details about what you were involved in during this period. Appropriate accomplishments to highlight could include freelance projects, online courses, or entrepreneurial endeavors.

Include your gap as part of your work experience

List your employment gap as you would your regular work experience by using quantifiable, action-based bullet points. Make sure to include keywords , too — anything that's relevant to the job you're applying for can help you get through the initial screening step.

Address your gap on your resume as part of your work experience

Reframe the gap

Every experience, including career breaks, offers learning and growth opportunities, adding to your unique strengths and experiences. Consider the skills you learned during your time off and transform your gap into an asset that will be of value in your next role.

For example, someone who took time off for caregiving might have developed organizational skills, or someone who traveled extensively may have gained insights beneficial for positions in global organizations.

Highlight freelance or contract work

If you've been involved in freelance or contract projects during your break, group these under one heading on your resume. This helps in maintaining clarity while showcasing your relevant achievements during the hiatus.

How to address a gap on your resume by highlighting freelance or contract work you did during your time off

Here are more tips for how to list short-term or temporary work on your resume .

If you’re not sure if you’ve listed your freelance/contract projects or volunteer work the right way, upload your resume to the tool below . It’s a good way to check if you’ve used your temporary work to address any gaps in your resume.

Showcase volunteering efforts

Not all work experience has to be paid! Volunteering is a great way to fill any gaps in regular employment. Listing volunteer work on your resume can demonstrate your involvement in the community, show a passion for your chosen industry, and generate some genuinely resume-worthy accomplishments.

How to list volunteer experience during your time off, to hide a gap on your resume

Emphasize further education

If you took time off for educational purposes, it's not a gap—it's growth! List it prominently in your education section . Even short courses or online classes can be included, especially if they've enhanced your skills in areas relevant to the jobs you're applying for.

If you took a gap for education, list it like this on your resume

If you’re not sure which skills you need to brush up on, use the tool below to get a list of skills relevant to the job you're applying for.

Mention personal reasons clearly

Whether you took time off to care for a family member, have a child, relocate, or recover from illness, it's okay to state these reasons. Ensure you communicate that these situations have been resolved or won't interfere with your work commitment.

How to mention a resume gap if it was due to personal reasons

If you were caring for a family member, it's best to keep the entry short. The exception is if you demonstrated transferrable skills relevant to your career, like going into a healthcare or administrative role. In that case, you can add more detail about the exact nature of those skills.

Listing a gap on your resume if you gained transferrable skills

If the gap was due to personal injury or illness, the most important thing is to reassure employers that it won't happen again. You can address that with a short sentence stating that the issue is resolved.

Addressing an employment gap if it was due to an illness

Tackling tough reasons for employment gaps

Navigating employment gaps can be challenging, especially when the reasons are less than ideal; here's how to handle tricky employment gaps with tact and professionalism.

If you were laid off

Being laid off (as opposed to fired) isn't an immediate red flag for employers if discussed openly. State clearly why you were laid off, such as workplace restructuring or company downsizing, and use bullet points to highlight significant accomplishments prior to being laid off.

How to mention a recent gap on your resume due to a layoff

If you were fired

If you were fired, approach the topic with honesty and brevity. Rather than delving into details, state "Position ended" or "Contract concluded." Instead of focusing on the firing, highlight what you learned during the position and how you've grown professionally since then. And avoid speaking negatively about past employers.

Mental health breaks

For periods away from the workforce due to mental health, mentioning the need for a personal break on your resume is acceptable. Avoid excessive detail and emphasize your recovery and readiness to rejoin the workforce, highlighting any self-improvement or courses undertaken during this period.

Example of a resume that has a career break

If you're struggling to write your own resume from scratch, why not check out our ready-made resume templates ? Here's a sample resume you can use as a starting point when addressing a career break:

Sample resume with career break clearly explained

Resume gaps do’s and don’ts

  • Explain the gap . You can do this with a short sentence or two in your cover letter. Simply explain that you took some time off to raise a child/move overseas/care for a relative (or whatever your reason is) and that you’re eager to return to work full-time.
  • Mention what you’ve been doing during your career break . If you’ve spent any time volunteering, pursuing further education, or running a side business, employers will want to hear about it. If you can, use this opportunity to include relevant keywords.
  • Optimize your resume . Most of the time, employers fixate on so-called red flags when there are other issues with a resume. Running your resume though a free resume review can help identify any areas for improvement and give personalized suggestions.
  • Network . If you can forge a personal connection with the hiring manager — whether through shared connections or reaching out directly — gaps on your resume will start to stand out less.
  • Use a resume summary to provide a brief overview of your employment history and highlight your top skills and experience. This can help contextualize any job gaps (but steer clear of mentioning them directly in a resume objective or summary).
  • Make sure your LinkedIn profile mirrors your resume and cover letter in addressing any gaps. Don’t leave potential employers or connections wondering what happened.
  • Be prepared to answer questions . If you get to the interview stage, you may be asked about anything that stands out on your resume, including a gap. Clearly explain your reasons for taking the break and reassure the hiring manager that it’s unlikely to happen again. If you were dealing with a health issue or other potentially ongoing situation, state that it’s now been resolved.
  • Don't try to hide the truth . Don’t stretch out the start and end dates of other jobs to try to cover a gap, or list a job you never held. Lying on your resume is never okay, and it will almost always be caught down the line.
  • Don't make a big deal out of it . If you have only a single short or recent gap, you don’t need to call attention to it — most people probably won’t even notice. A study from the Society for Human Resource Management even found that employers increasingly support the need for career break .
  • Don't pad out your resume with non-work activities . Things like running a household, planning a wedding, or being a stay-at-home parent might feel like a full-time job, but employers won’t see it the same way you do. Listing your job title as “Family CEO” or “Executive Director of the household” is gimmicky and more likely to harm your credibility than help.
  • Don't use a functional resume format . These are often sold as being ideal for people with limited or sketchy work experience, but employers know this and will wonder what you’re trying to hide. Functional resumes don’t include dates of employment or a clear job history and make it impossible to evaluate candidates effectively. Most employers see anything other than a standard chronological resume as an instant red flag, so it'll more likely to get you rejected than owning and explaining any gaps.

Should I proactively address employment gaps or just wait for the interview?

It's always better to briefly address significant employment gaps in your cover letter or resume, especially if you can frame them positively. By addressing it proactively, you demonstrate transparency and can control the narrative rather than waiting for an employer to enquire about a gap during an interview.

How do I explain an employment gap of over 2 years?

Be straightforward about the reason, whether it was for further studies, health issues, or caregiving. Emphasize any skills or personal growth during the gap, even if it's not directly related to the job you're applying for.

What if the reason for my employment gap is personal, and I don't want to share?

It's entirely valid to keep personal reasons private. In such cases, state "personal sabbatical" or "personal break" on your resume. During interviews, if questioned, you can emphasize that it was a personal matter that's now resolved and you're eager to rejoin the workforce.

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sample resume for career gap

Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.

sample resume for career gap

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How to Explain Employment Gaps on a Resume in 2022

Your journey to discovering your career path can be full of twists and turns. Sometimes, life circumstances can result in gaps in your work history. In this guide, we will teach you all about how to include and explain gaps in your employment to keep your resume looking and sounding strong!

Do I Need to Mention a Gap on My Resume?

There are many reasons why a person may experience gaps in their employment.

These can include layoffs, ill family, or furthering your education.

The problem then becomes when and how to bring up this gap in your work history.

When deciding whether or not to mention a gap on a resume, consider the following 3 factors:

  • ‍ Recency of the Gap: Did the gap occur in the past 12 months or was it further back? You can generally omit gaps in your employment that happened a long time ago. ‍
  • Length of the Gap: How long did the gap last? Gaps can occur for varying lengths of time, from only a few weeks to several years. Longer gaps are more likely to need further explanation, while shorter gaps often do not. ‍
  • Employment Since the Gap: Are you returning directly from the gap? Or have you already returned and started building your employment history back up? Returning from a gap may need extra explanation on why you have chosen now as the time to continue your career.

The general rule of thumb is to only mention gaps if they are very recent or extended over a long period.

If you have already returned to the workforce and are looking for your next job, you can likely avoid including the gap.

Are you writing a resume with little to no work experience at all? Check out our guide on How to Write a Resume with No Experience (with Examples) .

Do I Need to Explain the Gap on My Resume or in My Cover Letter?

You should always try to reserve mention of employment gaps for your resume rather than your cover letter.

A resume cover letter is a supplemental document that introduces the applicant to the employer.

Cover letters typically include information about work history, skills, certifications, and achievements.

They may also describe the applicant’s career goals and why they will make a good addition to the employer’s team.

Bringing up employment gaps or focusing on your periods of unemployment will not do your cover letter many favors.

In fact, this can be a turnoff to employers who are looking for attention-grabbing information that makes them want to read the rest of the resume.

In some cases, there may be little to no way around mentioning the gap in a cover letter depending on the circumstances of the gap.

If you have to mention the gap in your cover letter, try to focus on how you furthered your skills or found your passion during your time away.

You always want to tie the sentiments in your cover letter back to your professional strengths.

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Physical Therapist

When to Explain an Employment Gap in a Cover Letter

When deciding whether or not to include an employment gap on a cover letter, you should ask yourself the following question:

How relevant is my employment gap to my career goals?

If you purposefully took the gap to further your education or career, it may be worth mentioning.

If this is not the case, then the cover letter is not the place to discuss your unemployment.

Sometimes, the circumstances of the gap may make omitting an explanation from your cover letter difficult.

The following two scenarios may require a brief explanation of a gap in your cover letter:

  • The gap extended over a long period with minimal recent employment to make up for it.
  • You have decided to change career paths during the gap and your previous employment is not directly relevant to the job you are applying for.

Here is an example statement discussing a career gap in a cover letter:

“I left the workforce from the dates of January 2017 – October 2018. I chose to take this gap in my employment to care for a sick family member as their primary caretaker. Thanks to the lovely staff at a local nursing home, I am now able to continue furthering my career.”

Why It’s Wrong: This example explains the reason behind the gap. However, it fails to emphasize any personal or professional growth that occurred during it.

“I became the primary caretaker for a sick family member from the time of January 2017 to October 2018. During this time, I worked closely with a medical team. This allowed me to hone my communication, teamwork, and organizational skills.”

Anytime you write a cover letter, you want to focus on your strengths and talents.

This corrected example shows how the applicant was able to use the experience to their benefit.

Focusing too much on why you left the workforce will not allow you to emphasize your more important characteristics to employers.

Instead, focus on what you learned or what skills you gained.

How Do I Explain Gaps in Employment

Employers will inherently have questions concerning employment gaps.

The key to getting past this part of your resume effectively is understanding how to explain and frame your gaps.

To explain a gap in your work history, keep the following in mind:

  • ‍ Be Honest: If complications at a previous job caused your gap in employment, don’t try to lie about this. Getting fired or laid off happens to even the best of us. The key is to tell new employers the truth and explain how you have bettered yourself since then. ‍
  • Be Upfront: Do not go out of your way to try to hide or mask an employment gap on your resume. Employers are more than likely going to find out one way or another. Being upfront with this information gives your ample opportunity to share your side of the story. ‍
  • Be Positive: Try not to focus on the negatives associated with your employment gap. Instead, emphasize was you learned or gained from the experience. Explaining gaps is all about learning to frame that period of your life positively.

When you need to maneuver around an employment gap, you never want to mislead or confuse the person reading your resume.

Executive Assistant

‍ Highlight Unpaid Experience

If you had a long gap, chances are you sought out unpaid experiences.

These may have furthered your professional growth, education, or passions.

These opportunities can include:

  • ‍ Volunteer Work: Volunteer or community service work is still important life experience, even if you were not paid for it. Showing examples of volunteer work on your resume can help explain what you were doing with your time away. ‍
  • Internships: Many applicants will make the mistake of not listing internships as work experience. Always inform employers of internships completed during your gap. This is especially true if the internship is directly related to the job you are applying for. ‍
  • Personal Projects: Personal passion projects can show employers your ability to carry out a project from start to finish. Highlighting these on a resume can also help to explain a decision to change careers as well. ‍
  • Freelancing: Perhaps during your time away you gave freelancing a try. This may have provided you with some supplemental income. Including your freelancing work is important, as it shows employers your drive to keep working even during time off.

Here is an example of how to use unpaid experience to explain an employment gap on a resume:

May 2016 – January 2018 During this period, I took a break from my employment. During my time away, I sought out extra opportunities to build out my resume. I participated in volunteer work and completed a major personal project that led me to a new career path.”

Why It’s Wrong: This example lacks specificity, thus lacking valuable information. Additionally, this kind of information would be better suited in a separate volunteer work section.

Volunteer Experience The Humane Society, Front Desk Volunteer May 2016 – January 2018 Completed an independently-led project to improve the shelter’s digital database system.

