How to Explain Employment Gaps on CVs [25 Tips]

You’re about to see a great sample CV with gaps in employment.

But first—

CV gaps can hurt your hiring chances and make employers wonder.

“Is she an alcoholic? Flighty? Depressed? A convict?”

Let’s dispel that.

You can prove you’re worthy—even with employment gaps on a CV.

You just need to show there’s no gap in your skills.

In this guide:

• A sample CV with gaps in employment better than most.
• How fill in employment gaps on CVs convincingly.
• Employment gaps on CV examples for sabbaticals, illness, death, depression, soul-searching, and career change.
• How to explain gaps in employment on CVs so you get hired.

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Sample CV with Gaps in Employment You Can Copy and Use

That sample CV with employment gaps does one thing:

It shows the gap fast, with proof you used key skills (check out our list of CV skills examples).

Does the employment gap on your CV come from a career change? See this guide: CV for a Career Change

Are you writing a CV for a specific career? See our step-by-step CV samples and guides for dozens of professions. 

Now here’s how to fill employment gaps in your CV:

1. Be Honest When Explaining Employment Gaps on CVs

Just want the quick and dirty facts?

Here are the topline info for CV employment gaps on a CV:

How to Fill in Employment Gaps on CVs

• Be honest. The employer will learn of gaps in employment on your CV with a basic background check.
• Be brief. Don’t agonise about the employment gap on your CV. Just show it and move on.
• Be proactive. Show how the gap added to your skill set. See examples below.
• Give the real reason for the job gap on your CV. Even if you think it’s silly, most employers won’t.
• Assure employers the CV gap will not recur.

• Show relevant experience after the gap if possible. Hiring teams don’t worry about gaps followed by experience.

• Worry about gaps shorter than 9 months. That’s not an employment gap. It just means you’re out of work!
• Cover gaps with dates. Leaving the months off your work history looks like you’re hiding something.
• Lie about the employment gap on your CV by saying you were saving kittens or working on a cure for cancer. Hiring teams can smell lies through a brick wall.

• Ignore a gap in employment longer than 9 months, especially in a CV for unskilled jobs.

Next—

Let’s see some good reasons for gaps in employment.

Then I’ll give some employment gaps on CV examples.

Expert Hint: Don’t talk about the employment gap on your CV in a career summary or career objective. Save the top part of your CV for your brightest selling points.

2. Have Good Reasons for Gaps in Employment

Now the good news.

Hiring teams will care what you went through.

They won’t think less of you. But—

Give a good reason for employment gaps on your CV. Here are five:

Good Reasons for Gaps in Employment

• Illness. Were you or a loved one sick or injured? That’s a legit reason for a gap in employment on a CV.
• Death. Never be ashamed of an employment gap on your CV after a loved one dies.
• Tragedy. Miscarriage or other misfortune are legitimate reasons for employment gaps on CVs.
• Soul searching. Finding your path in life is noble and worthwhile. Many employers respect it.
• Tried a different career. Did you test the waters, then come back to your roots? That’s human. Hiring teams are human too.

The key?

Don’t just give your reason.

Show the employment gap on your CV bore fruit to help with your next job.

And—

Assure them it’s a one-time thing.

Expert Hint: Put extra skills proof in your education CV section. An honours society or big project helps a lot in a CV with employment gaps.

3. Show the Employment Gap on Your CV in Your Experience Section

Where should you put CV gaps?

The right place to show an employment gap on a CV is in your work history.

List it as a sabbatical, and show three things:

1. List the start and end dates of the employment gap on your CV.
2. Give the reason for your CV employment gap.
3. Show you did something positive for your skill set in that time.

In other words?

You need to show you weren’t just eating bon-bons.

These employment gaps on CV examples show how:

Imagine the job ad wants skills in leadership, system development, Oracle Primavera P6, training, and working with cross-functional teams.

Employment Gap on a CV—Experience Section

Experience

Sabbatical, 2017–present

• Took time off to be with family after loss of child.
• Founded Southern California Chapter of Butterfly Legacy Foundation.
• Handled all accounting and budgeting. Raised donations 50% in 1 yr.

IT Project Manager

Ermschwender Aerospace

2013–2017

• Developed system to raise efficiency of requirements management. Slashed 10 meeting hours a week for 10+ engineers.
• Managed 200+ projects with Oracle Primavera P6.
• Onboarded and trained 3 new IT hires.
• Worked with 10+ cross-functional teams to cut costs 20%.
• Facilitated integration of customer software into our workflow. Contributed to 25% increase in repeat business.

Experience

IT Project Manager

Ermschwender Aerospace

2013–2017 (2 years ago)

• Responsible for creating system to raise efficiency of requirements management.
• Managed IT projects.
• Worked with teams to cut costs.
• Facilitated integration of customer software into our workflow.

See that?

You were up-front about your gap.

You also showed the leadership skill they want—in the employment gap on your CV!

You proved other skills in your work history. You customised your CV.

Think they’ll hold that gap against you? Nope.

Expert Hint: Put “other” sections in your CV with skills the job wants. Certifications or conferences you spoke at can help outweigh employment gaps on CVs.

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4. More Employment Gaps on CV Examples

Need more?

See the employment gaps on CV examples below.

Each one touts a skill shown in the job ad.

Each also says the employment gap on your CV is in the past.

Car accident gaps in employment on CV:

Cancer gap in employment on your CV:

Soul searching CV employment gap:

Tried different career employment gap on CV:

See that?

Each of those employment gaps on CV examples does two things:

1. It shows your gap helped build key skills.

2. It says the gap is history.

5. Choose the Right CV Format for Employment Gaps on CVs

Awkward.

You filled the employment gap on your CV. But—

You used the wrong CV format.

Don’t make that mistake.

Use the reverse-chronological layout to put everything above board.

Employment Gaps on CV Format

• Use a single-page CV with one-inch margins.
• Write with Didot, Cambria, or another trusted CV font in 10–12pt.
• Make CV sections like Heading, Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills.
• Add white space to let it breathe.
• Save PDF copies. PDF CVs travel well to different employers.

Expert Hint: You can also try a functional CV or combination CV to spotlight your skills and not your history. Beware—some recruiters don’t like functional CVs.

6. Stop Your Next Gap in Employment Before it Starts

The best advice?

Don’t have another employment gap on your CV.

“But my CV gap was unavoidable.”

Not really.

The minute you’re out of work—

• Do some consulting. Use your skills to do a few hours of week of work.
• Volunteer. You’ll build transferable skills like teamwork or leadership.
• Freelance. Take on a small project here or there.
• Enrol in an online class. Lynda classes make great filler for employment gaps on a CV.

Expert Hint: You don’t need a full-time job to fill in a CV job gap. Even four or five hours a week of volunteering can help save face for your career.

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Key Points

Here’s how to fill in employment gaps on CVs:

• Use the employment gap on CV template up top. It puts your CV employment gap in the right place.
• Show a skill or two you used during the employment gap on your CV. Make it a skill the new job wants.
• If you accomplished something impressive, show it. Add numbers to make it real.
• Reassure employers the gap in employment on your CV was a one-time thing and won’t repeat.

Got questions on how to fill employment gaps on a CV? Need more employment gaps on CV examples? We’ll be happy to reply!

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