Many of us have had a career ‘gap’ at some point in our lives. It is sometimes difficult to think about how to address these gaps when it comes to preparing a CV and attending interviews.  My colleague Lorna Cox shares some ideas on this below – Carol  

Employers can get suspicious of time gaps in your CV, so make sure you don’t let them jump to the wrong conclusions. Take control by briefly explaining the reason for the time gap and try to put a positive spin on it.

Time off to have children?

• Emphasise your time management and organisational ability.
• Give examples of how you maintained an interest in your career such as reading professional literature, networking or voluntary work.

Time off due to illness?

• If appropriate, reassure the employer you have now recovered from the illness or show how well you cope with an ongoing condition.
• Emphasise your resilience and determination to return to work.

Time off to go travelling?

• Show what you gained while travelling eg. increased independence, planning and organising skills, resilience, communication in another language.
• Convince the employer you are now ready to start/resume your career.

Time off to change career direction?

• Explain the research you did to be sure the new career is the right choice eg. work shadowing or volunteering
• Give examples of relevant skills you gained from your previous career.

Time off between courses?

• Many graduates have a gap between undergraduate and postgraduate study to earn money, gain work experience, travel or volunteer.
• Explain what you gained from this time gap and why this is relevant for the job you have applied for.

Good Luck!