In this example, the applicant organizes the information more clearly and highlights personal achievements.

They describe how their personal project helped improve the shelter, showcasing their work ethic and drive.

The applicant could then fill out this entry with more of their responsibilities in their volunteer role.

By creating this separate volunteer section, there is also more opportunity to describe other volunteer experiences as well.

Pro Tip: When describing any type of experience on a resume, you always want to use the most compelling language possible. Use our list of 350+ Action Verbs to Make Your Resume More Effective.

How Should I Format My Resume if I Have Multiple Gaps

Having one employment gap to work around is one thing.

If you have multiple gaps in your employment, you may need to do some serious resume editing.

There are two key methods for formatting your resume to de-emphasize the fact that you have more than one gap in your work history.

These 2 methods are:

  • Editing your dates of employment
  • Changing your resume format

Generally speaking, you will likely need to opt for changing your format altogether.

However, editing your dates of employment may do the trick in some scenarios.

Edit Your Dates of Employment

Editing your dates of employment will only work if your periods of unemployment were short and sandwiched between times being employed. 

To edit your dates of employment, the key is to remove the months and days from the dates.

Here is an example of changing your dates of employment to take attention away from multiple employment gaps:

Server, Dave and Buster’s June 28, 2020 – March 1, 2021 Description Front Desk Receptionist , Lee’s Dental Associates January 13, 2016 – December 9, 2019 Description

Why It’s Wrong: These work experience entries provide exact dates, making the length of the employment gaps overly apparent.

Server, Dave and Buster’s Mid 2020 – Early 2021 Description Front Desk Receptionist , Lee’s Dental Associates Early 2016 – Late 2019 Description

The applicant in this example is currently in an employment gap, with their most recent job ending in March of 2021.

They have an additional gap between 2019 and 2020. By eliminating exact dates, these gaps are less obvious.

However, it is important to note that this can come across as misleading or dishonest to employers.

In situations involving multiple gaps, our recommended approach is to change your resume’s formatting style.

Executive Assistant

Change Your Resume Format

There are 3 main types of resume formats:

  • ‍ Reverse-Chronological: This format focuses on work experience, detailing your most recent job first and working backward from there. ‍
  • Functional: Functional resumes shift the focus of the resume away from work experience and onto skills, unpaid experiences, and education. ‍
  • Hybrid: A hybrid resume will combine elements of both of the first two formats to fit the specific needs of an applicant.

Hybrid resumes will likely be the best option for applicants dealing with multiple gaps in their employment histories.

A functional resume may also be a useful alternative.

These formats will allow them to focus more on their skills and talents, while also drawing attention away from their employment gaps. 

Need extra help choosing the best resume format for your needs? Read our guide on How to Choose the Correct Resume Format (with Examples) .

How Should I Explain Gaps in My Employment if I’m Switching Careers?

If you are switching careers, you will want to show the work you have done to make the switch.

This will often come in the form of showing examples of how you have improved your skills during your gap.

This can include:

  • ‍ Training: Training programs will often provide you with certificates of completion. Certifications are a great way to further your education without going back to a full university. ‍
  • Education: If you returned to school to earn an associate’s, bachelor’s, or higher degree, be sure to highlight this on your resume. ‍
  • Internships: Internships are a great way to get your foot in the door for a new career path. Seek out internships in your new field and include these on your resume.

Executive Assistant

How Can I Still Present a Strong Resume with Gaps in My Employment

Creating a strong resume despite employment gaps is all about positive framing.

To present a strong resume that contains gaps in your work history, you should:

  • ‍ Be Prepared: Understand that the employer will have questions about your gap. Think of what they may ask ahead of time and be prepared to give positive answers. ‍
  • Don’t Get Defensive: Being sensitive or defensive over a gap will only hurt you in the long run. Maintain a sense of confidence and self-assurance while discussing or writing about gaps in your employment. ‍
  • Re-Focus on Your Strengths: Always find ways to tie your experience during a gap back to your professional growth and strengths.

Final Takeaways

Having gaps in your work history does not have to be a death blow to your chances of landing a job.

Here are five key takeaways to remember about including employment gaps on a resume:

  • Never try to hide information from employers. They will find out one way or another, and your level of honesty will impact their reaction.
  • Frame gaps in your employment positively and focus on your strengths.
  • Consider using an alternative resume format that focuses less on work experience, such as a functional or hybrid resume.
  • Always include unpaid experiences that are relevant to your career goals.
  • Keep a sense of self-confidence! Employers want workers who are self-assured and capable, not self-doubting.

For more help crafting your ideal resume, check out our free resume guides and examples !

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

Ed Moss is an author for Easy Resume

Ed is a co-founder of Easy Resume. His background in scaling teams at tech startups over the last decade has given him extensive experience and knowledge around how to hire top talent and build successful teams. He enjoys mentoring, coaching, and helping others reach their career goals. When he's not writing about career-related advice, he's playing with his dog, Lilo, or going on long hikes in upstate New York.

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Career Gap on Your Resume? Here’s How to Explain It.

sample resume for career gap

Have you been away from the workforce for six months? Six years? Even longer? Well, explaining your career gap may not be as difficult as you think.

What Counts As a Career Gap?

A career gap is time spent away from the workforce. Common career gap reasons include taking care of family, going to school to change careers, taking a sabbatical or being laid off. Contract work, launching a new business, or pivoting your career and then returning are not considered part of a career gap.

That’s because over the past several years, hiring managers and recruiters have been seeing career gaps in resumes with greater frequency, minimizing what once were considered red flags.

Regardless of this shift, it’s still important to artfully address it head on, no matter the length of your career gap.

Why Career Gaps Are No Longer Seen as Red Flags

Career gaps were once an on-going concern for employers, often viewed as potential red flags.

They could signal a prospective employee could be a short-timer or someone who was not focused on their career, Yuletta Pringle, an HR advisor at the Society for Human Resource Management , told Built In.

Or, they’d wonder how the job candidate spent their time while they were out of the workforce and whether they are ready to resume work, Amy Mangan, vice president and branch director at recruiting firm Robert Half , told Built In.

But since the pandemic hit, employers have become more accepting of career gaps because they are now increasingly viewed as part of life, said Tracy Stone, director of diversity, equity and inclusion in tech at fintech company Intuit .

“In an economic downturn or market where there are more layoffs, career gaps can be seemingly more common.”

During the pandemic, employees left in droves for a number of reasons, including to take care of family members , to reevaluate their career choices or to go back to school.

Massive layoffs have also helped normalize career gaps.

In the past month alone, tech companies have slashed an estimated 60,000 jobs , according to CBS News . The tech industry also bore the brunt of layoffs last year, with 97,171 job cuts — up a whopping 649 percent from the previous year, according to a recent report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

“In an economic downturn or market where there are more layoffs, career gaps can be seemingly more common,” said Jason Buss, vice president of talent acquisition at game development platform company Roblox .

More on Leadership Ask These Questions to Find Out If a Company Values Women in Leadership

How to Explain a Career Gap in a Resume

When putting together a resume or updating it, ensure you include a start month and year and end month and year for each time period you were in the workforce, which is considered a standard format. You should also include the start and end dates for any career gaps if they lasted six months or longer.

These periods when you were working and not working should be laid out in chronological order on your resume under your professional experience, Mangan said. Include any relevant activities, experience or skills you may have picked up during your career gap and tie them to the job you are seeking.

“As the six-month mark approaches, I would start to think about what you can add to your resume to show you weren’t just sitting at home.”

By accounting for any type of career gaps on your resume, recruiters and hiring managers can quickly understand the sequence of events.

“It really goes a long way to prompt folks to say, OK, I get it. I can see what they were up to and how they’re ready to go back to work, great,” said Mangan.

For current job seekers, if you have the luxury of time to update your skills, volunteer for industry organizations, mentor, sit on a board or engage in activities that could potentially tie into the future work you wish to do, it’s a step worth taking.

“As the six-month mark approaches, I would start to think about what you can add to your resume to show you weren’t just sitting at home,” Mangan told Built In. “Did you sit on a board? Were you involved in an industry networking group? All of these could be included in your resume.”

Resume Examples

Cloud Security Student and Volunteer        January 2018-August 2018 Attended cloud security courses at ISC(2) and became a Certified Cloud Security Professional. Volunteered at the RSA Conference for programs on cloud security and worked with high school students on cybersecurity best practices.                 

PTA President and Caregiver                       March 2020-November 2021 Organized and ran the PTA at my child’s school and collaborated with 45 parents to hold fundraising events and other programs, while also devoting time to my child’s online schooling.   

More on Job Searching Why You Shouldn’t Write Off Job Hunting Over the Holidays

How to Explain a Career Gap in a Cover Letter 

Although addressing a career gap in a cover letter is optional, it can provide a vehicle and additional space to share insights and information about the reasons for your career gap and the activities you performed while out of the workforce if they are relevant to the position you are currently seeking. 

This information in your cover letter can play a greater importance if you don’t mention your career gap in your resume. 

For example, maybe you spent six months or more focused solely on finding a job and have nothing else to list for that time period on your resume. You can address it in your cover letter with a simple sentence that states you spent that time as a job applicant. 

And in cases where you spent time out of the workforce due to recharging your batteries, helping your family members, or traveling, it too can be noted in your cover letter. 

Other activities can also be noted in your cover letter in a single sentence or paragraph, depending on how relevant they are to the position you are seeking. Make sure to couch your words in a positive tone that shows you are eager to address your next opportunity. 

Cover Letter Example

During the pandemic, I paused my career to assist my children with their online schooling. I also formed a virtual school co-op to support my children and their classmates. I organized, collaborated and led activities and programs for the children with the help of other co-op parents and developed a shared resource system to address student needs. I am very interested in applying these skills and my past software engineering experience to the team lead software engineering role at your organization.

How to Address a Career Gap in a Job Interview

So, you’ve successfully addressed your career gap in your resume and cover letter. Now it’s time to tackle it in your job interview. Ask friends or family to conduct a mock job interview with you in the days leading up to your interview. Or, at a minimum, record yourself practicing how you would respond to an interviewer’s questions, including an inquiry about your career gap. 

An interviewer may ask questions like, “Can you walk me through your work history” or “I noticed this gap in your work history, can you tell me about it?” These types of questions come from their curiosity and aren’t designed to put you in a hot seat.

There is also a chance you may not be asked about your career gap during the job interview and you should not feel compelled to discuss it unless you wish.

“A break sounds more definitive but framing it as a pause can be helpful ... It’s a very positive way to frame it and own it. I love it when I hear people talk about it that way.”

If it does come up, Intuit’s Stone advised calling your career gap a pause during the interview. Careers are long and ever changing, so think about your career as chapters with a pause in between, she said. Briefly explain why you left and how, after your pause, you are looking forward to your next chapter.

“A break sounds more definitive but framing it as a pause can be helpful,” Stone said, offering an alternative word choice that sounds softer to the ear. “It’s a very positive way to frame it and own it. I love it when I hear people talk about it that way.”

You do not need to go into great detail about why you have a career gap, but rather address it briefly, with transparency and confidence, she added. Answer the question about your career gap directly, rather than sidestepping the question with a vague response.

After you briefly touch on your career gap, you should then segue into your interest and enthusiasm for the job you’re interviewing for.

Example Job Interview Responses

  • If you were laid off: I was part of a reduction in force that laid off 10 percent of the workforce. I would be very excited to have an opportunity to leverage my experience at your organization for this role. 
  • If you left for caregiving: My child needed additional attention and support with their online schooling and I took a pause from work to assist. But with school now returning to in-person sessions, I am eager to return to the workforce and your opportunity is especially appealing.
  • If you took some time to reset: Due to some changes in my life at the time, I decided to take a pause from the workforce. Those changes no longer require my time and I am very interested to learn more about this opportunity and your company.    

More on Career Development 5 Ways to Continue Your Skills Development and Grow Your Career

Consider Upskilling

If you are just leaving the workforce or are someone who has been out for months or years and has a plan to reenter, consider devoting some time to updating your skills.

This step would serve two purposes. One, it can help account for some of your career gap on your resume. And secondly, it can further update your skills , making you an even stronger candidate.

Roblox’s Buss said there are a number of things people can do while waiting for their next job. They include continuing education, like classes at Udacity or bootcamps at Fullstack Academy , to fill the skill gaps you have for those positions you are most interested in.

Tech courses and certifications, like Built In’s Learning Lab , are another way to enhance your skill set. And there are a number of programs available based on industry sector. For example, trade association (ISC)2 offers cybersecurity certifications, the Blockchain Council provides blockchain certifications, and Coursera offers AI certifications.

