Employment Gaps on Your CV: How to Explain Them to Employers

How to address this situation with a prospective employer

Long breaks in your work history are usually seen by employers as a red flag, which is why it is wise for candidates to have a well-founded reason ready to explain them. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, huge numbers of people lost their jobs, and these "blank periods" are becoming more and more common on CVs.

If you find yourself in this situation and are applying for jobs, here are a few things you can do:

First and foremost, be honest and direct. Ultimately, you are presenting yourself, and you have both your CV and your cover letter at your disposal to explain in detail why you are looking for a job and what motivates you.

Update your CV to reflect changes in the job market. To improve your chances of finding work, consider applying in industries where employers are actively hiring. To do this, it is essential to take stock of the skills and competencies you have and identify which of them could be useful, and therefore transferable, to another field. Then you need to translate them into the language used by employers in your target industry.

When writing your CV, highlight the skills and abilities you developed during the time you were not working. Employers look for people who are resilient under pressure and optimistic. Show how you used your time away from work and, above all, what value you can bring to them.

Consider working with an experienced career coach who can guide you through the process of reinventing your career, because the most important investment you can make is in yourself.