Employment Gap
A period of time when someone was not employed, which appears as a break in their work history on resumes and job applications.
Employment gaps can occur for various reasons including layoffs, personal circumstances, education, caregiving, or voluntary career breaks.
How to Address Employment Gaps:
- Be honest: Explain the gap truthfully but briefly
- Focus on skills: Highlight what you learned during the gap
- Show productivity: Include relevant activities, courses, or volunteer work
- Use functional format: Emphasize skills over chronological history
- Address proactively: Explain in cover letter if significant
Employment gaps are increasingly common and acceptable, especially post-2020. Focus on demonstrating continued growth and readiness to return to work.
Examples
Parental leaveEducationHealth issuesLayoff period
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