Regardless of a career gap, if a person has kept their skills current, whether it’s getting Google Career Certificates training or doing something like LinkedIn Learning , that is going to separate them from someone who has not updated their skills and only has had a consistent job without ever taking time off, Mangan said.

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How to mention a career gap in a resume?

Are you constantly feeling that the 1-year gap in your resume is preventing you from realizing your potential?

You are not alone.

More than 90% of the professionals in the US have been unemployed at some point in time. And it's perfectly natural - if you'll have a working life of ~40 years, surely you can't be working non-stop throughout that duration?

And you know what? The recruiters know this as well. For them, it's not a deal-breaker if there's a gap in your professional trajectory. At the end of the day, they're only concerned with the value you can deliver. Which is why it doesn't make sense for job-seekers to be so overtly afraid of this.

Even if you have a gap of a couple of years in your resume, don't let that stop you from applying for that dream profile.

A couple of years? Is "Are you serious?" the first question that popped in your head?

Let me explain.

Here is what the blog is all about:

  • The impact of career gap on callbacks
  • How to address career gaps in a resume?
  • How to make career gap look great?
  • Resume hacks for career gap

What is the impact of career gap on callbacks?

[ Back to Table of Content ]

In a study conducted by ResumeGo to identify patterns in interview shortlists and resume gaps, the key conclusions were:

  • While the shortlists went down for applicants with a gap of >3 years, applicants who provided a reason for the gap received ~60% more interviews.
  • For applicants with a gap of 0-2 years, there was only a slight dip in shortlists. The number went up with each successive year of unemployment.
  • 11.3% of the jobseekers with no career gaps were shortlisted for the interview, as opposed to 9.8% for those with a 2-year gap in their resume - not that significant.

Below is a Graph showing a dip in callback with each successive year:

Diagram showing Work Gap Callback Rates by Gap Length

To conclude, 2 years seems to the acceptable gap that the recruiters can tolerate, provided:

  • You don't belong to an industry wherein a 2-year gap can mean your existing expertise has been rendered obsolete - and you did nothing to prevent that from happening.
  • You have explained the reason for your absence in your resume/cover letter.

Then there's Deanne Mulligan who took a 2-year sabbatical when she was in her prime and is now the CEO of Guardian Life Insurance. This is a significant departure from a decade ago when a gap of even 6 months could spell doom. What changed? One can speculate:

Recruiters know that in most cases, your earliest jobs are a mix of ignorance resulting in bad choices . It's only when you've been in the professional world for a while do you realize what is it that you want.

A stringent labor market facing both unemployment and a shortage of skilled workforce is forcing companies to at least think about considering resumes with gaps. From their perspective, one can understand why they are hesitant in hiring applicants with a gap of more than 2 years - the rate at which tech is evolving is rendering Moore's Law obsolete.

There is a cultural shift underway wherein more people are increasingly accepting unconventional career options. This means that if you want to leave your plush investment banking job and become a skiing instructor instead, you can do it.

The world is changing while you were busy sulking. Time-off is not that stigmatic. On the contrary, you'll be seen as someone who can quickly adapt to new things.

What if you're a working mother who took a gap of more than 3 years - say 5 or 7 - and are now looking to reenter the job market? If you're not defensive and if you can confidently justify the gap, the focus then changes to the contributions you can make in the future. Recruiters are now realizing that onboarding someone who has a gap of >2 years is not as risky as it once was. For the companies, the difference between 'regular' employees and people with gaps is negligible.

How to address career gaps in your professional trajectory?

While gaps in your career will not necessarily prevent you from going up the corporate ladder, the recruiters will expect a justification. What to do in such a case?

Be prepared : Don't be caught off-guard if you're asked point-blank questions regarding your time off. It's the recruiter's job to identify the reasons for your absence and understand if there's a cause of concern. Be prepared for any or every question that might be thrown at you.

Honesty is the key : In the spirit of honesty, the recruiter is already looking at you with narrow eyes before you've even said a word. And it's natural to do so on his part. Flowing from the point above, there's only an extent to which you can 'prepare'. If you're honest, you won't have to 'prepare' - it'll just reflect in your answers and demeanor.

Professional Engagement : The fact that there was a gap is not important. Were you curled up on your couch for a year, or were you somehow engaging with the world? Did you volunteer or pursue any relevant certifications/training? Did you network or freelance? It's different if you were absent due to health reasons, but just because you weren't formally employed doesn't mean you can't be professionally engaged.

Focus on your contributions : If there are personal reasons behind the gap that you don't want to go into, you can always shift the conversation back to your professional contributions. Focus on how you can add value once you join - if the recruiter is insistent on probing deeper and deeper into your absence, you know it's not the place for you.

Resume hacks if you have a career gap

Interview tips are okay, but how to address career gaps in your resume? We have a few tips.

Functional Resume : There are 3 resume formats , of which the reverse chronological resume format is the most popular. However, for professionals who want to mask the timeline of their trajectory, they can opt for a functional resume. However, at Hiration, we don't recommend going for this format as there's no point in misleading the recruiter at any stage of the hiring process.

Cover Letter : A cover letter is your friend if you want to justify gaps in your career. Instead of filling up your resume with explanations, send a crisp cover letter wherein you are justifying your absence in a few lines. Remember, the broad focus should be on your contributions, not the absence .

Additional Sections : It doesn't matter if you volunteered, freelanced, took up independent projects, acted as a consultant...don't hesitate to include that in your resume. Something is better than nothing. A recruiter won't help you if you give him nothing.

Training/Certifications : This becomes especially important if the gap exceeds 2 years. You need to tell the recruiter that you're still relevant, that you won't be left scratching your head once you join, that your peers won't be handholding you. A brilliant way to do that is to show recent certifications and training programs in your resume.

How to Justify Career Gaps

Health : Nothing comes above your health and personal well-being. If your health deteriorated for any reason and you took a break because of that, you can be completely honest and mention the same in the cover letter/interview.

Personal : If there was a crisis in your family because of which your full-time presence was deemed to be a necessity, any recruiter worth his salt will have no problem with it. There might be cases wherein the interviewer is probing deeper into your issue - only oblige if you're completely okay with it.

Laid-off : No industry can save itself from layoffs. It's natural if you were at the receiving end of it. Though the recruiters know it, it's your job to reiterate that your skillset is still intact and that the factors leading to the eventual outcome were beyond your control. Quite often, the top leadership is the reason why there are layoffs, in which case you need a balancing act wherein you are not overtly critical but also downright honest.

Fired : If you were fired for unethical reasons, don't think that the fact will be overlooked in your next company. It's an SOP in most companies to do background checks and you can't escape that fact. A prudent choice would be to avoid bringing that up but being honest (in case it is) at the same time.

Before you return to work after the break

Find out what you're passionate about, what cause drives you, and sign up for a volunteering initiative in the same.

Start reaching out to professionals in your network and renewing old contacts . See if there have been any changes or updates in your chosen role/industry.

See if there are short-term training, courses or certifications you can sign up for. This will ensure that you haven't been completely away from your role and are abreast with the latest trends.

This one's important: Don’t apologize for your time away. There might be people harping on it, but it's your job to be confident about your choices and only look ahead.

You've been away for so long. Now that you're back, make sure the energy levels are at an all-time high . This will ease all remaining doubts anyone might have regarding your ability to rejoin.

That's about it for now! For crafting a recruiter-friendly resume that is bound to give you an edge over your competition, you can always head on to our famed online resume builder . To date, we have helped over 30k+ professionals across 170+ countries land their dream jobs through these resumes. You don't want to be left behind, do ya?

Go to Hiration resume builder and create a professional resume for yourself. Additionally, reach out to us at [email protected] and you can get 24/7 professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

This article first appeared on LinkedIn.

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Career Gaps – 10 Best ways to explain gaps in your resume effectively!

Education / November 26, 2021 by Kuntala Banerjee / Leave a Comment

If you want to make sure you communicate the right message about your career gap, this is the article for you. Let’s deep dive into what are career gaps & how to explain them.

What are employment gaps or career gaps?

Career gaps are the time period when a person is not associated with any organization after leaving the prior company. The gaps may be due to study, medical reasons or a break from the professional world. They may sometimes be lengthy from 6 months to 1 year and sometimes less.

In this article, we will learn what is an employment gap, how to explain employment gaps in your resume effectively, resume examples with gaps in employment, cover letter for a gap in employment or letter of explanation for the gap in employment.

Also read:  Career counseling | Why career counseling is important & 15 types of career coaches

What is a career gap?

In the professional profile of a person, a career gap is the employment gap when an associate is not linked or hired into any organization. The duration of the gap can be a few weeks, months or years. It is mandatory to mention career gaps in your resume. The critical part is to explain gaps in employment to the next recruiting organization.

How common are gaps in employment among professionals?

Gaps in employment are not uncommon. Certain professionals consider career gaps as an opportunity to revisit the skill sets and find out ways to build up new competencies. Work-life balance is now the new concept among professionals. A person can think of studying in between job shifts which he or she may find it tough to pursue while being employed full time.

Many opt for such gaps to travel around the world, a break from the busy professional environment. Some may concentrate on health and medical issues and well-being before joining another profession or job.

Also read:  Career Change | 8 step process for the best career moves across any vertical

Why some companies are concerned about resume gaps?

Hiring companies need to understand the resume gaps to find out the genuine interest of the individuals towards the job. They try to find out the reason for career gaps of whether a person has been on bench due to incompetencies or whether the gap is to jack up the skills. Their objective is to recruit the right people for the role they are looking for. Therefore they would scrutinize any resume gaps to extract the correct reason. It helps them to judge the potential and capability of the person applying for the position.

Top reasons why employment gaps occur

In this section, we will find out the top reasons for employment gaps. There are many good reasons for gaps in employment and some may last for many months to years. But these are not unnatural and can occur to any one. Let us discuss those career gaps in the subsequent sub-sections.

1. Employment gap on resume for pursuing higher education

Employment gap on resume can happen if one plans to pursue higher education. Certain academic degrees of qualifications are difficult to continue while being involved in full-time jobs. Hence a break is needed for focused dedication and attention. Higher education is also done for facilitating better roles in the next jobs.

2. Gaps in resumes for medical reasons

Medical reasons are often a major contributor to gaps in resumes. A person with an ill-health may fail to perform well in his or her job in a company. Constant work pressure may also prevent undergoing medical treatments. Hence professionals are sometimes forced to go for a break.

3. Gap in employment to care for a child

Caring for a child is another very common reason for gap in employment. It is essentially the work-life balance that one needs while nurturing a newborn baby or a toddler. This gap normally happens with a woman professional after child birth.

Also read:  Working from home with kids | Parent’s guide to remote working

4. Unemployment gap for travel

Travel rejuvenates and energizes minds. So there are professionals who opt for an unemployment gap to explore travel destinations; a way to enjoy a break from the regular professional and personal life.

5. Take time off between jobs for freelancing

People working in the fixed boundaries of jobs often feel the monotony. So it’s good to take time off between jobs and do some freelancing activities. These open the horizons of exploring the different genres of work and gain more exposure.

6. Work gap to undergo professional training

Work gap is sometimes essential to undergo any professional training which lasts for a long duration in multiple courses. It helps in greater concentration and dedicated focus, ultimately gain in pursuing future ambitions and growth opportunities.

7. Gap in resume due to depression

A person may undergo any mental ailments which result in depression. Treatments and cures are needed to overcome it. Hence he or she decides for a break in job and thus a gap in resume. The gap is essential for a complete cure.

8. Gap furlough

Gap furlough can happen due to a temporary economic condition prevailing in a region forcing companies to operate under low wages and interim leaves. Employees may undergo such a situation and that may lead to a gap in the resume.

Also read:  How to start a business with no money and make it super successful in 3 years?

9. Gaps in resume for relocation

Digital nomads or professionals looking to relocate to a new city or country often opt for a gap in their career to find out the relevant choices and arrangements. Thus gaps in resume is common for them, usually leading to 4 to 6 months duration.

10. Work gaps due to family care

Sometimes there are medical emergencies in the family for which people need to take an off from a job and concentrate on the same. Work gaps are hence needed to ensure continuous care and attention to the members of the family.

How to explain gaps in employment?

Now that we have understood the various reasons for career gaps, the next question that comes up in mind is, how to explain gaps in employment?

In this section, we will point out the various ways to explain any gaps in employment.

1. Resume fillers with certifications and training courses

The best way on how to explain gaps in resume is to create resume fillers. Enter the certifications and training courses attended during the gaps. This will ensure that you were not sitting idle but elevating yourself for progression.

2. Employment gap for gaining experience

Another best way to explain employment gap is to specify the experience gathered during the time to enhance professional efficiency. This is one of the interesting how to explain employment gaps examples; ensuring you did not spend time in leisure.

