How to explain gaps in your CV
Having a career break isn’t unusual – but what should you do if you’ve got an obvious gap in your CV?
First, don’t try to hide it. The most important thing is to be open with a potential employer about why you took the time out – because being open will work in your favour. As well as showing you’re honest it can also demonstrate that, after time away from work, you’re keen and ready to have a job again.
Don’t be tempted to lie, leave out a gap or extend the dates of past jobs to try and cover it. An interviewer is likely to call previous employers to confirm your time there and you’ll soon get found out.
Instead, when listing the dates of your employment on your CV, leaving out the month and only showing the year is perfectly OK.
And there’s no need to explain a gap on the CV itself. You could do that more effectively in your covering letter where you can put a positive slant on it.
How you word things makes a difference. Don’t say you couldn’t find work – explain that you decided to take time out to refocus your career and concentrate on what you learnt from that.
Time spent travelling is your chance to mention what you gained by the cultures you encountered and experiences you had. Make it clear your trip was an opportunity for personal development rather than simply an extended holiday.
If you were made redundant, don’t vent old frustrations with your previous bosses to a potential new employer. Instead discuss, for example, how a company restructure or budget cuts made the decision to let you go unavoidable. And talk about what you feel you achieved in your time there. A little optimism can go a long way… If you’re concerned that a CV gap could be holding you back from landing a new job, why not bridge it with voluntary work or take a course so you add to your transferable skills? You’ll show you’re someone who makes the most of their time. An employer will want to see you’re confident, honest and enthusiastic so if you do have gaps in your CV, approach the subject as though they’re a plus not a minus. Bring up the issue early on, be positive about it, and you’ll give a recruiter more time to be impressed by the rest of your CV.
SARAH Harding has admitted she is “comforted” by the fact she may die before her elderly mum.
The ex-Girls Aloud star has hailed mum Marie for being with her during every step of her cancer battle.
In her new book, Sarah revealed how medical staff told her she may not live to see another Christmas.
The singer has described the “strange” comfort she has found after being told the devastating news.
Writing in Hear Me Out, the 39-year-old said: “I know how hard this is on her too.”
Sarah, who moved back in with Marie in Manchester after her breast cancer diagnosis last year, added: “It’s comforting to know I’ll probably leave this world before she does; at least I won’t have to go through the pain of losing her.”