How to add the Career Gap/Unemployment on the Resume/LinkedIn and Interview?
If you've navigated a career transition due to layoffs, resignations, relocation, or personal reasons, you understand the challenge of overcoming the fear of other people's opinions (FOPO) as you consider re-entering the workforce. Drawing from my own experiences, I intimately understand the significance of this journey, having experienced layoffs, resignations, relocations, and maternity leaves twice. FOPO is fear of other people's opinions and is bad for our self-esteem. Although a career break is none of other's business, employers will be nosey.
Is it the employer's business to ask about what happened to the last role? Why is there a career gap?
As per LinkedIn, the majority of women (64%) have experienced a career break at some point in their career with top reasons including parental leave (22%), medical leave (17%), and mental health reasons (14%).
People want a better way to share more about their career break
64% of people wish there was a way to positively represent career breaks to hirers and 52% of hiring managers believe candidates should proactively bring up their career break during the interview and highlight what they learned during that time.
48% of hirers think the biggest mistake candidates make when discussing their career breaks is undervaluing themselves in terms of compensation or seniority of the role.
When it comes to applying lessons learned from a career break at work, 74% of people who have taken a career break believe employers valued the skills they gained. And hiring managers agree, 50% of hiring managers believe people returning from a career break have often gained valuable soft skills and 46% believe candidates undersell them.
Employers' main concern might be what you have been doing during employment gaps. Have the stories related to the company's vision, or directly relating to competencies. Focus on lessons learned during the employment gaps.
Navigating Career Gaps: Overcoming FOPO and Crafting Your Story.
Each type of career gap presents unique challenges and opportunities. By embracing your experiences and honing your narrative, you can turn these gaps into strengths.
Sometimes, employing a 'don't ask, don't tell' strategy may seem tempting, but I firmly believe in transparency. Why leave room for assumptions when you can take control of the narrative?
Practice the interview session before you start to blurt out too much detail. Stay on the topic to avoid biases and discrimination. Less is more but always be prepared to handle the questions about the career gap. Read my article posted on Forbes which has a few strategies for addressing career breaks.
Employers often inquire about career gaps to gain insight into what candidates were doing during that time. They often say that understanding how individuals spend their time away from the workforce can provide valuable context for evaluating their skills, experiences, and readiness to re-enter the professional arena. This information helps employers assess candidates' commitment to personal and professional development, as well as their ability to effectively manage transitions and challenges. By asking about career gaps, employers aim to ensure alignment between candidates' experiences and the requirements of the role, ultimately facilitating informed hiring decisions.
To jobseekers, you have every right to ask about why the role was vacant. The first step is to take accountability and start working on the gap by building stories without feeling guilty. Sometimes it is a proud moment to take a gap, sometimes when life happens career break is inevitable. There is no set formula to address the career gap but building a story to communicate is the key. Check the sample on how to add a green banner with #OPENTOWORK . on LinkedIn.
Disclaimer: While the examples provided below offer insights, they are generic and may not encompass every individual situation. My One Size Doesn't Fit All Career and Branding Strategy is designed to teach you how to tailor your narrative effectively to your unique circumstances.
Career break samples:
Resume Highlight: Gap Type: Personal and Professional Growth or Sabbatical or Personal Development
Sample Script for Interview: "During my career break, I embraced the opportunity to focus on personal growth and development. It was a transformative experience that allowed me to [insert specific activities or achievements], ultimately preparing me to return to the workforce with renewed enthusiasm."
Resume Highlight: Gap Type: Pursuit of New Experiences (e.g., Travel or Volunteer Work or Career Change)
Sample Script for Interview: "While on my career break, I took the opportunity to [insert activities or experiences], which broadened my perspective and enriched my skill set. These experiences have equipped me with unique insights and abilities that I'm excited to bring to my next role."
Resume Highlight: Gap Type: Further Education or Training
Sample Script for Interview: "During my time away from the workforce, I invested in my professional development by [insert details of education or training]. This investment in myself demonstrates my commitment to continuous learning and readiness to tackle new challenges in my career.