3. Omit small gap work

If you have a small gap work then it is better to omit that. The recruiters will not realize or pay attention to such minor breaks. Gap cover-ups for negligible durations are acceptable and will not act as a hindrance for being recruited in the next job.

Also read : Best resume software | Give the finest first impression

4. Employment gaps on resume to be mentioned in brief

Whenever you mention employment gaps on your resume, you must keep it brief. The gap explanation can be mentioned during the interview . As your focus must be on your skillset and experience and not on how to explain a lengthy employment gap. The more you speak it out the better.

5. Use resume format to conceal gap employment

A good idea on how to fill in employment gaps on resume is to use a unique resume format. Ensure the format has sections where you can highlight your accomplishments and experiences. The recruiters will look into those sections first and can gain a good understanding of your professional background, and may heedless attention to gap employment.

6. List down the reasons for careers gap

For the career gap, list down the exact reasons and explain the same to the recruiters. Your reasons must be convincing, not de-focusing on future growth or opportunity. It is recommended to emphasize on the work or activities done during that tenure.

7. Be honest in explaining gaps in employment

Be honest and truthful while explaining gaps in employment. There may be an employment gap due to personal reasons, medical emergencies, academics, health issues and many more. But you must state the reasons briefly and clearly to leave out no ambiguities.

8. Explain unemployment gaps but focus back to the interview

It is crucial that you explain unemployment gaps but try to deviate back to the interview. Express your interest for the job and the role. Relate the same to your skillset and experience. Showcase your knowledge to earn the interest of the recruiters.

9. Add freelancing experience in the job gap

In the job gap, add freelancing experience to the resume, if you have any. You can also speak about the freelancing experience to emphasize that your focus is steady on your career, ambitions and growth. You must know how to list contract jobs on a resume taken up as a freelancer.

10. Employment gap explanation with interest and poise

Employment gap explanation must be done with poise. It is recommended to show interest while recruiters request you to please explain any gaps in employment. They will not prefer you to avoid or ignore the question. Remember there is no harm in career gaps.

Also read:  Business Lawyer | How to find a business lawyer

11. Sample resume with gaps in employment

Let us now check a sample resume with gaps in employment:

“I resigned from my previous job to care for an ageing and ailing family member. Now I have hired a full-time attendant. I am available for full-time work and in the future.”

“I have quit from my current job to pursue my MBA. My course was for 1.5 years. Now I am back to work with much higher knowledge, competence and confidence; ready to take up new roles and job positions.”

“I had to relocate to New Jersey, US since my spouse shifted. I had to leave my present job for the relocation. Now since I am settled, I am looking for a new job to start with.”

For mentioning the duration, ensure to check how to right justify dates on the resume.

Sample unemployment letter of explanation

Here is a sample unemployment letter of explanation for your reference.

To whom it may concern, I am writing this letter to explain the 4 month gap in my employment from July 2021 to October 2021. Recently there has been a serious medical emergency in my family. I had to take care of my ailing father. But now the situation has normalized and I have a full dedicated attendant for my father. I am now available full time for the role and the job”.

You can refer this sample cover letter explaining gap in employment and mention the reasons as appropriate.

Also read: John Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership explained

Unemployment interview questions

Here are some unemployment interview questions for reference and unemployment phone interview tips:

Question: Please explain any gaps in employment Answer: You need to specify the reasons, the duration and that you are ready for the next job and role.

Question: What have you been doing during the career gaps? Answer: You must mention about any certifications, training courses, freelance jobs etc. which you have undertaken

Question: Have you been ever laid off by any company? Answer: If the answer is Yes, then it is good to be honest about the reason but focus on your skill set and efficiency

How long is too long of an employment gap?

The answer for how long is too long of an employment gap is, potentially more than 6 months is considered as long. But sometimes the gap may extend to 1 year or more due to higher studies, relocation or even sabbatical leave for child care. But it’s, not the duration which is important, but the reason behind it. You must be able to justify that and ensure your experience and knowledge level are not hampered. Furthermore, you must know how to answer unemployment interview questions.

Kuntala Banerjee

Kuntala is a versatile writer with a focus on diverse areas around work, productivity, collaboration at work, hiring, management, HR, and training. Her background of past experience in technology and consulting helps in molding razor-sharp insights into the research and user-focused content she creates. Professionally she is an IT consultant in a sales role and also a writer of short stories and poems, travel blogger, and fashion influencer.

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  • How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your Resume (with examples)

The job hunt is never easy. It takes a lot of time and efforts to create a resume  that will impress recruiters and make them want to invite you for an interview. But what if your resume employment history is far from perfect? Some of us can take some time off from work for different reasons. Some people take this time to raise a child, finish their education, travel abroad. Some people got laid off or even fired from a previous job and it took a few months to find a new one. What is the perfect way for explaining gaps in employment? We will show you how to create a consistent resume that will demonstrate that you are a reliable professional who is a perfect fit for a job.

gaps_in_employment

Use dates on a resume wisely

If you’re wondering how to explain gaps in employment, the main advice is to stay honest. You don’t have to lie on your resume. Anyway, recruiters will find out about employment gaps and in this case, it would be even worse for you. However, some effective ways will help you to attract recruiters and increase your chances of getting a job.

First of all, there are no strict requirements for including all your job history especially if you’ve been in the workforce for decades. If you are looking for a senior/middle level position then your experience on entry-level jobs that are outdated or don’t correlate with your current career field won’t be relevant.

The easiest way to cover up your recent employment gaps on resume is to avoid mentioning exact months of employment. When you list dates of employment on your resume, you do not necessarily have to list the month/year in case you worked for more than one year.

For example, you can include it like this:

Account Manager - XYZ Company

Boston, MA - 2016 - 2018

Instead of this:

Boston, MA - January 2016 - August 2017

If you omit months in dates on your resume you will be able to hide and fill the gap. Then if you were unemployed till December 2017, you could easily list it as 2017 and this gap in resume won’t be obvious to recruiters.

Head of Marketing  - XYZ Company

New York, NY - 2018 - Present

Marketing Manager - XYZ Company

New York, NY - 2015 - 2018

Add other professional experience

You can fill the gap in employment history with other activities you have performed during your pause. If you have done some freelance, consulting or volunteering, it will definitely matter in your resume. It will cover gaps in resume and demonstrate to a hiring manager that you didn’t waste your time but kept improving your professional skills or contributed to society. This info can be definitely included in a resume. List the experience as if you would list the common work experience. Include company/organization title, dates and list your main duties, responsibilities and your contribution or accomplishments. If you have undergone some professional training, include your certificates and knowledge gained during classes. Everything will explain gaps in employment and is worth putting on your resume.

“After a successful job performance as a Marketing Manager for XYZ company, I took maternity leave, and then completed my professional certification. During that period, I decided to take my career to the next level and used this time also for developing the skill set needed to succeed on this role.”

employment_gaps_on_resume

Put emphasis on your strengths

By adding a resume section called “Career summary”, you can highlight all your core skills and professional knowledge and briefly describe your main career achievements. It will draw recruiter’s attention to your profile.

In case you stayed at home for a long time and want to make your application as strong as possible, you can create a cover letter for long term unemployed. The best strategy to cover up your career gaps is to create a compelling story and provide some details about your value as an employee and as a professional. The main purpose of this cover letter is to highlight your main strengths.

Recruiters don’t care much about eventual gaps in your career. What matters to them is what contribution you can bring to their team and what abilities and qualification will allow you to perform your duties effectively. A successful cover letter will not just describe your expertise and abilities but their possible implementation in the company you want to apply for. Remember that a cover letter should sell you and your skills. Once again you can additionally describe how you have spent time off from work and how you have used this time to improve your professionalism.

Try different resume format

It’s worth mentioning that there exist three main resume formats - chronological, functional and combination resume. Most likely you have heard only of a chronological resume. In this case, your job history is obviously listed chronologically. Most recruiters prefer a chronological resume to functional one but it’s highly recommended to try out functional resume format to make your gaps less obvious. This resume format is perfect as the focus shifts from your professional experience to skills and knowledge that you have gained during your career life. You still have to list your previous employment but take into consideration our abovementioned advice regarding eliminating months in dates.

While creating your resume and listing your skills you should use an employer’s job description because it includes all the important keywords a hiring manager will seek in your resume. Focus on skills that are the most relevant to the desired job opening. Concentrate not on your career gaps but on demonstrating how qualified and skilled you are for the job even despite some time off from work. Recruiters will appreciate it more rather than a dry list of job titles.

Resume with gaps in employment sample

Here is a great example of a functional resume that will be perfect if you have some employment gaps.

resume_with_employment_gaps_by_Skillrods

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sample resume for career gap

Career Change Resume for 2024 [9+ Examples]

Background Image

Thinking of switching careers?

It might feel a lot like taking a leap of faith. 

You’re stepping into the unknown - that alone takes a lot of courage and determination.

You might even feel like a recent graduate all over again.

You have 0 experience, entering an entirely new field, competing with people who’ve been doing it forever!

That sounds pretty scary.

But here’s the thing:

As long as you’re armed with the right resume, the transition can be a piece of cake.

And luckily, we’re here to help and guide you through the process.

So, if you’re thinking of breaking into a new career industry, be sure to read on.

  • How to pick the best resume format for a career change
  • How to create a skill summary and wow the recruiter
  • How to show off transferable work experience
  • 3+ other ways to impress the recruiter (even if you have 0 relevant work experience)

Choosing the Best Career Change Resume Format

career change resume

A big part of creating an effective resume is choosing the right resume format to tell your story with.

You need to structure your resume in a way that best shows your transferable skills and experience.

And when it comes to switching careers, the combination resume format does that best.

career change resume example

Here’s why:

This format places equal emphasis on skills and important work experience . 

This way, you can show you have the right industry transferable skills , even if you haven’t had the actual job title.

The format is ideal for people:

  • Making a career change with transferable skills or work experience.
  • With some employment gaps.
  • With a diverse range of skills and experience .
  • Applying to both creative and traditional roles.

And here’s what you include within this format:

  • Contact information
  • Resume objective or summary
  • Skills summary
  • Work experience
  • Certification

Now, we’re going to go over each of those sections and explain how to write them step-by-step.

Here’s what you need to know:

How to Add Your Contact Information the Right Way

Your contact information is arguably the most important part of your resume.

Even if you’re the most qualified person in the world, it’s not going to matter much if you misspell your email and the HR manager can’t contact you.

So, here’s what you should include in this section:

  • First name, last name 
  • Phone number - Make sure to include your country code if you’re applying outside your country.
  • Email address - Something professional like [[email protected]].
  • Location - The company needs to know if you’re located in the region or if they may have to sponsor your relocation.
  • Title - Either your current professional title or your new desired one. We’d recommend including the job title you’re applying for word-for-word.

Once you’re done, we’d recommend that you double-check, even triple-check everything. You wouldn’t want to miss your chances of landing the job because of a typo, would you?

  • Got an online portfolio? You can also mention the links here. For example, if you’re a developer, you can include a link to your GitHub profile. If you’re a writer, a Medium link, and so on...

All clear? Good!

Now, let’s cover how to write a successful career change resume objective or summary.

Impress the Recruiter With a Career Change Resume Objective or Summary

So you’ve got your contact details down.

Now, you need a reason for the HR manager to continue reading the rest of your resume.

So, how do you get the recruiter to stop and read your career change resume when they only look at resumes for 6 seconds on average?

The answer: by using a resume objective or summary.

Both of these sections explain why you’re the best person for the job and act as a preview to the rest of your resume.

Here’s how the two differ:

Your resume summary shows your best accomplishments that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Your resume objective highlights how your current skills are relevant and will transfer to your new position.

As someone going through a career change, you can include either one.

But as a rule of thumb, if you were working in a related field and have some transferable skills, go for a resume summary.

On the other hand, if you were working in a completely unrelated field, go for a resume objective.

Check out these examples to get a better idea of what both of these might look like:

Career Change Resume Summary Example

  • “Customer support specialist with over 4+ years of experience in over-the-phone technical support looking to leverage communication skills as a Sales Agent at Company XYZ. Excellent track record of delivering quality support, with an average rating of 4.6/5 over the past 2 years.”

A career change resume summary helps the HR understand how your skillset from your previous job can translate into your new one.

In that case, it’s best to mention:

  • Your current relevant skills or experience.
  • How your background can help you excel at the current job.

Career Change Resume Objective Example

  • “Organized and hard-working employee looking to join XYZ as a marketing assistant. Looking to take advantage of my skills in Photoshop, graphic design, and creative copywriting to help XYZ with their marketing efforts.”

See the difference here?

Even though the person doesn’t have any relevant work experience, their resume objective still shows how their skill set is relevant to the new job.

Show Off Your Know-How With a Skills Summary Section

Your resume summary / objective is only an introduction. Now, you need to show the HR what you’ve got.

To do that, you need a good skills summary section.

