Even celebrities need some time off, with Adelerecently announcing that she needs ‘a rest’ after an almost two-year tour which included a residency in Vegas.
But while it might be easy for a Grammy-winning singer to take a break and resurface when it suits, it’s often harder for the rest of us.
Some people may feel like explaining a gap in their resume will make them look bad in an interview – if they were made redundant or had trouble finding a new gig, for example.
Other times, when life gets in the way – from personal relationships and bereavement to mental health battles – it’s an awkward conversation you’d perhaps rather not have with someone you’ve just met.
But when you’re ready to go back to work, or are rewriting your CV to find new roles, you should always be upfront about your gap. And one careers expert has shared exactly how to broach the topic.
Julia Belak, certified resume writer at Kickresume, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘There are lots of reasons people might take a career break — you might be returning from parental leave or other caregiving responsibilities. You might have taken some time to travel, or you might have been looking after your health.’
According to Julia, however, this can actually provide extra value to your CV if you focus on the right things.
‘Whatever the reason, having a recent break on your CV doesn’t mean you aren’t a good candidate,’ she explains. ‘It just means you might have to change your strategy a little for your job search. For instance, build a functional CV that opens with a list of your skills rather than with your experience, which lets you show off your relevant skills right from the start.’
Julia recommends being careful not to undervalue any important lessons learned during that time, commenting: ‘Make sure you include any additional education or training you might have taken during your break, as well as any new skills you learned.’
Then, in the experience section, add in a line to briefly summarise why there’s a gap. Keep it simple, and list this time with a heading such as ‘Career break’, ‘Sabbatical’, or ‘Parenting’ rather than anything negative like ‘Unemployed’ or ‘Fired’.
You may also want to mention it in your cover letter, this time reassuring the employer that you’re motivated to get back into work and aren’t planning another career break.
Let’s say you were off caring for a loved one; all you need to say here is: ‘Following a period of absence while providing care for a family member, they have now made a full recovery, and I’m looking forward to getting back into the workforce.’
Or, if you were made redundant, go with something like: ‘My previous employer was forced to make a series of budget cuts, leading to me being made redundant. However, this gave me a chance to broaden my skills through volunteering at X and taking X classes.’
This shows that you’re honest and have a positive mindset – both traits that go a long way in the eyes of hiring managers, and certainly better for your chances than lying.
When it comes to the interview, Julia says, ‘be prepared to talk about it’ but urges jobseekers not to worry.
‘Plenty of people have come back after a break and carried on having a successful career,’ she adds.
Best of luck.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.