How to Address Employment Gap on Your Resume

In this article, we talk about what your application documents should look like for job seekers returning to the workforce. Re-entering the job market after a career break can feel overwhelming, but with the right approach, you can present your experience in the best light. A well-structured resume and cover letter can help highlight your strengths while addressing any employment gaps strategically. Whether you took time off for family, health, education, or another reason, it’s all about framing your experience in a way that reassures employers of your skills and readiness. 

How to Explain a Career Gap on a Resume

First, if you are asking yourself a question whether you should even do it, the short answer is "Yes." The long one (and the most hated) is "It depends." Let's dive into ways to explain or successfully minimize your career gap on a resume and whether you even need it. The good news? Not all career gaps require an explanation. If your gap was short (a few months) or happened years ago, most employers won't even notice. But if it's more recent or spans a year or more, it's best to address it strategically rather than leave it up to interpretation. The key is framing it in a way that reassures employers and keeps the focus on your skills and experience.

#1 Remove Outdate Experience

If your career gap happened way in the past, you can skip it altogether. A well-structured resume should only go back 10-15 years and should not exceed one to two pages. Older experience usually does not add value to your current job application, exception being military-to-civilian transitions and academic CVs. In all other cases, instead of listing outdated jobs, shift the focus to your most recent and relevant roles. 

#2 List Your Activities During the Gap

Whatever the reason for your career gap was or is, you must have been doing something during that time. Were you caring for an ailing loved one? Were you laid off and took time to land your next role? Were you just burnt out and needed a year off? Any of these can be explained with a crisp one sentence on your resume without the need to make anything up. The key is to keep it honest and concise while focusing on anything valuable or relevant you did during that time. If you took a course, volunteered, freelanced, or worked on personal projects, mention it! Even if you weren’t working in a formal role, emphasizing skill-building or personal growth helps show employers that you stayed proactive.

#3 Address the Gap

Never lie. And this includes a lie by omission if your gap is clearly visible. Being upfront and honest is key. Remember - you are getting hired first and foremost for your hard and technical skills and your fit to the role. If you are highly qualified, you will get a call back even if you have a career gap, which the recruiter or hiring manager will give you an opportunity to address during an interview. Your career gap might become a serious obstacle, though, if you lie about it, plain and simple. Instead of avoiding the topic, own your story and frame it in a way that highlights any skills, experiences, or lessons learned during that time. 

#4 Choose an Alternative Resume Format 

Of the three most popular resume formats - chronological, functional, and combination (or hybrid) - a chronological resume is your enemy. Professional resume writers would strongly suggest you opt for the functional or hybrid, depending on how big your gap is. They focus on your skills, abilities, and accomplishments instead of the dates of your career progression. In fact, the functional resume doesn't require any dates whatsoever, while a hybrid one needs the dates but puts your skills and measurable accomplishments front and center. If we had to choose, we would recommend a hybrid as the functional format, in some cases, might arouse recruiters' suspicions that you are trying to hide something. 

#5 Take up Volunteering or Pursue Certification  

We already briefly mentioned this in the second point, but it's worth talking about this a little bit more. Nothing covers your career gap better than volunteering and for a good reason. First, you don't have to mention that this was an unpaid position, so you can always frame it as a role with proper achievements, tasks, and measurable accomplishments. For example, instead of just saying you volunteered at a nonprofit, highlight specific accomplishments like "Coordinated a fundraising campaign that raised $20,000" or "Tutored 50+ students, improving their test scores by an average of 15%." Second, volunteering keeps your skills fresh and shows initiative. It helps reassure employers that you stayed engaged in your industry and continued developing relevant skills. It can also help you network with professionals in your field, opening doors to job opportunities you might not have found otherwise.

Similarly, pursuing a certification or picking up a course in your downtime is another great way to fill a career gap and show your commitment to continuous learning. Whether it’s an industry-specific credential, a technical certification, or even a soft skill course on leadership or time management, adding new qualifications to your resume signals that even during a break, you are still growing and improving. 