Skills summary is a must-have section for just about any career change resume.

It puts more emphasis on your skill-set, as opposed to your work experience. This allows you to show how you’re a qualified candidate, even though you haven’t done the job before.

Here’s what a sample skills summary section might look like for a front-end developer.

Career Change Resume Skills Summary Example

  • Built an online personal portfolio and resume website using HTML, CSS, JS.
  • Created an online JS/jQuery quiz game that takes multiple answers and shows results to the user.
  • Built a beautiful weather app with Angular 8 from scratch, designed UI with Sketch.
  • Created responsive website templates (that are also mobile friendly) using modern CSS techniques and JS libraries.
  • Worked with design and development groups to create applications from mock-ups in Sketch, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
  • Familiar with Git, XDebug, and Chrome Developer Tools.
  • Debugged over 10 JS web apps for a SaaS project.

Simple enough, right?

You list out each of your key skills, and then back it up with how you’ve used it in the past.

Now, you might be thinking, “what about the work experience section?” Do I just skip it, and use a skills summary instead?

Nope - you still need to list your work experience.

In this case, though, you’d want to use it to show off your transferable skills. Here’s how:

Use Your Work Experience to Show Off Transferable Skills

Let’s take a different example and say you’re moving from a job in sales to copywriting.

A resume you’d use for sales compared to a more creative field like copywriting is probably going to be a bit different.

But what do both of the roles have in common?

Well, for one, they both require you to have excellent communication skills. You also need to be good at understanding your target market and conveying complex information in simple language.

And that’s the common thread you want to focus on in your work experience section.

So, when listing your previous jobs, think of some transferable skills that you bring to the table that are going to be relevant.

Even unrelated jobs have some universal skills that are helpful everywhere.

To give you a better idea of what we mean, let’s look at some examples:

Sales Executive

Company X - 11/2016 - 04/2019

  • Created and presented pitch deck that secured a $500,000 deal - largest for Company X to date.
  • Boosted sales for the most underperforming product by 40% by developing helpful and instructional material for prospects.
  • Created and edited sales materials, scripts, and technical documents for accuracy and consistency.

Here’s what’s done right:

  • Shows transferable skills and achievements.
  • Highlights only the parts from the experience that are related to the new role.

While the above example doesn’t talk about product descriptions or ads, communication materials and sales scripts do show that the candidate can write.

So, for a copywriting position, it’s going to be relevant and worth mentioning.

Now, compare that to the career change work experience below:

  • Cold-emailed 100+ prospects daily.
  • Closed 14+ deals in 2019 so far.
  • Hit and exceeded company KPIs for the past 2 years in a row.

Sure, this example is good. But only if the candidate is applying for a sales job.

For copywriting, though, none of the skills mentioned are going to come in handy.

So, when listing previous job positions, you should focus only on what’s relevant.

job search masterclass novoresume

Now that you know how to properly list work experience, let’s move on to the next section: Education.

Make Your Education Section Shine

Your education section is going to be an important requirement for just about any position above entry-level.

Listing education on your resume is pretty straightforward.

All you have to do is list your latest educational entry (e.g. college degree), and then include all the important stuff below it.

For example, you can include things like:

  • Name of degree (Minor - optional): e.g. B.A. International Business Administration.
  • Name of educational institution: e.g. University of Groningen.
  • Years attended: e.g. 2015 - 2019.
  • Location of the program (optional): e.g. Groningen, Netherlands.
  • GPA (optional): 3.84 (only include if you excelled).
  • Courses that are relevant to the job (optional): e.g. Advanced Business Finances.
  • Exchange programs (optional): e.g. exchange program in Florida, U.S.

Here’s what the full listing for this educational entry might look like:

career change education on resume

You might be wondering, what if I don’t have the right education for the job? Maybe, you have an M.A. in Philosophy, but you’re applying for a job in marketing. Do you still list it?

The answer is a definite yes.

Even if the degree is not relevant at all, it still shows that you’re passionate about learning and education.

In some cases, you might even be able to show off some transferable skills with your degree.

Let’s say, for example, you have a B.A. in English Literature , and you’re applying for a job in marketing. 

You could stress on how your degree gave you amazing writing skills (a must-have for most marketing roles), like so:

B.A. in English Literature.

University XYZ - 2014-2018

  • Excelled in creative writing courses
  • Part-time as a reporter for the university website

PS - Do you still have some questions on how to list your education section? Maybe you’re wondering what else you can include? Check out our full guide on how to list education on a resume with 13+ real-life examples.

Done with your education section? Awesome!

This brings us to the next section on your career change resume.

How (and Why) to List Skills On a Career Change Resume

skills on career change resume

When it comes to the skills section, what most recruiters want to know is if you can actually do what the job ad asks for.

And like with the other sections till now, relevance is key.

You should only ever list skills that are appropriate to the job you’re applying for.

To find out what’s relevant, start by scanning the job listing.

Most job ads usually include a list of requirements or skills they expect for a good candidate to have.

So, all you have to do is mention those exact skills on your resume.

Let’s take a look at an example.

Career Change Resume Skills Example

Assuming the job ad is for a junior front-end developer who has:

  • 2-4 Years of professional experience using JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
  • Up to 1 years of visual design experience focusing on strong UX/UI.
  • Good communication skills and team-player

You’d want to list the following skills:

  • Communication Skills
  • Team-Player

So, all you have to do is mention these skills, and you’re good to go!

  • Not sure which skills are a must-have for your role? Check out our complete list of all must-have skills for any given field or position!

Showing Career Certifications on a Resume

When you’re switching careers, certifications are an amazing way to show you’re serious about your craft.

This shows you’re willing to put in the work and that you’ve already taken the first steps.

When listing certifications though, make sure they’re relevant to your field.

For a marketing role, here’s what that might look like:

  • HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certified, 2019.
  • Google Analytics Individual Qualification, 2018.
  • SEMrush Content Marketing Toolkit Course, 2018.

And here’s an example done wrong:

  • TechCamp Python Bootcamp, 2019.
  • Udemy JavaScript 101 Course.

For a marketing role, those certificates are completely irrelevant and aren’t even in the same field.

While they might be impressive on their own, that doesn’t mean they make you a better marketer.

Listing Personal Projects

Another great way to show that you’re the right person for the job is to list personal projects.

This can be just about anything:

  • Founding a sports team in university
  • Project you did for business class
  • A Part-time online store you created on Etsy
  • Passion-project for wood-working
  • And whatever else you love (that’s relevant for your new career)

Pretty much anything that can make up for your lack of experience in the field counts.

But of course, keep in mind that your projects should be relevant to your new job.

Getting into coding? Here’s what your projects section could look like...

personal projects in career change resume

Make sure to stick to relevant projects, though.

The HR manager cares about your CODING experience, not about the fact that you started a basketball team in college.

Now, compare that to:

  • Excelled in Anthropology and Archaeology classes at University X.
  • Self-taught knitting pro.

You shouldn’t list projects just for the sake of standing out or filling up space. 

The more irrelevant information you mention in your resume, the more likely it is for the recruiter to accidentally skip out on all your must-have sections.

  • Still have some space on your resume? You can also include the hobbies & interests section. Check out our guide to learn how (and why)!

How to Write a Career Change Cover Letter

Done with your resume?

But wait, before you get too excited - you’re still not done.

You need to back up your resume with a career change cover letter.

And no - it’s not like the usual cover letter you’re used to writing. 

When you’re switching careers, you want to use your cover letter to highlight WHY you’re switching fields and WHY your skills are a good match for the new role.

To do this, make sure you bring up a ton of examples and call out any key statistics or measurable results to draw upon, if possible.

To help you craft the best career change cover letter, check out the example below:

career change cover letter sample

Here’s what’s done right with this cover letter:

  • Addresses the reader (i.e. “Dear Doris” or if you can’t find their name, “To Whom it May Concern.”).
  • Makes it clear they want to transition into a different career (from marketing and retail sales into public relations in this case).
  • Shows they’ve done the research and the letter is tailored to the company's products and brand.
  • Provides specific examples and achievements (“raised more than $ 10,000 for the event.”).
  • Ends on a confident note and provides a call-to-action (and where to contact them).

Think your cover letter game is lacking? Check out our complete, step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter.

If you're thinking about a career change, and want to join a community of global professionals who are also re-designing and reframing their careers, then consider Unsettled’s Lifestyle Incubator.

Unsettled’s Lifestyle Incubator program is a 4-week highly interactive “virtual retreat” for professionals seeking to redefine their career trajectory and be more intentional about designing their next steps.

Through original workshops, weekly live sessions, practical tools, frameworks and peer-to-peer conversations with a global and diverse community of professionals, they will help you identify the core tensions between the lifestyle you want and the career trajectory that aligns your values, interests, and skills.

Key Takeaways

To recap, going through a mid-career transition probably sounds intimidating. 

But if you craft your career change resume focusing on transferable skills and experience - then you’re good to go!

Just make sure you follow these main key tips while working on your resume:

  • Use the combination resume format to highlight your transferable skills and work experience.
  • Include all the essential career change resume sections - contact information , resume objective or summary , skill summary , work experience , soft and technical skills , certifications and personal projects.
  • And while doing so, highlight only what’s relevant to your new position.
  • Finally, make sure you attach a tailored cover letter to your resume and mention WHY you’re switching fields and what unique skills you’re bringing with you.

At Novorésumé, we’re committed to helping you land your dream job, every step of the way. Be sure to check out our career blog to stay up to date with the industry-leading advice and more actionable tips.

Suggested Reading:

  • How to Get Your Resume Layout Right [3 Free Templates]
  • How to Write an ATS Resume
  • 20+ One-Page Resume Templates [Free Download]

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Career Sidekick

How to Explain Gaps in Employment (With Examples)

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Interview Preparation | Resume/CV

Biron Clark

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

Explaining gaps in employment can be intimidating, but there are a couple of effective methods you can use. In this article, I’m going to show you how to explain employment gaps in your interviews, resume and cover letter … with word-for-word examples and sample explanations.

Let’s get started with the interview first…

Explaining Gaps In Employment In Your Interview

Explaining gaps in employment is really just about knowing what reasons are okay to share, and which ones you should tell a white lie about or not share. And then being upfront and comfortable with your answer.

These are all good sample reasons for having a gap in employment:

  • Caring for a sick family member
  • Caring for a young child
  • Any medical or health issue
  • Taking time off to relocate and find a job in a new state/city
  • Pursuing further education or going back to school
  • Pursuing any other type of professional training
  • Taking time off to travel, study, work on a solo project, etc.
  • Trying to start a business or freelance career
  • You were laid off , your former company downsized, etc… and you had trouble finding a job after
  • You were actively searching but had trouble finding a job (NOTE: I’ll cover this in detail later but you need to make it sound like you were being selective in your job search and waiting to find the RIGHT fit. That sounds a *lot* better than saying, “I was looking everywhere but couldn’t find a single company that would consider hiring me!”

Once you have your reason prepared… Here are the general steps to follow when explaining gaps in employment in the interview: 

  • Explain the situation clearly but briefly. They don’t need a ton of personal details. Just give them the core facts.
  • Show that the situation has ended or is no longer a factor, so they won’t be worried you’ll have to take another break from working. If they hire you, they want to know you’re 100% ready to work for them.
  • Reiterate your interest in their position and bring the focus back onto this job interview and this position.

Examples Of How To Explain Employment Gaps In An Interview:

Sample explanation 1:

I had to resign from my previous position to care for an aging family member. I did this for the past year. Since then, my siblings and I have hired a full-time caregiver so I no longer need to be present, and am fully available to work now and in the future. So I’ve begun job searching and I’m focused on finding a sales supervisor or manager position that will help me advance my career further now.

Sample explanation 2:

I was laid off nine months ago. I started my job search immediately after, and I’m looking for sales supervisor or sales manager positions now to continue advancing my career. I’ve had a number of interviews but haven’t found the right fit yet. One thing I’m looking for is a chance to mentor and train team members, and manage a team directly. I saw that mentioned on the job description for this position… can you tell me more about that?

Two Things To Remember When Answering:

1. You need to sound like an in-demand job candidate…

If you’re explaining a current gap in employment, you need to sound like you’re being selective and that you’re focused on making sure you find the best fit for the long term, rather than just accepting the first job you come across. That’ll make a 6 month gap (or longer) sound a bit better. If you’ve been job hunting during your employment gap, you don’t want it to sound like you haven’t had a single interview in the last few months. That’s never a good idea. If your gap in employment is related to health, travel, a family member’s health, etc…. then it’s fine to say you haven’t had any interviews.

2. Be upfront and honest…

Gaps in employment happen, and good hiring managers will realize this. If you’ve made it into the interview, there’s obviously something they liked on your resume . So when it comes to explaining gaps in employment it’s best to be honest and upfront.

