Did you know that nearly 70% of Americans have an employment gap in their career history? That certainly explains why a frequent question of job seekers is about how to address these breaks during their search. It’s a fair question, but given the stats, it’s not something that needs to keep you up at night. Most recruiters and employers understand that breaks from the workforce happen, and oftentimes, it’s simply a quick question and answer before moving on.
Reasons for an Employment Gap
In many cases, a break from work is out of your hands as an employee. You may have experienced a layoff, which means no one is to blame. Perhaps you’re a spouse who is following your partner to his or her new job and took longer to acquire yours. You may have chosen to stay home to raise children or care for an aging parent. It might just be that you truly took a sabbatical to enjoy life and travel. And of course, there are those instances in which you were let go.
Whatever the reason for an employment gap, they are often simple to address during your job search. There are three areas where you’ll want to consider how to handle your break:
- On your resume
- On LinkedIn
- During the interview process
Addressing an Employment Gap on Your Resume
The number-one goal of a resume is simply to secure an interview. To do that, your resume needs to be easily parsed by applicant tracking software (ATS) systems as well as appeal to recruiters and hiring managers. For time off, how you address it will depend on your personal preference as well as when the break occurred and how long it was.
For Short-Term Breaks
If your break is less than six months, it usually won’t warrant a mention on your resume, whether it just occurred or happened years ago (remembering that we only highlight 10–15 years on a resume). For those longer breaks, this one-line approach takes the emphasis off the gap and leaves it for a longer discussion during an interview:
Personal Sabbatical, March 2023 – August 2024
For Longer Breaks
When your gap is longer—like a year or more—you can still use the same one-line approach, but you may want to say more than “sabbatical.” If, for instance, you were out of the workforce for several years raising children, you could replace “personal sabbatical” with “parenting” or “childcare.”
Keep in mind that, in most cases when parents are raising kids, they’re usually involved in other things, such as volunteering at the school or with Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, and the like. When you have this kind of experience—even if it was unpaid—it still counts as professional experience. Incorporate it into your resume to highlight what you’ve been doing and how you can apply that to the benefit of a future employer.
What about Functional Resumes?
Unfortunately, now that ATS systems are the norm, a reverse-chronological resume is a requirement; we can no longer use functional resumes to hide an employment gap. While there are some creative ways to address gaps if they’re longer, those would need to be discussed with a professional resume writer to develop a strategy that works best for you.
Addressing an Employment Gap on LinkedIn
Your LinkedIn profile should complement your resume, if not mirror it. Ideally, LinkedIn will add more depth to the topical information that’s shared on your resume. Additionally, you can build your profile to present yourself as a 3D individual (as opposed to the 2D resume) by including a bit about your personality and interests, which can certainly help when you have an employment gap since employers are looking for people who will fit with their teams in addition to having the skills they require.
On LinkedIn, you have the option to add a career break to your professional experience. You’ll add it like you would a position, but instead of clicking on “add a position,” you’ll choose “add a career break.” You’ll then be provided with several options for your break, ranging from bereavement to voluntary work. There’s also the standard 2,000-character area to provide a narrative. Feel free to add as much or as little information as you care to, but it’s smart to err on the side of brevity. Remember that an employment gap is usually better explained during the interview.
Follow the same suggestions on LinkedIn as on your resume, including leveraging volunteer work to fill in for gaps in your employment as appropriate. And don’t worry about adding breaks for gaps less than a year unless, of course, they are your most recent “position.” In that case, it’s a good idea to show that you’re actively involved in something, and LinkedIn will also push you to include a current position.
Addressing an Employment Gap During an Interview
Having a break in your employment does not mean the end of your career; many people have gaps and those same people secure interviews and offers, so don’t despair! When you are invited to interview for a position, however, you should be prepared with an answer if and when you are asked about any holes in your career history.
Develop your answer ahead of time and practice it. Stay positive and brief. Every person’s response to the question will be different, but it’s always best to tell the truth and focus on the good things that came out of your break. When possible, tie what you did to your career trajectory. Some examples include:
Parenting:
“When my children were young, we determined it was best for my family that I stay home with them. They certainly kept me busy, and I was also highly involved in their school and extracurricular events. For instance, I was president of the PTO, and we coordinated several events annually, including securing funds and in-kind donations for many events.”
Illness:
“I took a break to deal with some health issues I was facing. Thankfully, I’m fully recovered now and excited about joining in this role. Because I am a committed learner, I stayed current with industry trends during my time off by reading several books. One of my favorites was. . . .”
Bereavement:
“Unfortunately, when my mother became ill, I needed to take some time off to be with her, and after she passed away, I handled her affairs and estate. The fact that I’m a project manager came in handy during that time since I had to manage several events simultaneously.”
Layoff or Job Loss:
“The company I was with previously suffered some losses and let go of a good number of employees. Unfortunately, I was caught up in that layoff. Since then, I’ve been working as a consultant for several clients to keep my skills current and remain engaged in the industry while I look for a position. I’m excited about the prospect of joining because. . . .”
Sabbatical:
“After having been in the workforce since my teens, when my partner was promoted to a position and we relocated, I saw that as a great opportunity to take a sabbatical. I spent my time off doing some of the things I love, including gardening, reading, and traveling. I feel refreshed and excited and am eager to jump back into the thick of things in this role.”
Transform Employment Gaps into a Unique Strength
In today’s job market, you will certainly not be the only candidate who has experienced an employment gap. And thankfully, employers are much more open to the idea than in past years. It’s no longer an immediate deal breaker, and in many cases, it can add to your appeal. With the right strategy, you can transform your time off into a compelling aspect of your professional story. Just remember to be honest, brief, and focus on the positives so you can reassure potential employers that you have the talents and commitment to benefit them.
Most job seekers have no idea if their resume is working or getting lost in the abyss. Your Career Advocate writes resumes that get through ATS systems and into the hands of hiring managers, resulting in more interviews and job offers. Check out the options for working together.