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How to Talk About Employment Gaps

If you’ve been out of work for awhile, whether it’s due to caregiving for a sick relative, raising children, or difficulty finding a job, how do you present that issue to a prospective employer? This is not an uncommon experience, so don’t think that you’re the only job seeker who has to explain a gap in your work history.

Your first thought is to whether or not you need to disclose the gap in employment. If it were for just two or three months, you probably don’t need to say anything unless you’re asked directly. But beyond that timeframe you need to disclose your employment gap, and be able to talk about it positively.

Critical to your success in making an employer comfortable with your employment gap is your positive attitude and your ability to explain your time away. Presenting yourself as a victim is not the strategy you should take.

You were away from work, but now you’re back, and these are the things you did during this gap to remain current in your field – course work, volunteer work, certifications in your field. These are all ways to show an employer that you made progress during your employment gap and that you’re ready to contribute immediately.