You probably won’t lose out on the job by explaining the situation. You will definitely lose out on the job by lying or seeming like you’re trying to cover something up.

Explaining Gaps In Employment On Your Resume

Okay, maybe you’re still writing your resume or having trouble getting interviews. How do you explain gaps in your employment on your resume so you can GET interviews in the first place?

Here are a few ways you can explain (or hide) gaps in employment:

  • List years instead of months for previous positions. (e.g. “2014-2016”). I’ve used this method in the past when I had a couple of small gaps between jobs (by a small gap, I mean 2-3 months maximum). This won’t work if you have too many gaps though, or gaps longer than one year.
  • If your gaps are longer or more frequent, consider providing a brief note on the resume listing your reason for the gap in employment. Just list it like any other job. Put your previous positions with the dates you held them. And for your gap, you’d have dates there too, and a one-line explanation (“I took a hiatus from work in order to care for an elderly family member in need”).

If you use these strategies, consider going onto LinkedIn and making the same changes there too. If these options don’t work for you, write a cover letter ! This is a good idea no matter what. In your cover letter, explain what happened in detail and draw their attention to the gap so that you can tell them the full story instead of allowing them to make assumptions (you’re usually better off attacking controversial topics head-on).

That’s how I’d explain gaps in employment on a resume. Also, nobody can tell you with 100% certainty what will work in your industry, with the specific circumstances of your gap in employment (dates, length, reason for the gap, etc.)

So TEST things out. Send out 10 resumes one way, and if nobody’s responding, change something up. If it’s not working, you can’t just keep doing the same things on auto-pilot. That’s how you end up not finding a job .

It’s usually better to be upfront than hide employment gaps

I always give the same resume advice to candidates with gaps in their work history: Be straightforward rather than trying to hide dates or other pieces of information. Hiring managers are usually going to be able to tell if you’re hiding something. Your resume should feature a chronological work history on the first page that includes job titles, company names, key responsibilities for each role, and yes… dates of employment.

No matter what you do, there are some employers out there who won’t like the fact that you have a gap in your employment. That’s okay… Companies like that aren’t worth your time. We’re human. Things happen. And there’s more to life than working nonstop for 40 years. So don’t get discouraged if a few companies say they’re not interested, or just don’t respond. I guarantee those are the same companies you do NOT want to work for anyway because they’re going to have horrible vacation policies, bosses who question you every time you take a sick day, etc.

Note: These Tips and Sample Explanations Will Also Work on Job Applications

Sometimes a job application will say, “please explain any gaps in employment.” The advice resume advice above also work for job applications. Follow the same “rules”, be clear and upfront, and you’ll be fine when applying for jobs.

The one adjustment I’d recommend making on job applications (and cover letters): Be clear and direct, but don’t give too much information. The only goal of your job application is to get you into the interview. If they’re concerned about employment gaps, they can ask more in the interview. And that’s where you should be very honest/open and explain things further. That’s where you can gauge their reactions, decide how much to share based on their responses, etc. You can’t do this in a written explanation.

So, by writing too much info on a job application, you might do more harm than good. It’s better to discuss this type of thing in person, so  limit your explanation to 1-2 sentences for each gap in employment on your job applications, cover letters, etc. 

Final Advice on How to Explain Gaps in Employment:

Don’t be apologetic about your work history. Taking time off is not something to be ashamed of. Not every company will want to interview you, but some will. Stand by your decisions and choices, present your skills with a straightforward (chronological) resume format , and be ready to answer questions and explain yourself further in the job interview.

Related reading:

  • What to do when you can’t find a job in your field
  • How to answer “Why did you leave your last job?”

Biron Clark

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

20 thoughts on “How to Explain Gaps in Employment (With Examples)”

Monster’s report The Future of Work 2021 has shown that the employment gap is no longer considered a red flag by almost half of employers in the US. That’s a piece of good news because it indicates that the marketplace is becoming more tolerant of deviance in the workforce.

However, it doesn’t mean that the black holes on your career record will be overlooked. Rather, they will be carefully examined and objectively evaluated so that the right candidates are not going to slip through the cracks just because of an obsolete prejudice.

I’m in the same situation, was an IT contractor for a number of years, then jobs fell away after year 2000 work had finished, and employers would no longer consider me for permanent jobs due to the fact i’d been a contractor, I guess they assumed I’d just leave when the market picked up!

Long story short, mortgage to pay, no income, had to sell my house and downsize to a flat, and then used that to go into property development with friends which has now finished, and now trying to go back to my original career of software development, seems like an uphill impossible task at the moment, but glad to read your advice even if my “career break” is 18 years!

I’ve done a lot of similar temporary jobs, but had several months gap in the middle of them nearly everytime. I’ve had dozens of interviews everytime, always get them easily. Struggle with the interviews though because I have Aspergers’. When I have been successful with that before as soon as I’ve mentioned my Epilepsy I have very mildly too, several places have changed their minds then, stopped me. I keep getting asked more + more now why I’ve got so many long employment gaps, how am I supposed to answer that in a positive way?

I thought it was interesting that you didn’t list caring for young children as a valid reason for a gap in employment. Your tips were still helpful to me, though.

Good point. That’s also a valid reason (and a common one).

Thank you for posting this, I have a ton of different jobs and gaps because being a ex pipe welder I went where the work was, most of the world does not get it. Life is a roller coaster companies will be booming for a couple years then dead as a door nail. This write up really has helped me not to make my crazy work history look so crazy.

Why don´t you just say Sabbatical ? Regardless how long the gap was it provides a plausible explanation and each one fill out with their own reasons…

i have gap of 9 month due to my previous company boss is horrible ,its very much difficulty to survive, so i had reign and taken break of six month ,from last 3 month i have given interview but its not happening so what i suppose to give reason for gap. can you explain can you explain.

Thanks for the nice article. But I am looking for more the answers of where to write this gaps explanations in our cv. My current CV sections are sunsequently like, Experiences, Educations, Technical skills and language skills, Certifications. So I have currently two 6 months gap in my CV. First one was before I started to my current job. I learned german, So I was in intensive german course. Other 6 months is after my last job. And I was preparing for the some certification exams through self study and online courses. So the question, to which section should I write this gap explanations. Thanks a lot for the answers

If you’re explaining a gap in employment, you should write it in your employment history. You should have a section with your chronological work history. I know other people recommend a “Functional” resume and all sorts of other stuff to hide gaps but in my experience, it doesn’t work. You should be listing each previous role and job duties in chronological order, with the dates. (You can choose to show months and years, or just years). And then you can put something to explain gaps of employment right in that section of your resume.

Thanks Biron Clark for the answer. As I understood you right you adviced me to write my gap explanations directly to work experiences section even though they are not work experience actually. Correct me if I understood wrong. But what about writing them to directly their own section. For example I have a section in the second page of my CV which is “language skills” So I have here just written english (business fluent), german (business fluent). Can I put that times combining near it. like below English (business fluent) German (business fluent), MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY German Course…..

or are you still offering me to write in employment history? Thanks for the ideas

I haven’t yet found the situation that applies to me, for good reason – I had taken a leave of absence to pursue a master’s degree. My mother had been ill with cancer, and was in remission, and I had the opportunity, so I went. Before I was able to complete my thesis, the cancer returned, and she died. I was devastated, and needed to take time away from teaching, because I couldn’t give students what they needed. So, though I had found another job teaching, I wasn’t able to do it, and they released me from my contract. I had only taught for a couple of weeks. After a year, I decided that I needed a longer break, and I obtained my real estate broker’s license. Since that time, I have sold real estate, although I have also been a substitute teacher – one year, I subbed the entire year with another teacher. We split the position. It saved the district money, since they didn’t have to pay benefits with two half-time teachers. The year after, I taught half days for several weeks for a teacher with a bad back problem, and I’ve subbed occasionally since then. Now, I want to go back to teaching. I’m ready now. My grief over the death of my mother is complicated, and it really devasted me. I needed the time away from teaching, because it requires everything you have to give, and I needed time to heal. I have 19 years’ experience as a teacher, and I’ve accomplished some things I’m very proud of. I am now applying for teaching positions, and I need a way to explain the past 5.5 years away from teaching full-time without sounding maudlin, or whiny.

This was really handy, thank you.

Hello! I have been unemployed for 9 months. I left my company where i had worked for 4 years to take another offer. Unfortunatey, I did leave this new position afte over 1 month. The main reason is that it doesn’t fit with me as I had thought of it. I don’t know how to explain my employmen gap for the past 9 months positively. I feel very uncomfortable and hopeless.

“You were laid off, your former company downsized, etc… and you had trouble finding a job after”

That’s pretty much why I’m not employed for now. And yet no one wants to even interview me.

I have periods of “good” jobs I would be happy to include on my resume followed by low-level jobs that would get my resume tossed. These cycles correlate to how well I have been able to deal with my depression. I have been leaving those lower-level jobs off my resume and trying to explain away the gaps instead without referring to depression as an issue that has surfaced more than once. I feel fine at the moment, but this is a big problem moving forward.

I would really like advice on how to deal with this situation without lying or oversharing!

Hello, I totally agree with Kero. Indeed, there is more to life than working nonstop for 40 years. I appreciate for your article, now I feel more confident.

Hi !! I just want to say thank you for providing this article and share it with all of us . Im out of job for almost 2 years already despite had a good career background but after continue searching there is no luck so far . Im really touched by the last part of this “So don’t get discouraged if a few companies say they’re not interested, or just don’t respond. I guarantee those are the same companies you do NOT want to work for anyway because they’re going to have horrible vacation policies, bosses who question you every time you take a sick day, etc.” …The moment I read that I burst into tear. So thank you again to at least cheer me up and have hope again .

Thanks for taking the time to write this. I’m really happy to hear this helped you.

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Hit a career plateau 3 tips to get you unstuck.

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Help getting to that next step in your career

Ever heard the saying that “what got you here, won’t get you there”? There’s nowhere this is more true than your journey to senior management.

Often what lands us in our first manager position is not enough to continue along the promotion path to senior leadership: working hard, hitting the goals that were set for you and executing the plan that’s been laid out.

This can be incredibly frustrating for ambitious people who are executing the same playbook that got them promoted in the first place and suddenly feeling as though their career has stalled.

I’ve seen this scenario many times in my career and with my coaching clients, who aren’t sure what they’re doing wrong. Often feedback from their manager is simply, to “keep doing what you’re doing.”

As someone who went through the ups and downs of an 18 year corporate career, I’ve been there. I felt ‘stuck’ as a director for five years before finally landing my first VP role. I’ve also managed and coached many others who felt stuck at either the manager or director level.

Here are three tips that can help you get unstuck and onto the next opportunity.

Start Carving Out Time For Deep Work

One of the most common mistakes I see in new leaders is running meeting to meeting all day without stopping to think. The problem with this, is you never slow down long enough to have a strategic insight. You’re unlikely to come up with the solution to a big problem or a novel new strategy during the five minute break between Zoom calls.

A Russian Drone Spotted A Ukrainian Patriot Air-Defense Crew Convoying Near The Front Line. Soon, A Russian Hypersonic Missile Streaked Down.

First, ukraine shoots down two of russia’s a-50 radar planes. then russia prepares a replacement a-50. so ukraine targets its factory., google s surprise update just made android more like iphone.

If you don’t already spend time in deep work and strategic thinking each week, it’s time to start. Create a single two-hour block in your calendar and use it to prepare for important meetings, think about the trends and issues you are seeing in your team or department, and brainstorm ways to make things better.

I found this practice to have a dramatic effect on my ability to be an impactful and strategic leader, and countless clients have told me the same. You may feel too busy to carve out this time, however once you start you won’t want to give it up!

Create A Regular Reflection Practice

Reflecting on what went well and what didn’t when you presented the results of a big project to the leadership team or had your last 1:1 with your manager, can help you level up quickly. The key is to do this regularly, be discerning and implement any lessons learned.

You can add a reminder to your calendar to do this at the end of each week, or simply spend a few minutes after a key meeting or interaction to do some reflection.

As the late philosopher John Dewey said: “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.”

Build And Leverage Your Network

Most of us have heard countless messages and stories about the value of networking. Still, many of my clients don’t prioritize maintaining and growing their network, even as they are working to climb the corporate ladder and create successful careers. This is a shame.

Nurturing relationships with past colleagues and mentors, and continuing to meet new people can open doors, and provide an opportunity to help others. Remember that relationships go both ways.

If you haven’t been focusing here and aren’t sure where to start, consider your past colleagues, managers and mentors who have left an impression on you and reach back out to them to reconnect. To add new people to your network, attend local networking events or connect virtually on platforms like LinkedIn. Try to create a habit of reaching out to one person a week - that adds up to 50 connections each year!