Resume gap tips Video Click here
Leave of absence
The first FOPO for me was when I went away on maternity leave where I felt guilty as a career woman who took a year off, then a couple of years later. I went away again for a year because of my second child. When I came back, I had to prove myself to climb up the ladder due to the career break. I addressed the gap by shadowing and learning about the new role on my own time to get ahead. I had to prove over and over that, all those KPIs' were exceeded. I was blessed with amazing leaders/mentors who saw potential in me and promoted me at least 9 times out of 12 times.
Laid off
They took my title after not my brain and skills.
After I was laid off, I had a FOPO moment which was the embarrassment of losing the title. Then the career break over a year, where I knew they will ask " why you had a gap". Like I chose to be unemployed for a year. I created a plan to fill the gap. I started volunteering and actively began posting pictures on social media with the strategy. On the resume, I listed volunteering activities and the $$ raised from the fundraising event I led. Read more here.
I was invited to share my story with LinkedIn News on Hello Monday Podcast. Listen to the podcast which has stories from layoff survivors. You are not alone. If you need help bouncing back with actionable advice, I have the step-by-step guide after a layoff . The video sample on how to address a career gap on a resume, LinkedIn and Interview.
How to add a career break on LinkedIn, click here for video
Remove ex-employers from present to past. LinkedIn now has a section under experience to address career breaks. There are hiring biases for having a career gap, you need to be strategic to avoid irrelevant information. Sometimes don't ask don't tell strategy works but are you prepared when they ask about the gap?
Interview tips to address the career gap, click here
I quit!!
After I bounced back, within a couple of months I realized I was on the wrong job. I wasn't the right fit, but FOPO kicked in again. I moved to a different city to work there even though I had another couple of job offers in hand. I sold my house and started a new life in the remote. I bought a new house too; the kids went to a new school. I couldn't have just quit in months. I thought about what other people would think, I will have a career gap. I chose an employer of the choice that wasn't right for my skills. That job/ environment was a dream job for somebody else but not me. I couldn't take it anymore, had to get out but didn't have the guts to quit. I went on a leave of absence for the first time in my career and quit by email. I was privileged to quit as my spouse had income coming in. I know most of us don't have the liberty to quit but you need to at least have an exit plan. Within one year I resigned without securing a new job and I launched Teachndo . I talk about my experience and why people quit here.
What would other people think is none of your business when it comes to your personal need? Your career break has stories, learn how to showcase them strategically.
Are you tired of sending out countless resumes without getting any responses?
Do you struggle with writing a resume?
Do you have a career gap/break?
I provide the tools and resources in this course
I have a solution for you, click here
Sweta Regmi is a hiring manager from award-winning companies turned into Founder and CEO at Teachndo, a Certified Career & Résumé Strategist.Sweta Regmi is a globally recognized top career expert, speaker, and LinkedIn Top Community Voice for Career Development, Job Search Strategies, Personal Branding, Public Speaking, Resume Writing, and Interviewing with over a decade of experience empowering career professionals. Sweta's insights are featured in CBC National News Prime Time & Local, Global National News Top Story & Global Local News, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, CTV News, City News, FOX 26 News, Daily Mail, BNN Bloomberg, 5 times in Globe and Mail, Yahoo News, National Post, MSN, theaustralian.com.au, FORBES, Toronto Sun, 80+ times in LinkedIn News, LinkedIn Hello Monday award-winning podcast, LinkedIn Creators, Indeed, Employment services, Top Colleges and Universities, Career Conferences, Leadership Conferences, and 100+Top media outlets have widely recognized Regmi's expertise, see here. Regmi has also partnered with leading brands and organizations to elevate and spearhead career strategies, career sites, and outplacement and establish non-profit employment services partnerships. Her RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards nomination by Women of Influence in 2022 and 2023 further demonstrates her success as a recognized career expert in Canada. Regmi is also the Amazon Best Seller of 21 Resilient Women: Stories of Courage, Growth, and Transformation. The book has been recognized by libraries, ministers and MPs in Canada.
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