How to explain a career gap on your resume

Many job hunters have gaps in their resumes. This can be for a variety of reasons, including taking a gap year to study, taking time out to care for parents or children or spending time in a correctional facility. It can be hard to know exactly how to explain this in an interview, but we've outlined a few ways in which you can fill in the gaps.

Arrange a non chronological resume

In many cases, the employer is more interested in looking at your skill set, rather than your specific working history. You can look at rearranging your resume to group experiences, both paid and unpaid, which help to show that you are the right person for the job.

Show how you spent the time

Many people who are out of the paid workforce still spend time on activities that build their work skills. If you've been volunteering in some capacity, for example, if you've been spending time volunteering for your child's school P&C or sports team management, then you should include this experience on your resume as well. 

Equally, if you took the time when you were out of the workforce to do some studying or short courses that helped to update your skills, you should also emphasise this in your resume as it can help to show that you remained active and focused.

Be honest

If you get questioned on your resume and the interviewer asks about a career gap it is important to be honest, even if you did spend time in prison. By explaining what you did that lead up to that time and how the experience changed you, you can show that you have learnt from it. While it may be off-putting to some employers, it is better to be honest in the initial stages of your interview as many employers will find out in another way, such as through a police check. Many employers will appreciate your honesty.

If you want to craft a powerful resume that explains a career gap, it can be a great idea to get in touch with a professional resume writing service, such as Loft Resumes.

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