The transition from middle management to senior leadership is a challenge for many. With the right habits and some intentional action, you put yourself in the position to successfully make this jump. These three simple tips can help you get there.

Katy McFee

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This CEO wants to kill the résumé

  • Khyati Sundaram, the CEO of Applied, doesn't think the résumé should be central to getting hired.
  • Applied and other companies use skills tests to determine who's a good fit for a job.
  • Other companies use tests to find candidates who might not have traditional qualifications.

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For about eight months in 2018, Khyati Sundaram spent much of her day at a desk in a corner of her London flat applying for jobs.

Sundaram had attended top universities in the UK and the US. She had an MBA, had JPMorgan on her résumé, and had run a startup for six years. Yet after pumping out more than 500 applications, Sundaram had landed only a few dead-end interviews.

Eventually, a recruiter told her that her résumé didn't fit anywhere because her experience was too varied. That led Sundaram to a company called Applied, which tries to make brief skills tests — and not the résumé — the thing that gets people a shot at a job.

Sundaram, now the CEO of Applied, is making it her mission to kill the résumé — or at least diminish its role in hiring.

"We don't look at anyone's résumé, ever," she told Business Insider, referring to how she hired at Applied. Sundaram wants other leaders to follow suit because our work bios — and even job experience —  aren't always good predictors of who will succeed in a role. And résumés can leave candidates exposed to bias in the hiring process.

For all the frustration about résumés and the need to tinker with them to make it past the seemingly impenetrable software employers use to sift through applicants, there's likely little chance — for now, at least — that résumés will go the way of paper paychecks. But a move toward screening for skills could, advocates hope, result in a demotion for the CV.

Show us what you can do

One buzzy idea floating around human-resources departments is "skills-based hiring." It would have employers focus more on a candidate's abilities and less on traditional qualifications such as college degrees or formal experience in a role. One way to measure skills is to do what Applied and other companies do: Have the candidate take a test.

Sundaram said the approach of testing can help make hiring fairer. The company might use only five or six questions per test to help identify suitable job candidates. In a statistical analysis, Applied found that 60% of the about 25,000 hires made through its platform would have been overlooked based on their résumés.

In one small study, the approach resulted in a two-thirds increase in women getting into STEM roles. In a larger review, Black candidates getting jobs in finance and consulting went up nearly 80%, according to the company.

When employers do want to see a résumé, Applied can use artificial intelligence to strip away information about gender and ethnicity. That makes it more likely a variety of candidates will get a look, she said.

Finding candidates who don't look the part

Applied isn't alone in seeing tests as a better way to identify the best candidates. SHL , a global talent-screening company, offers a 15-minute assessment that employers can give to job seekers. The test measures 96 soft skills — things like how someone communicates or how consultative or persuasive a candidate is. SHL has also developed hundreds of tests that examine specific business and technical abilities, including coding simulations in more than 50 languages.

Marlene Dunne, the chief talent advisor at SHL Americas, told BI that assessments were consistent across candidates and designed to be relevant to a job. The tests can help identify candidates who might not have certain experience listed on their résumés but might be a good fit, she said.

"Organizations are willing to place bets on people where they feel like they at least have the potential to demonstrate or be aligned to some of the skills that they need — even if they haven't had work experience around those things," Dunne said.

Focusing on the results of an assessment rather than a candidate's pedigree can make it less likely those hiring will make assumptions based on things like where a person might have gone to school, Dunne said.

Researchers have found that when indications of gender or ethnicity are stripped from résumés, people from various backgrounds get a better chance at landing a job. That can make it more likely, for example, that women will find jobs in tech .

Deploying tests early in the process can help ensure interviews aren't wasting anyone's time, Dunne said.

"Oftentimes, there are a lot of man hours that get eaten up interviewing people that really shouldn't be getting interviewed," she said.

A test might be a turnoff for some candidates

Aaron Cleavinger, a managing partner at Murdoch Mason Executive Search Group, told BI he's often not a fan of testing applicants because he didn't see assessments as good predictors of someone's success in a job.

Cleavinger added that tests or tasks could turn off top-tier workers who don't want to be bothered. "You're going to anger the most qualified candidate," he said. Tests can be appropriate, Cleavinger said, when a role depends largely on how well someone can complete a particular technical task on a computer, for example.

He sees value in the résumé as "the artifact you leave behind," he said. It's a way for an interviewer to remember what stood out about a candidate, Cleavinger said.

"I hope for the world where a résumé is no longer needed, and you can simply and easily assess candidates based on their capability and qualifications for a role," he said, adding that he didn't expect we'd soon be able to ditch our CVs.

For her part, Sundaram expects AI to change how so many people work that job candidates' employment histories might often reflect a smorgasbord of experiences. That means detecting workers' abilities, not just what they've done, will be more important than ever.

"It will hit us in the face," she said. "The divide at one point will be there are so many jobs out there that the job description — the skills required — do not match the résumés that exist in the world."

Watch: A dean of MBA admissions who's read thousands of applications shares what makes a candidate stand out

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4 Women Who Went Public With Pay Gap Stories

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“It didn’t take long for software engineer Kate Rotondo to find out her male coworkers were making more money. First she discovered she made $25,000 less in base salary than a colleague doing the same work as her at a tech giant—and about $20,000 less in restricted stock units, or RSUs, a form of equity compensation that vests over a certain period of time. He was also working remotely from an area with a lower cost of living while Rotondo was based in the pricey Bay Area and commuting three hours most days.”

Intrigued? Read more true stories about the women who are openly addressing the gender pay gap in Sydney Pereira ‘s article published on 3/4/24 by The Muse: 4 Women Who Went Public With Pay Gaps | The Muse

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Gender gap in tech jobs narrows across advanced economies

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Valentina Romei and Delphine Strauss in London

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Women’s share of tech jobs has increased across advanced economies since the pandemic, helped by strong demand, gender equality policies and greater tolerance of flexible working arrangements.

The notoriously large gender gap in the tech sector has narrowed across the US, EU and the UK in the past four years, an FT analysis of official data shows.

Yet despite the improvement in the gender balance, men still dominate employment in the sector. That has led to calls for greater diversity in hiring at a time when the industry is developing crucial new artificial intelligence technologies.

“We are just at a critical point with regard to AI,” said Athene Margaret Donald, professor emerita of experimental physics at the University of Cambridge. “You need a diverse workforce to make sure . . . that you find some way around any bias that is present. We need more minorities, women, people of colour in the room to make sure that we get this right.”

In the US, the proportion of female workers in tech rose from 31 per cent in 2019 to 35 per cent by the end of 2023, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were just under 900,000 female workers in computer programming and related services out of 2.5mn in total last year.

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sample resume for career gap

The proportion of women working in computer programming and related services across the EU rose from 23 per cent before the pandemic to 25.2 per cent at the end of 2023, with increases in most EU countries, including Germany, France and Denmark, according to official Eurostat data .

In the UK, the proportion rose from 29 per cent in 2019 to more than 32 per cent throughout last year.

sample resume for career gap

Strong demand for IT jobs since the pandemic has been an important factor, economists argue. In the EU, computer programming employed roughly the same number of people as accommodation until 2016, but now it’s nearly twice as big. In the US, the number of those jobs rose by 15 per cent in December 2023 compared with the same month in 2019, much stronger than the 1.5 per cent overall employment growth over the same period.

Women’s share of the tech workforce is increasing partly because there are now more tech jobs in banks and consumer goods companies, said Bianca Stringuini, head of equality, diversity and inclusion at the recruitment group Hays.

Such companies “are looking for diverse talent because they need to fill positions and there are still inherent skills shortages in these areas”, she said.

In the US, she said, more women are taking roles in areas such as cyber threat detection and testing that have traditionally been male-dominated. “We are starting now to see women in all areas of tech as the market grows,” said Stringuini.

More flexible working arrangements have also helped. Facebook has said that candidates who accepted remote job offers were more likely to be women. Companies that only require people in the office for one or two days a week hire 27 per cent more women than those with five-day mandates, a report by digital services consultancy Nash Squared found.

sample resume for career gap

Tech giants are also improving the gender gap in their workforce. Women accounted for 25.3 per cent of Google’s new tech hiring in 2023, up from 20.8 per cent in 2018, according to the company’s diversity report . Overall female representation rose from 30.9 to 34.1 per cent over the same period.

The female share of Microsoft’s workforce rose to 33.1 per cent in 2023, up from 29.2 per cent in 2019, with those in tech roles rising from 21.4 per cent to 26.6 per cent over the same time. Facebook and Apple showed similar trends.

Yet the gender gap remains considerably wider in tech than in other large industries. In the US, just over one in three women work in the computer services sector compared with 50.3 of women in management consulting services, 65.9 in legal services and 55.6 per cent in financial services.

“The chasm is gigantic,” said Karen Blake, co-chief executive officer at Tech Talent Charter, an industry-led membership group that promotes diversity and inclusion. The progression is “much too slow and very fragile”, she added. “It feels a little bit like drops in oceans.”

Women are still being discouraged from tech subjects from their early years, according to Donald, meaning there are fewer female workers with tech skills. “ Our society . . . discourages girls from taking subjects like physics or computing practically from birth.”

There is also the risk that the trend could slow or even reverse as hybrid work retreats and big tech companies report widespread job lay-offs amid cooling demand and disruption from AI.

Progress in gender equality in the tech sector is “glacially slow”, said Andy Heyes, UK and Ireland managing director at the specialist recruiter Harvey Nash. He argues post-pandemic gains were largely due to the greater acceptance of homeworking — and are now at risk as bosses press staff to return to the office. “Equality, diversity and inclusion is deprioritised in a downturn.”

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International Edition

New Data Show Massive, Wider-than-Expected Global Gender Gap

Women enjoy just two-thirds of the legal rights that men enjoy.

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2024 —The global gender gap for women in the workplace is far wider than previously thought, a groundbreaking new World Bank Group report shows. When legal differences involving violence and childcare are taken into account, women enjoy fewer than two-thirds the rights of men. No country provides equal opportunity for women—not even the wealthiest economies.

The latest Women, Business, and the Law report offers a comprehensive picture of the obstacles that women face in entering the global workforce and contributing to greater prosperity—for themselves, their families, and their communities. It expands the scope of its analysis, adding two indicators that can be critical in opening up or restricting women’s options: safety from violence and access to childcare services. When those measures are included, women on average enjoy just 64% of the legal protections that men do—far fewer than the previous estimate of 77%.

The gender gap is even wider in practice. For the first time, Women, Business and the Law assesses the gap between legal reforms and actual outcomes for women in 190 economies. The analysis reveals a shocking implementation gap. Although laws on the books imply that women enjoy roughly two-thirds the rights of men, countries on average have established less than 40% of the systems needed for full implementation. For example, 98 economies have enacted legislation mandating equal pay for women for work of equal value. Yet only 35 economies—fewer than one out of every five—have adopted pay-transparency measures or enforcement mechanisms to address the pay gap.

Effective implementation of equal-opportunity laws depends on an adequate supporting framework, including strong enforcement mechanisms, a system for tracking gender-related pay disparities, and the availability of healthcare services for women who survive violence.

“Women have the power to turbocharge the sputtering global economy,” said Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Senior Vice President for Development Economics . “Yet, all over the world, discriminatory laws and practices prevent women from working or starting businesses on an equal footing with men. Closing this gap could raise global gross domestic product by more than 20% – essentially doubling the global growth rate over the next decade—but reforms have slowed to a crawl. WBL 2024 identifies what governments can do to accelerate progress toward gender equality in business and the law.”

The implementation gap highlights how much hard work lies ahead even for countries that have been instituting equal-opportunity laws. Togo, for example, has been a standout among Sub-Saharan economies, enacting laws that give women roughly 77% of the rights available to men—more than any other country in the continent. Yet Togo, so far, has established only 27% of systems necessary for full implementation. This rate is average for Sub-Saharan economies.

In 2023, governments were assertive in advancing three categories of legal equal-opportunity reforms—pay, parental rights, and workplace protections. Still, nearly all countries performed poorly in the two categories being tracked for the first time—access to childcare and women’s safety.

The weakness is greatest in women’s safety—where the global average score is just 36, meaning women enjoy barely a third of the needed legal protections against domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage and femicide. Although 151 economies have laws in place prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace, just 39 have laws prohibiting it in public spaces. This often prevents women from using public transportation to get to work.

Most countries also score poorly for childcare laws. Women spend an average of 2.4 more hours a day on unpaid care work than men—much of it on the care of children. Expanding access to childcare tends to increase women’s participation in the labor force by about 1 percentage point initially—and the effect more than doubles within five years. Today, only 78 economies—fewer than half—provide some financial or tax support for parents with young children. Only 62 economies—fewer than a third—have quality standards governing childcare services, without which women might think twice about going to work while they have children in their care.

