Some employers have traditionally seen gaps in a resume – periods of time away from the labour force between jobs – as a sign that an applicant might be unreliable. The inconsistent commitment to work could be a red flag that would discourage them from hiring a candidate.
It might look like they are not dependable or were simply unable to get hired by anyone for that period of time.
Of course, this is not necessarily a fair assessment. Many people have times in their lives where they are focused on other priorities than their career, and this in no way diminishes their professionalism. Still, when you are competing for jobs, you want to give yourself every advantage possible and avoid any potential snags.
This means addressing those gaps in your resume before employers draw their own – potentially negative – conclusions.
Because being off work doesn’t have anything to do with your commitment or work ethic, you need to know the best way to describe and explain – or cover - the gaps.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused these breaks from work to be more common than ever. Many people stopped working as entire industries slowed or shut down completely during the global health crisis. The national unemployment rate, which has averaged 7.64 per cent since 1966, was suddenly nearly double this, hovering around 14 per cent during the peak of the pandemic. This reflects tens of thousands of people suddenly out of work.
When it's time to return to work after a break between jobs, the important thing to do is to dispel any potential employers' worries about the gap and how it may or may not indicate a lack in your ability to do the job – or your readiness to commit to it. Showcase your talent and dedication.
The key to doing this is to be upfront about the time you weren't working and be confident in your ability to succeed at the role you are being considered for.
Explain what you were doing during the period you were off work in your resume so that it doesn’t leave potential employers wondering what was going on. If they have concerns, they may never contact you – and you won’t get the opportunity to explain in an interview. Just don’t go into too much detail. The purpose of your resume is to highlight your credentials. It should sell your candidacy, not explain everything you’ve done over the course of your working life.
So, cover the gap, but do it succinctly. Use most of the space to focus on the skills, experience, and qualifications that make you a prime candidate for the job. Here’s an example:
2020-2021 Workplace closed down due to COVID.
Or
2019-2021 Stay-at-home parent with newborn – child is now in full-time daycare.
Or
September 2018 – May 2020 Went back to school full time, acquired a certificate in Media Studies from Queen’s College.
Or
March 2021 – Present Took six months off work for family matter – now resolved.
Use much more space to describe the periods of time where you held relevant jobs and made significant accomplishments that can be applicable to the job you’re applying for. These are the things that will make you stand out from other candidates. (And win you the job interview.)
At the job interview, you may be asked to provide more detail about the gap in your resume. Once again, there is no need to be overly personal. Just have a prepared answer that explains what you were up to and what you learned from it. Whatever you’re discussing in an interview, it is important to stay upbeat and positive.
Be sure to point out anything you may have done while you were off to retain and expand your skills. Soft skills, or interpersonal abilities, are particularly in-demand across industries. So, showcase any that can be useful to the potential employer. These may include coaching, negotiating, blogging, volunteering, studying, part-time or freelance work, community involvement, caregiving, new technical skills acquired, or accomplishments achieved.
Also, if a gap between jobs was not following your most recent employment but happened at some point earlier in your career, and it was only a few months long, you may not need to mention it at all. You can cover up periods of unemployment without having to be dishonest. Simply list the years for the start and end dates of your previous jobs. Don’t list the specific months.
Here’s what that looks like.
This first example (with the months included) indicates a six-month gap in employment.- ABC Corp: March 2015 – April 2017
- DEF Inc: October 2017 – Present
However, simply dropping the months of the employment period shows the same work experience without a noticeable gap.
- ABC Corp: 2013 – 2015
- DEF Inc: 2015 – Present
There’s nothing dishonest about this; it’s simply presenting the information about your past employment in a way that best sells your candidacy. That’s what resumes are for. See How to write a resume.
Just don’t try to cover gaps in your resume by actually lying about the dates of your previous jobs. A simple reference call or background check can confirm your period of employment. Employers would much rather hire someone who has taken some time off and is upfront about being ready to come back to work than hire someone who is trying to deceive them right from the outset.
Fudging the timeline of previous employment is actually one of the top three most common lies on a resume – and one of the easiest to get caught for. Here's a look at some of the other biggest mistakes people make in their resumes.
