An employment gap is a period when you are not working in a formal role, whether by choice or due to unavoidable circumstances like illness.
Many people believe that such a gap will raise red flags with employers or hurt their chances of getting hired. The good news is that these are common, and they are not always viewed negatively if explained well.
In this article, you will learn how to talk about gaps clearly and confidently, include them on your resume, and reframe them in a positive light.
Key Takeaways
A gap in employment is a period when you are not formally working, often due to personal, professional, or economic reasons.
Resume gap stigma can affect your job search, but many employers are more understanding than you might expect.
Instead of hiding job gaps, explain them clearly and honestly, and highlight how you stayed active or used the time for growth.
Common reasons for employment gaps include studying, freelancing, caregiving, traveling, or changing careers.
To minimize the impact of an employment gap, you should use a functional resume, keep your skills sharp, and network actively.
What Is an Employment Gap?
An employment gap is a period when you are not formally employed, usually between two jobs. Gaps under six months are often seen as normal, especially in competitive industries or during career changes. However, gaps lasting six months or more may raise questions.
Employers might worry you are out of touch with current tools or trends, or question your commitment if gaps are frequent. Still, most understand that layoffs, health issues, and family responsibilities are valid reasons. Additionally, many also recognize that people returning after a break often bring renewed energy, so this might not pose a huge issue.
3 Most Common Reasons for Employment Gaps
Employment gaps may be due to personal, professional, and economic reasons. Let’s take a closer look at each type.
#1. Personal Reasons
Employment gaps due to personal reasons are often unavoidable. They can happen when life events, health concerns, or major changes make it necessary to step away from work for a period of time. For example, you can take:
Health-related breaks. You might take time off to recover from illness, manage an ongoing condition, or focus on mental well-being.
Family-related career breaks. This typically involves staying home to support an aging parent or care for a family member.
Relocation-related breaks. You might move to another city or country and spend time settling before returning to work.
Emergency-related breaks. Family crises or unexpected events, such as house fires, can require you to temporarily pause work.
#2. Professional Reasons
Professional reasons for a gap in employment may include:
Changing careers
Pursuing further education
Freelancing or consulting
Working on personal projects
Taking a sabbatical for professional development
For instance, someone making a career change from accounting to nursing might leave work to complete clinical training. Others might pick up small roles between jobs to gain flexibility while upskilling or reskilling.
You can also spend time networking, learning different tools, and developing relevant skills. These employment gaps are usually strategic moves to grow professionally.
#3. Economic Reasons
Layoffs can occur because of company restructuring, downsizing, or changes in business priorities. These situations do not necessarily reflect an employee's performance, but can still create employment gaps that take time to recover from.
Namely, many workers experienced unemployment gaps during the COVID pandemic due to industry-wide disruptions. When the job market slows down, companies may freeze hiring, which makes it even more difficult for job seekers to find new roles.
Seasonal work ending with no immediate follow-up opportunities can also lead to employment gaps. This is particularly true in industries with cyclical employment patterns, such as tourism, construction, education, and event management. These are the sectors where demand for workers usually fluctuates.
Do Employment Gaps Affect Job Search?
Employment gaps can affect a job search, but whether the impact is positive or negative depends on how you explain them. Being upfront about the reason is key, as recruiters value honesty and clarity. It also helps to show how you used that time productively, like for studying, volunteering, freelancing, etc.
In the short run, an employment gap might make it a bit harder to land interviews, especially if you are applying in a competitive market or your gap is unexplained. Recruiters may look at your resume more closely and ask more questions in the early stages of your job hunt.
In the long run, a well-managed employment gap typically has little to no impact. As you gain recent and relevant experience, the gap becomes less important to employers. Most will care more about your current skills and qualifications, as well as your fit for the role.
How to Explain an Employment Gap in Your Resume: 6 Simple Ways
To explain an employment gap in your resume, you need to be clear and honest. Providing context helps employers understand your situation and shows that you are not hiding anything, and such openness can reduce doubts about your reliability.
Here are six simple ways to do it:
#1. Pursued Education or Training
If you used your employment gap to pursue education or training, explain this positively on your resume. Employers generally see continued learning as a productive and proactive use of time, so framing it the right way can actually strengthen your application.
You can include the explanation in your work experience section or under a heading like “Professional Development” or “Education.” Mention what you studied, where you studied, and when.
For example, you can write:
Good Example
“Completed a Digital Marketing Certification through Google Skillshop (December to March 2025).”
This shows that you were actively building skills that align with your career goals, even if you were not formally employed at the time.
