The Best Place to Explain Your Resume Gap

Many perfectly qualified candidates have gaps in their employment. The gap can stem from a variety of chosen and situational causes. Many of my clients (women and men) elected to stay home and care for family members, often children but sometimes aging parents or ailing siblings or other close relatives. 

Some clients find themselves in a situation where they’re just exhausted or burnt out from a high pressure career and are lucky enough to be in a financial position where they can afford to leave their current position and take a few months of mental health time.

The most common situation is a lay off, which is nothing to be ashamed off and most often stems from restructuring/reorganization or work slowdowns that affect the entire organization.

Whatever situation applies to you, try to clarify right on your resume. You can create a separate “Additional Experience” section with dates and use the job title Caretaker, then actually spell out the fact that you elected to take a few years off to be a full time parent . If you were laid off, include that in the summary section for the position.

A resume is no place to be shy. Just as you should be outright in expounding on your greatest achievements, be equally as clear with potential employers on any gaps or breaks in your employment. An interview is for self promotion, so do yourself a favor and get all the nitty gritty out of the way in your resume!