Explaining gaps in employment

1. Explain the situation clearly but briefly. They don’t need a ton of personal details. Just give them the core facts.
2. Show that the situation has ended or is no longer a factor, so they won’t be worried you’ll have to take another break from working. If they hire you, they want to know you’re 100% ready to work for them.
3. Reiterate your interest in their position and bring the focus back onto this job interview and this position.

Examples Of How To Explain Employment Gaps In An Interview:

Sample explanation 1:

“I had to resign from my previous position to care for an aging family member. I did this for the past year. Since then, my siblings and I have hired a full-time caregiver so I no longer need to be present, and am fully available to work now and in the future. So I’ve begun job searching and I’m focused on finding a sales supervisor or manager position that will help me advance my career further now.”

Sample explanation 2:

“I was laid off nine months ago. I started my job search immediately after, and I’m looking for sales supervisor or sales manager positions now to continue advancing my career. I’ve had a number of interviews but haven’t found the right fit yet.

One thing I’m looking for is a chance to mentor and train team members, and manage a team directly. I saw that mentioned on the job description for this position… can you tell me more about that?”

Two Things To Remember When Answering:

1. You need to sound like an in-demand job candidate…

If you’re explaining a current gap in employment, you need to sound like you’re being selective and that you’re focused on making sure you find the best fit for the long term, rather than just accepting the first job you come across.

That’ll make a 6 month gap (or longer) sound a bit better.

If you’ve been job hunting during your employment gap, you don’t want it to sound like you haven’t had a single interview in…