Career gaps can become opportunities for resilience and growth.
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Career gaps are one of the biggest fears job seekers face. And with good reason. Research shows that applicants with gaps on their resumes are 45% less likely to receive job interviews, according to a ResumeGo study. Yet data suggests that the stigma may be starting to diminish. After speaking to over 500 hiring managers in the US, LinkedIn found that 67% claim they are now more likely to hire someone who has taken a career break than before the pandemic. Studies also suggest that both hiring managers and employees are rethinking how they view career breaks.
In another survey of nearly 23,000 workers and 7,000 hiring managers, LinkedIn found that 62% of employees have taken an employment break, while 35% say they’d like to take one in the future. LinkedIn even allows members to feature a career break on their profile, whether it is for full-time parenting, caregiving, layoff or other life needs. Slowly but surely, career gaps are becoming the norm. The key is learning how to reframe them so employers focus on the value you bring.
Here are five strategies to turn your career gap into a strength that impresses employers and accelerates your job search.
1. Always Provide Context For Your Career Gap
The ResumeGo study revealed that applicants who provided a reason for their career gap received close to 60% more job interviews than those who didn’t explain their absence. Rather than leaving hiring managers to speculate, take control of the narrative.
Whether your gap was due to health issues, education or raising a family, clearly state the reason on both your resume and cover letter. Those who cited additional education or training achieved the highest callback rate at 8.5%.
Create a dedicated section on your resume that addresses the career gap directly. This approach demonstrates responsibility, planning and continued professional development even during time away from traditional employment.
Put It Into Practice
Add a “Professional Development” or “Career Break” section to your resume:
For family caregiving: “Family Care Leave (2021-2023): Provided full-time care for family member while maintaining professional skills through online coursework in [relevant field].”
For health reasons: “Medical Leave (2022): Took time to address personal health while completing [certification/course] and volunteering with [organization].”
For education/training: “Professional Development Break (2021-2022): Pursued advanced training in [field] and earned [certification] to strengthen expertise in [relevant skills].”
For job loss/layoff: “Career Transition (2022-2023): Following company restructuring, pursued strategic upskilling in [relevant area] and completed [certification] while conducting targeted job search.”
For parenting: “Parental Leave (2020-2022): Took career break for childcare while maintaining industry knowledge through professional development courses and volunteer project management with [organization].”
2. Highlight Skills Gained During Your Career Gap
Career breaks are often times of intense skill development. LinkedIn’s research shows that over half (56%) of employees acquired new skills during their career break, developing problem-solving, communication and budgeting abilities. Document the competencies you’ve developed. Whether you’ve honed multitasking abilities as a caregiver, developed project management skills while volunteering or enhanced digital literacy through online courses, these experiences translate directly to workplace value. Quantify these skills whenever possible with specific examples.
Put It Into Practice
Create a “Skills Developed During Career Break” section. Match your experiences to workplace skills. For example:
If you were a caregiver, emphasize crisis management, multitasking, budget management, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution.If you volunteered, showcase project management, team leadership, event planning, fundraising and community outreach.If you pursued education, demonstrate research and analysis, time management, self-directed learning and technical proficiency.
Write bullet points connecting these to job requirements. Instead of “improved time management,” specify “coordinated medical appointments for three family members while completing online coursework.”
3. Use Strategic Resume Formatting
How you present your employment history significantly impacts how career gaps are perceived. Consider using a combination resume format that emphasizes skills and competencies rather than chronological work history. Use years rather than months when listing dates to minimize the gap appearance. For shorter breaks (under six months), you may not need to address them at all. If your gap is older than seven to 10 years, you may omit it entirely while focusing on recent, relevant experience.
Put It Into Practice
Combination resume structure:
Lead with “Professional Summary” highlighting key qualificationsFollow with a “Core Competencies” section listing relevant skillsInclude work experience with a gap clearly explainedEnd with education and certifications
Date formatting strategies:
Use “2019-2023” instead of “January 2019-March 2023″Group related experiences: “Freelance Marketing Consultant (2020-2023)”, even if projects were sporadic
Strategic gap placement example:
Instead of:
Marketing Manager, ABC Corp (2018-2020)[Gap from 2020-2022]Sales Associate, XYZ Store (2022-2024)
Try:
Marketing Manager, ABC Corp (2018-2020)Career Development & Family Care (2020-2022): Completed advanced digital marketing certification while providing family caregivingSales Associate, XYZ Store (2022-2024)4. Demonstrate Continuous Learning And Growth
Employers value candidates who focus on professional development during employment breaks. Engage in activities that enhance your marketability and show commitment to staying current in your field. Complete online courses, earn certifications, attend virtual conferences, participate in webinars or engage in freelance projects. Even volunteering demonstrates leadership, project management and communication skills that transfer to the workplace.
Put It Into Practice
Learning activities to pursue:
Industry-specific online courses (Coursera, LinkedIn Learning)Professional certifications relevant to your fieldVirtual conferences and webinarsFreelance or volunteer projects
How to showcase them:
Create a “Professional Development” section on your resumeInclude dates, provider and relevance to the target roleExample: “Google Analytics Certification (2023) – Enhanced data analysis skills for digital marketing roles”5. Prepare Confident Interview Responses
While addressing career gaps on your resume is crucial, you must also discuss them confidently during job interviews. Practice explaining your gap honestly, concisely and focused on positive outcomes. Avoid over-sharing personal details or speaking negatively about previous employers. Instead, emphasize what you learned and why you’re ready to return with renewed energy. Frame your response around three key points: the reason for your break, what you accomplished during that time and how those experiences make you a stronger candidate.
Put It Into Practice
Develop your 60-second gap explanation using the STAR Method:
Situation: Brief, honest reason for the gapTask: What you needed to accomplishAction: Steps you took to stay professionally relevantResult: How this experience makes you a stronger candidate
Sample script: “I took 18 months to care for a family member during a medical crisis. During this time, I maintained my professional skills by completing online certifications in [relevant area]. This experience strengthened my crisis management abilities and emotional intelligence, skills valuable in [target role].”
Career gaps don’t have to hold you back. Instead of treating them as setbacks, view them as chapters that reflect your adaptability and growth. By showing what you learned and how those experiences shaped you, you demonstrate that your value extends well beyond a perfect work history. With more employers acknowledging career breaks as part of the modern career path, you can reenter the job market with confidence and position your gap as proof of resilience rather than a liability.
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