#2. Freelance or Contract Work
When a work history gap was spent doing freelance or contract work, it is helpful to include that on your resume in the same way as traditional employment. To provide clarity, you can list it with a professional job title, such as “Freelance Graphic Designer.”
If what you did involved multiple clients or a variety of projects, it can be grouped under one role, with a note stating that services were provided to a range of businesses. Including the time period helps you show consistency. For instance, write:
Good Example
“Provided freelance graphic design services to small businesses from June 2022 to November 2023.”
Depending on the nature of the work, it may also be relevant to mention platforms used to find clients, such as Upwork, Fiverr, or FlexJobs. You should have a short description or a few bullet points to highlight the work completed and your specific achievements.
#3. Personal or Family Responsibilities
If an employment gap was due to personal or family responsibilities, it can be addressed briefly and honestly on your resume without going into unnecessary detail.
Some candidates choose to include an entry under a heading such as “Career Break” or “Personal Leave,” along with the dates. A succinct explanation, like “Took time off to care for a family member,” works well.
The goal is to acknowledge the gap while keeping the emphasis on your readiness to return to work and the professional skills you bring to the role.
#4. Health-Related Break
For health-related work history gaps, a straightforward explanation that indicates the issue has been resolved or is being effectively managed is sufficient. For your resume gap, use a neutral heading (e.g., “Health-Related Leave”), along with the dates.
For instance, write:
Good Example
“Took time away to focus on recovery from a medical issue (March 2022 to December 2022). Fully recovered and ready to return to full-time work.”
This provides clarity without going into personal details and reassures employers that the gap will not affect your performance moving forward.
#5. Travel or Volunteering
An employment gap spent traveling or volunteering can add value to your resume by highlighting soft skills such as cross-cultural communication, adaptability, and problem-solving. Experiences can be listed under headings such as “Volunteer Work” or “Independent Travel,” depending on which category best fits.
Generally, a short description with dates is enough to provide context. For instance, write:
Good Examples
“Volunteered with a community program in China (April 2023 to February 2025), helping coordinate workshops.”
“Traveled across Southeast Asia (August 2022 to May 2023) to develop language skills”.
#6. Career Transition
Rather than being seen as time away from work, this type of employment gap can be framed as a period of preparation for a new path. You can explain it on your career change resume with an entry under a heading like “Career Transition” or “Professional Development.”
Clarify what you focused on with a succinct statement, accompanied by dates. For example:
Good Example
“Career transition period (June 2021 to February 2022) - Completed a UX Design certificate and built a portfolio of personal projects to support a shift into digital design.”
How to Minimize the Impact of an Employment Gap
To minimize the impact of a gap in employment, you should:
Use a functional resume instead of a chronological one. This resume format for employment gaps highlights your skills and achievements rather than your employment timeline.
Keep your skills current. Online courses or certifications show your ongoing commitment to your field. Attending workshops, joining webinars, reading industry blogs, or working on personal projects can also help keep your skills sharp.
Network actively. Staying connected through LinkedIn, professional groups, and industry networking events can lead to new opportunities.
Fill the gap strategically. Focus on what you've done and how it helps you be a better fit for the role, e.g., gaining new skills, staying up to date with industry trends, or building experience through volunteering and freelancing.
Ready to Bridge the Gap?
Craft a clear and confident resume with Resume.co!Final Thoughts
Employment gaps, whether due to personal responsibilities, health issues, education, or a career shift, are sometimes necessary. But rest assured that these gaps do not have to work against you.
Explaining your employment gaps clearly and honestly, and reframing them as a period of growth, helps shift the focus away from the absence of work and toward what you gained. With the right approach, gaps can be part of your value.
Employment Gap FAQs
#1. How much of an employment gap is too long?
An employment gap is generally "too long" if it exceeds six months without a clear explanation. However, other factors, such as your industry, can also play a role. In fast-paced fields like cybersecurity, investment banking, or marketing, where tools and trends evolve quickly, even short gaps may be viewed more critically.
#2. Should I explain short gaps in my resume?
You should explain short gaps in your resume if they are recent or frequent. In such cases, a brief note can help provide context and prevent unnecessary concerns.
#3. Can I hide an employment gap?
You should not hide an employment gap; instead, address it honestly. Gaps can often be explained in a positive light, especially if you used the time for skill-building, caregiving, or other productive activities.
#4. Do online courses count toward filling a gap?
Online courses don’t count as formal employment, but they can help fill your resume gap by showing continued professional growth. You should list them on your resume to demonstrate that you stayed engaged during your time away from formal employment.
#5. Does freelance work cover an employment gap?
Freelance work can cover an employment gap by showing initiative. If it is relevant to your career goals, include it on your resume just like traditional employment.
