Mind the gap

Space between jobs on your résumé? Here’s how to deal with it

FROM layoffs throughout Big Tech to job changes, these days, having a gap on your résumé is no longer rare. Sometimes it’s the only way to score a better opportunity — rather than avoiding gaps, it’s a matter of navigating them. Previously, employers considered résumé gaps to be red flags, implying that candidates were disloyal “job hoppers.” Well, times have changed and that stigma’s passé. According to 2021 data from talent solutions firm Robert Half, about one-third of workers were willing to quit their job without another lined up.

Here are ways to navigate the issue and ace your next interview.

Be positive

If you quit after realizing a new job was toxic, don’t trash-talk the job or the company.

“Paint the experience in a positive light,” said Rich Deosingh, district president at Robert Half in Midtown. “Rather than saying what you didn’t like about the role and why it was so awful, share what you learned about yourself and your preferences. ‘While I learned a lot about effective project management in this role and I really enjoyed that aspect of the job, I’m excited to take on a role that challenges me to be more creative. I’m also excited that this team works a hybrid schedule. I value collaborative time face-to-face with my colleagues, but I do my best thinking when I can focus from my home office.’ ”

Reposition the gap

Deosingh recommends creating a hybrid résumé — a cross between a chronological and a functional one.

“List the most important qualifications related to the position you’re applying for at the top and include noteworthy accomplishments you’ve earned along the way,” said Deosingh.

Then outline work experiences in reverse chronological order, so the reader will focus on what you bring instead of on any holes.

Be open

While you don’t need to call out the gap on your résumé, Roy Cohen, a Midtown-based career coach and author of “The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide” (FT Press), suggests proactively explaining it during the interview.

“It’s like the proverbial elephant in the living room,” said Cohen. “It’s there. We all know it, and so does everyone else. When you delay sharing this detail, its presence looms even larger.”

Refrain from brutal honesty

If you left because you hated the job, hold your tongue.

“I don’t recommend being 100% transparent about a previous negative job situation,” said Shanna A. Hocking, principal at consulting firm Hocking Leadership and author of “One Bold Move a Day: Meaningful Actions Women Can Take To Fulfill Their Leadership and Career Potential” (McGraw Hill).

“If you say, ‘I hated my job,’ it will likely reflect more on you than the company or boss you worked for,” said Hocking. “Instead, say something like, ‘I learned after six months that this role wasn’t aligned with my values and goals, and I’m looking forward to contributing to your company culture at [insert company name].’ ”

If you were laid off, Hocking suggests being succinct: “I was laid off from [company] in [date] along with [insert number of layoffs].”

Craft your narrative

Storytelling is key to conveying a powerful message. Brooks Scott, CEO of business and career consulting firm Merging Path and an executive coach based in Oakland, Calif., and Hamilton Township, NJ, says we can achieve this by creating an arc.

Instead of saying something like, “There’s a gap in my résumé because I was feeling burned out and isolated from work and the pandemic,” talk about what you learned during your time off, adding how you grew or changed.

“[Saying] how excited you are to find a company where you can apply your gift of a new perspective is a powerful story,” she said.

Refrain from TMI

“You need to be truthful in job search, but don’t air your dirty laundry,” said Terri Wein, co-CEO of Midtown-based global career advisory firm Weil & Wein.

Ultimately, you’re in control of what information to share. If a yearlong gap was spent dealing with health issues, Wein says you can provide full transparency (“I spent the year dealing with chronic medical issues”), focus on something else (“I took a year to brainstorm a startup idea”) or decline to answer (“I had some personal things that I would rather not discuss”) to everything in between.

“Your goal may be to avoid a red flag and have the interviewer move on to something else while protecting your privacy and getting to the next round. It’s a balancing act,” said Wein.

Know your rights

Employers cannot ask about underlying or chronic health conditions or about disabilities.

“Generally, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all the employer needs to know is whether the person can perform the essential functions of the position with or without a reasonable accommodation under the law,” said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and director of human resources at HR outsourcing-solution provider Engage PEO. “The candidate does not need to share that much detail either, and they don’t need to share that the gap was due to their mental health.”

Several states (including New York) restrict asking candidates about prior salary, so if you mention you left a job due to money, the interviewer needs to move on rather than ask.

Mind multiple gaps

If you have more than one gap, remain tactful and focus on storytelling. Scott says the gap duration doesn’t matter as much as how you talk about it. “What is the story you want to frame around the multiple lengthy gaps?” he said. “What is something you want to ensure the reader understands about you as a result of your stepping away from work?”