How to Fill in the Employment Gap on Your Resume

So, you’ve got a resume gap – now what?

Ultimately, it’s not about hiding the gap, it’s about controlling the narrative.  A gap only hurts you if it looks like you were not doing anything. You do not have to explain yourself to anyone for any reason.  Know that as a candidate, you can disclose as much or as little as you’d like. If your resume gap was around peak pandemic of 2020 – 2022, don’t sweat it.  We hiring managers know the world was a mess and we’re not even questioning it.  Scouts honor.

There are a few ways to address the gap – one is in your resume, the other is in a cover letter, the final option is a combination of both.

Step 1: Be honest, but strategic.  This is not the place to put “Caregiving”, “Stay at Home Parent” or “Personal”.  This goes back to the point that what you were doing during your gap is not an employer’s business.  Titles like these can work against you through pre-judgement and/or being “low-balled” with pay upon a new offer.

Step 2: Focus on what you HAVE been doing and what is transferable. For example – if you were giving care for a loved one, think about how you leveraged your skills to do so.  Operations, logistics, third-party vendor management, documentation, budgeting – you were doing it all and not even realizing it.  All of these are transferable skills.

If you were simply unemployed because of a brutal market or changes within your field, highlight what you’ve been doing to upskill yourself.  Alison.com, Coursera, Udemy, etc.

If you were freelancing – it’s imperative that you show this.  Freelancing is still work and you were NOT unemployed during this time.

Step 3: Don’t highlight months, use years.  When I write resumes, I never list months for clients, strictly years.  It emphasizes a shorter time frame and keeps it clean while reducing emphasis on shorter gaps.

Step 4: Prepare for the inevitable question.  Have an answer ready for if/when it’s brought up in an interview.  Depending on the employer is whether they will ask.  AVOID over-explaining and keep it focused on your knowledge, skills and abilities.  Highlight past successes and metrics to add value and position yourself in the best light possible.

Step 5: Address the timing – if the gap is not recent, it’s not as much of a concern.  If it is recent, rely on leveraging those skills.

Ultimately a gap in your resume only hurts you if you ALLOW it to.  Take back the control and show the value you bring.  If you frame it as a period of growth, upskilling and responsibility, it can even be construed as positive.

Brought to you by:

Stephanie Welt, MSW, MSHRM is the founder and CEO of VAST HR.  She is a former psychotherapist and HR Executive known for her comprehensive approach to resume building that helps her clients rediscover their confidence.  She can be found on social media at: LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram or at Stephanie@vasthr.co