What to Know About Explaining a Gap in Employment - Careers in Government (2024)

FAQs

How to answer for career gap sample answer? ›

Try: “I was taking time off to focus on myself. Now that I've had space to reevaluate what I want, I'm more motivated than ever.” It's worth noting that taking a career break due to family reasons or other personal issues should be respected by employers.

This could include taking time off to earn your doctorate or partake in a volunteer opportunity. Also take into consideration that some gaps are explainable by the nature of the job or industry. If you are a freelance worker, there will likely be time elapsed between jobs, and the employer will understand this.

Honesty is the best policy, but don't go into unnecessary detail. Your answer could follow this template: "I [reason you were not employed]. During that time, I [what you did during the gap]. Returning to work over that period was my primary focus, and I'm ready for a new job."

Mention any courses, certifications, workshops, or self-improvement activities you undertook during the gap to stay relevant and enhance your skills. Family or Personal Reasons: If your employment gap was due to family or personal reasons, briefly mention this without going into excessive detail.

Example answer: “I took a career gap to continue my education as I am eager to progress in my role and bring new skills and knowledge to the team.” It's important to list some of the skills you gained and why these are important to the potential employer.

A big gap of several months to a year on your resume is a massive red flag to employers, even if you have a valid reason for taking that time off. More often than not, you'll have a good reason to avoid employment for a while, whether it's to look after your family or travel Europe.

Before you apply for a new job, you need to have a clear and honest answer to the question: why did you change careers? Maybe you wanted to pursue your passion, learn new skills, find a better work-life balance, or make a positive impact.

To explain an employment gap on a resume, be honest, elaborate on the gap, show that you never stop learning, or use a different resume layout to remove the gap altogether. Explain an employment gap on your cover letter by highlighting new skills and offering a valid explanation as to why you took it.

Hence, make sure to prepare in advance for what you want to communicate. 📌 Then, shift the focus of your conversation towards what you've gained from your experience with unemployment. Finally, highlight the skills you've honed during this time. Showcase yourself as a strong personality with multiple skills.

How to answer tell me about yourself if you are unemployed? ›

Instead, know what you're going to say and how you're going to say it. Be honest and focus on the positives. Center the conversation on what you've learned from your unemployment, the skills you worked on during your time off, the hobbies you picked up, or the volunteer work you did.