How to Explain a Career Gap in a Cover Letter

Cover letters are usually a hit or miss–without professional help. The truth is many people don’t know how to write a cover letter. That said, it doesn’t mean that these are utterly useless - with the right letter, recruiters are more likely to give an applicant a chance. Let’s assume you’re already crafting your letter for this scenario. You’ve put in the essentials and ensured you have a favorable cover letter length. So, how do you explain a career gap in a cover letter? A cover letter isn’t there just so you can address the gap, so don't make it the only topic in your letter. A brief explanation is more than enough as long as you are upfront, honest, and positive in tone. Paired with an excellent functional or hybrid resume, a well-written cover letter will boost your chances regardless of the gap. When writing a cover letter to explain the gaps, here are some basic principles you need to keep in mind:

#1 Follow Optimal Cover Letter Structure

There is little difference between creating a cover letter for returning to the workforce and a regular cover letter. In both cases, your letters should showcase your best traits and what makes you a strong candidate. Keep your employment gap justification brief and direct to the point in your cover letter so it doesn't become the main point. Remember, you're simply writing the letter with an additional explanation, not the other way around. Here's a good general structure to follow when writing a letter:

#2 Do Not Over-explain

While it’s important to let recruiters know that there are gaps in your employment history, you don’t have to share everything! If you’re writing a cover letter explaining gaps in your employment, striking the perfect balance is key. After all, you want to be hirable - not a liability.

Here are some things that you can share in a cover letter:

These are all perfectly acceptable reasons why you have an employment gap, but you don’t need to dwell on them too much. Mention the general details, assure potential employers that you’ve managed to overcome the circumstances, and focus on your accomplishments and skills instead.

Another thing to remember is that everything doesn’t need to be explained. Some employment gaps are irrelevant and excusable. These gaps need not be mentioned in your resume or cover letter.

Some of the things that you don’t need to mention include:

❌ Gaps that happened more than seven years ago, especially if you’re currently employed

❌ Gaps because you’re a fresh graduate

❌ Gaps that were less than six months

#3 Highlight Your Value

The most important thing to add to a cover letter for returning to the workforce is what you bring to the table. What have you done during the times you weren’t employed? Did you learn a new skill, go into consultancy, or manage your household? Make sure to highlight the values you have as you write your letter.

#4 Get a Referral

Referrals build trust, and that’s something that you’ll want if you have an employment gap. If you know someone in the company, ask them for a referral. Another way to do this is to build connections and ask those connections for job opportunities and referrals within the company.

Samples of Explaining Employment Gap in a Cover Letter

Getting a job with an employment gap isn’t just won with letters and documents but by your presence and even your connections. At the end of the day, your skills and trustworthiness are more valuable than any piece of paper. Here are some samples of cover letter content to effectively explain employment gaps:

Gap due to being laid off

Ten months ago, AstraTech Services made the tough decision to cease operations, and as a result, I am currently available for immediate employment. I am eager to pursue a career in game development and was thrilled to discover the position because it is a wonderful match for my qualifications and career objectives.

Gap due to medical leave

After taking some time off from work to recover from surgery, I left Brimstone Corp. to concentrate on my healing. As I regained my strength, I enrolled in relevant online classes to stay current in the field. Now that I have fully recovered, I am eager to return to the workforce and am certain I will be an asset to your team.

Gap due to caring for family

I put my career on hold to look after a senior family member. My family opted to employ a full-time caretaker after a year, so I am no longer required to be there during the day. I am eager to start working again, and I was thrilled to see your job posting because it is a fantastic fit for my skills and aspirations.

How to Explain a Career Gap during an Interview

#1 Practice Makes Perfect 

This might sound silly, but rehearse your answer in advance out loud. Does your voice shake? Do you sound confident? Do you start sweating when asked about your gap? All these will matter during your interview. The more you practice, the more natural and self-assured you’ll sound when the moment comes. 

#2 Stay Classy  

Do not talk badly about your previous employer, even if you feel you were treated unjustly. Instead, shift the focus to what you did right to bounce back. Highlight the skills you gained, the lessons you learned, and how the experience ultimately made you a stronger professional. Keep the conversation positive and always exhibit resilience and professionalism. Your job is to impress the interviewer, not to air your grievances against your former employer. 

#3 Be Confident  

A hiring manager will feel more comfortable with an applicant who presents themselves with assurance and confidence. Of course, confidence doesn’t mean being boastful. Know your skills, worth, and accomplishments and talk proudly of them, but balance them out with your interest in the job and your willingness to learn.

Explain Career Gaps Seamlessly 

Employment gaps are understandably nerve-wracking, but that doesn’t mean they’ll make you lose a job opportunity. You can easily open doors and get your dream role with the right cover letter explaining the gap in your employment. All you have to do is be confident and trustworthy at the end of the day. These days, explaining a job gap is easier as professional resume services become more and more popular among job seekers. Resumeble, for instance, has an arsenal of skilled writers and industry experts that know how to effectively address your career gap on a resume or in a cover letter that covers your bases.