Women also face significant obstacles in other areas. In the area of entrepreneurship, for example, just one in every five economies mandates gender-sensitive criteria for public procurement processes, meaning women are largely cut out of a $10-trillion-a-year economic opportunity. In the area of pay, women earn just 77 cents for every $1 paid to men. The rights gap extends all the way to retirement. In 62 economies, the ages at which men and women can retire are not the same. Women tend to live longer than men, but because they receive lower pay while they work, take time off when they have children, and retire earlier, they end up with smaller pension benefits and greater financial insecurity in old age.

“It is more urgent than ever to accelerate efforts to reform laws and enact public policies that empower women to work and start and grow businesses,” said Tea Trumbic, the report’s lead author . “Today, barely half of women participate in the global workforce, compared with nearly three out of every four men. This is not just unfair—it’s wasteful. Increasing women's economic participation is the key to amplifying their voices and shaping decisions that affect them directly. Countries simply cannot afford to sideline half of their population.”

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Migration From South America Through the Perilous Darién Gap Resumes

On Friday, boat companies began operating in Colombia after a five-day pause, allowing migrants to once again make their way through the notorious jungle terrain and continue toward the U.S. border.

A man carrying a young child wades through a river in the jungle with more people behind him.

By Julie Turkewitz

Reporting from Bogotá, Colombia

Migration toward the United States through the perilous jungle known as the Darién Gap returned to normal on Friday, with hundreds of people from Venezuela, Ecuador and beyond entering the jungle following a roughly five-day pause in which migrants could not begin the trek.

The pause in this increasingly large migration flow was the result of an arrest operation led by the Colombian prosecutor’s office, in which two captains driving boats full of migrants headed to the jungle were taken into custody, where they remain, according to the prosecutor’s office. The office said that the captains had been transporting the individuals illegally, in part because the migrants did not carry proper documentation.

The captains worked for two boat companies — Katamaranes and Caribe — that for years have been playing an essential role in carrying migrants from the northern Colombia community of Necoclí about two hours across a gulf to the entrance to the jungle, which they must then cross to get to Central America and eventually the United States. The boat companies have been doing this openly — something documented extensively by The New York Times — and the arrests seemed to signal a shift in policy by Colombian authorities.

But in retaliation for the arrests, the boat companies paused transport, and the number of migrants waiting around in Necoclí and another exit town, Turbo, swelled quickly to several thousand people. That posed an enormous challenge to both towns, which do not have the resources or infrastructure to house and feed so many people for an extended amount of time.

The arrests of the boat operators came after months of pressure by the United States on the Colombian government to do more to limit or stop migration through the Darién. In a recent interview, Hugo Tovar, a Colombian prosecutor, said his office was working diligently, with the help of the United States, to investigate and arrest human traffickers.

On Friday, Johann Wachter, secretary of the Necoclí municipal government, said that the boat companies decided to restart operations after a meeting between representatives from the boat companies, local governments, the Colombian national migration office and other agencies, including someone from the U.S. Embassy in Colombia.

In the meeting, said Mr. Wachter, representatives of Colombia's migration office assured the boat companies that “there would be no problem” as long as the migrants they transported “fulfill the requirements.” In this case, Mr. Wachter said, each person seeking to cross into the jungle would have to fill out a form on a mobile phone application called Secure Transit.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the United States was present at the meeting and said it continues to “follow developments in Colombia related to irregular migration very closely.”

The Darién jungle is the strip of land connecting South and North America. It must be traversed to get to the United States from South America by foot. Once rarely crossed, it has become a major migrant thoroughfare in the last three years, with nearly a million people risking the journey since 2021. This has posed an enormous challenge to President Biden, who has seen a record number of arrivals at the United States’ southern border during his presidency.

The fallout in Necoclí from the decision by the boat companies to shut down operations after just two arrests shows just how difficult it is for U.S. and Colombian officials to stop the multimillion-dollar people-moving business that operates in the open in northern Colombia. Any efforts to halt it using the law are likely to have unintended consequences, including the agglomeration of thousands of people in poor Colombian towns that do not have the ability to care for them.

Mr. Wachter, for his part, called the restart of migrant transport a positive move. “Our capacity is limited,” he said, “so this gives us a good deal of peace.”

Julie Turkewitz is the Andes Bureau Chief for The Times, based in Bogotá, Colombia, covering Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. More about Julie Turkewitz

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  1. Resume Samples for After a Career Break

    Here is one way you could present a caregiving career break on a resume: Jacob Flores. 778 Mulberry Way, Dallas, TX 75002. 555-555-5555. [email protected] Objective Dedicated, passionate graphic designer with 5 years of experience looking to develop comprehensive designs to support client branding.

  2. How to Add Career Breaks to a Resume (With Samples!)

    The best spot for a career break on your resume is in your experience section. To add one, follow these simple steps: Come up with a name for the "position," such as "Family Sabbatical," "Professional Development," or "Volunteer.". Where the name of a company is typically listed, add "Career Break," "Planned Career Break ...

  3. Employment Gap on a Resume

    6 Ways to Explain an Employment Gap on Your Resume. #1. Be Honest. Your resume is the first thing that recruiters check, so it's crucial that you're honest! After all, you don't want to omit a two-year-long employment gap from your resume, for example, only to have it be revealed during your interview.

  4. How To Explain Gaps in Employment on Your Resume

    Include experience gained during the gap when relevant. 1. Spend your time unemployed preparing to return to work. The first thing you should do to explain employment gaps on your resume is to try to spend the time you are unemployed preparing yourself for returning to work.

  5. How to Fill an Employment Gap on Your Resume

    Try this exercise to get you started: Write down every project you've spent time on in between the roles currently listed on your resume or since you've been unemployed. Now, look at the ...

  6. How to Explain Employment Gaps on a Resume

    Follow these resume tips if you have gaps in your work history: 1. Create a work-experience entry for lengthy gaps. If you've had a substantial work gap (anything over a year) add an entry to your resume's work experience section that fills up this space. List the reason for your career gap as the header.

  7. How to Fill Employment Gaps on your Résumé (with Example)

    5. Add a "career break" placeholder. Typically, if your gap is a bit longer, maybe a specified placeholder would set your résumé apart. By doing this, you're saying, "I have a gap for a good reason that should in no way deter you from hiring me!". A career break placeholder could look like:

  8. How to List Gaps on a Resume (Without Making It a Big Deal)

    Sample resume with career break clearly explained Resume gaps do's and don'ts Do: Explain the gap. You can do this with a short sentence or two in your cover letter. Simply explain that you took some time off to raise a child/move overseas/care for a relative (or whatever your reason is) and that you're eager to return to work full-time ...

  9. How to Explain Employment Gaps on a Resume in 2022

    There are two key methods for formatting your resume to de-emphasize the fact that you have more than one gap in your work history. These 2 methods are: Editing your dates of employment. Changing your resume format. Generally speaking, you will likely need to opt for changing your format altogether.

  10. Career Gap on Your Resume? Here's How to Explain It.

    How to Explain a Career Gap in a Resume. When putting together a resume or updating it, ensure you include a start month and year and end month and year for each time period you were in the workforce, which is considered a standard format. You should also include the start and end dates for any career gaps if they lasted six months or longer.

  11. How To Explain Employment Gaps on Your Resume

    1. Reflect on the experience. Before you prepare an answer, consider what this employment gap has allowed you to accomplish. When you believe you made the right decision to take an employment gap given the circumstances at the time, it's easier to portray this with confidence during the interview. 2. Prepare your answer.

  12. Career Gap in Resume: 2022 Guide to Employment Gaps in Resume

    11.3% of the jobseekers with no career gaps were shortlisted for the interview, as opposed to 9.8% for those with a 2-year gap in their resume - not that significant. Below is a Graph showing a dip in callback with each successive year: To conclude, 2 years seems to the acceptable gap that the recruiters can tolerate, provided:

  13. How to Explain Employment Gaps on Resumes [25 Tips]

    A sample resume with gaps in employment better than most. How fill in employment gaps on resumes convincingly. Employment gaps on resume examples for sabbaticals, illness, death, depression, soul-searching, and career change. How to explain gaps in employment on resumes so you get hired. Save hours of work and get a job-winning resume like this.

  14. How to Explain Gaps in Employment (Resume & Cover Letter)

    DO show the gap in your resume, but explain it briefly. In two lines or less, simply state what you were doing. See the employment gap example below. DON'T make up heroic reasons for a gap in a resume, like you were rescuing beached whales. Employers can smell dishonesty a mile away.

  15. Explaining Career Gaps On Your Resume The Right Way

    Taking breaks in your career should be encouraged, not something that should cause any concerns about your employability. If you have a resume gap, it's understandable to have some doubts about ...

  16. How to Address Career Gaps on Your Resume: Tips and Strategies

    Learn effective ways to explain career gaps on your resume. Whether through education, volunteering, or entrepreneurship, make your resume stand out positively. Get expert advice from Resume Mansion.

  17. Career Gaps

    Showcase your knowledge to earn the interest of the recruiters. 9. Add freelancing experience in the job gap. In the job gap, add freelancing experience to the resume, if you have any. You can also speak about the freelancing experience to emphasize that your focus is steady on your career, ambitions and growth.

  18. How to Explain Employment Gaps in Your Resume

    How to Explain Gaps in Your Resume. 1. Demonstrate Continuous Learning. Whether your employment gap is one month or one year, it can't hurt to demonstrate that you were doing something work-related and keeping your skills fresh while you weren't fully employed. Volunteering on a board or taking online classes are examples of ways to show ...

  19. How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your Resume (with examples)

    Concentrate not on your career gaps but on demonstrating how qualified and skilled you are for the job even despite some time off from work. Recruiters will appreciate it more rather than a dry list of job titles. Resume with gaps in employment sample. Here is a great example of a functional resume that will be perfect if you have some ...

  20. Career Change Resume for 2024 [9+ Examples]

    Career Change Resume Objective Example. Resume Objective Example: Changing Careers. "Organized and hard-working employee looking to join XYZ as a marketing assistant. Looking to take advantage of my skills in Photoshop, graphic design, and creative copywriting to help XYZ with their marketing efforts.".

  21. How to Explain Gaps in Employment (With Examples)

    Here are a few ways you can explain (or hide) gaps in employment: List years instead of months for previous positions. (e.g. "2014-2016"). I've used this method in the past when I had a couple of small gaps between jobs (by a small gap, I mean 2-3 months maximum).

  22. How to Explain Gaps in Resumes (With Tips and Reasons)

    Here are some of the steps you can follow to explain gaps in resumes: 1. Prepare to answer questions. If you have a gap in your resume, it's likely the hiring manager requests an explanation. In that instance, earlier preparation can help you offer a confident and well-thought answer.

  23. Changing Careers? How To Get Your Resume Seen By ATS Algorithms

    Here's what you should do: Use standard resume headings like Work Experience, Education and Skills. Avoid tables and columns as they can confuse the ATS. Stick to traditional fonts like Arial ...

  24. Hit A Career Plateau? 3 Tips To Get You Unstuck

    Create A Regular Reflection Practice. Reflecting on what went well and what didn't when you presented the results of a big project to the leadership team or had your last 1:1 with your manager ...

  25. I used resume spammers to apply for 120 jobs. Chaos ensued

    At $49.97 a month, it proved wildly popular: Today, the majority of applications on Ladders are completed by human proxies instead of job seekers. Ladders' decision to refrain from fully ...

  26. How Hiring Tests Could Kill the Résumé and Make Getting a Job Fairer

    Applied isn't alone in seeing tests as a better way to identify the best candidates. SHL, a global talent screening company, offers a 15-minute assessment that employers can give to job seekers ...

  27. 4 Women Who Went Public With Pay Gap Stories

    4 Women Who Went Public With Pay Gap Stories. "It didn't take long for software engineer Kate Rotondo to find out her male coworkers were making more money. First she discovered she made $25,000 less in base salary than a colleague doing the same work as her at a tech giant—and about $20,000 less in restricted stock units, or RSUs, a form ...

  28. Gender gap in tech jobs narrows across advanced economies

    The notoriously large gender gap in the tech sector has narrowed across the US, EU and the UK in the past four years, an FT analysis of official data shows. Yet despite the improvement in the ...

  29. Women, Business, and the Law 2024

    Women enjoy just two-thirds of the legal rights that men enjoy . WASHINGTON, March 4, 2024—The global gender gap for women in the workplace is far wider than previously thought, a groundbreaking new World Bank Group report shows.When legal differences involving violence and childcare are taken into account, women enjoy fewer than two-thirds the rights of men.

  30. Migration Through Darien

    Reporting from Bogotá, Colombia. March 2, 2024, 3:41 p.m. ET. Migration toward the United States through the perilous jungle known as the Darién Gap returned to normal on Friday, with hundreds ...