Whether you have been travelling around the world, looking after a family, studying, moving house or simply deciding what you want to do with your life, a career gap is very common. Even though the time off work has been included on your CV, an employer or recruiter may want to explore this further at an interview. Employers may want to understand what you were doing during that period and whether anything about the gap could affect your ability to perform the role.
Be Honest About Your Career Gap
Don’t make a career gap worse by trying to conceal it. The fact that you have had a career break will likely be discovered from your CV and background checks. Any attempt to conceal employment dates will likely be exposed. This could lead to you being withdrawn from recruitment processes and even taken off an employer's books.
Many things are better left unexplained, especially the personal reasons for a career break. You don’t have to go into detail about why you took time out to travel, why you were looking after a relative or why you relaunched your career after moving to another part of the world.
For example, the interviewer may simply say ‘we noticed you’re missing a few years from your CV, what did you do with yourself during that time?’ To which you could simply reply something like: I travelled extensively, returned to have children and care for my family, relocated abroad, or went back to further my education, depending on your situation.
Keep Your Explanation Clear and Concise
Don’t overexplain your career gap. An interviewer is mostly interested in knowing why you weren’t working between the two positions listed on your application.
After explaining why you were outside of work for a particular amount of time it is best to move on to what you have been doing since returning to work. You can outline your motivations for returning to work and highlight your relevant skills, qualifications, experience and attributes that you can use to excel within the company for which you are applying for.
Use your examples and experience to illustrate skills you have acquired outside of your profession such as managing a home and family (e.g. organising and planning). Have you travelled abroad? This can give you examples of dealing with different cultures and working in different environments.
There will obviously be instances in which your activities outside of work have no relationship with your return to the employment market. However, it is sensible to highlight those experiences which can support your position.
Explain What You Learned From the Experience
This will depend on the reasons for your career break. If any good came out of having time away from work, then outline it to the interviewer.
The experience of your time out of work potentially helped you reconsider your career and therefore decide upon a type of organisation you wish to work for or an area to specialise in. If you did have time for further studies or professional development, explain how you were preparing for your next job.
Show That You Are Ready to Return to Work
The employer will likely want to know that you are ready to return to a professional working environment if your recent career break was for short-term reasons. You can outline how your circumstances have now changed or that you always planned to go back to work after a certain amount of time.
The focus should then return to the application and reason why you feel you would be a suitable candidate for the vacancy. Explain why you have applied for the position, what interest you have in the opportunity and how your previous experience can be of value to the organisation.
Avoid Speaking Negatively About Previous Employers
Occasionally a career break is taken following redundancy from a previous employer or because of difficulties in the workplace. Alternatively, you may have simply left your employer and not taken up another job straight away.
Even if leaving your previous employer was the right decision, avoid turning your explanation into criticism of the company or people you worked with. The reason for your break needs to be explained in a professional manner to the interviewer, without causing any concern about returning to work.
Prepare Your Answer Before the Interview
Your application and CV will inevitably highlight periods of time when you were not at work. Preparing your answer to potential questions about your career break in advance means you are less likely to be caught out on the spot. Think about the reasons for your break, what you got up to whilst away and why you are looking for a new job now.
Remember to speak naturally and avoid reading out your answers as if they have been memorised. Give the interviewer a clear explanation of what happened and get straight to what you can bring to the employer.
Moving Forward After a Career Gap
A career break does not mean you cannot get a job when you return to work. The main thing employers look for is the candidate who has got the right skills, experience and attitude to the job they have advertised.
Be honest regarding your career break, be relevant to the conversation and outline what you can bring to their organisation going forward. If you are returning to work after a career break or are considering your next career move, contact Alchemy GTS to identify suitable job vacancies and help promote your career to prospective employers.
