Be brief, honest and genuine when telling recruiters about taking time off from work to travel the world, study, care for someone or go on maternity leave. Career breaks are voluntary or involuntary extended pauses from employment. In your CV list these gaps in your career history just like any work experience, giving dates and a short description. There is no need to give excessive unnecessary details and avoid over-explaining by giving a minimum amount of information. Instead focus on the positives, like what you learnt and the experience you gained during this period.
Remember that although career breaks are common, it’s important to clearly explain why they occurred to a prospective employer.
By: Iejaz Uddin – Updated: 29 June 2026
Page overview:
- How to explain career breaks
- Turn a career gap to your advantage
- When to mention career breaks
- What are Career Gaps
- Career Gaps and Interviews
- Don’t hide Career breaks
How to explain career breaks
Address your employment gap from a positive and confident perspective by highlighting how it was beneficial to you both personally and professionally. Rather than explaining why you weren’t working, concentrate on what you were doing or learning.
Detail why you were out of work, then go on to describe what you did with your time. Spell out how you used it productively and point out the skills and knowledge you’ve learned over this period.
You can either try to explain your employment gap in your CV or by briefly mentioning it in a covering letter. Always explain breaks in one or two sentences, there is no need to go into lengthy details or explanations. It is always easier to explain gaps in detail later in interview situations rather than in a initial CV application.
Some career gaps are much easier to explain that others and can even be used to your advantage. For instance if you took a year out to go traveling in South Asia for a year then this could be to your advantage if you applied for a diversity job working with ethnic minority communities in the UK. Another example is if you tried starting up your own business, you can then say that you now have experience of being your own boss. You could point out that you have newly gained budgeting, sales and cost control skills.
- Always try to focus on positive points from your career gap, experiences you have gained or the new skills you have learnt.
- Never try to leave a empty unexplained gap in your CV, as employers will take that as a bad sign, always give a brief reason for it.
Turn a career gap to your advantage
Show prospective employers that you didn’t waste your time but used it constructively to become more resilient and emotionally intelligent. Done properly you can reframe the narrative and strengthen your job application. Do this by looking at your professional gap not just as time away from work, but as a valuable chapter of your life.
Not wasted time
Mention what you’ve done to stay current with the role you are applying for, by taking online courses, updating your certifications, or attending industry events. Do some homework and read about the topics affecting your industry and then share your thoughts and opinions. All of this shows recruiters that you’ve stayed proactive and in touch.
Show proactivity
Assure the Hiring Manager that you weren’t just sitting back, relaxing or being idle during your break. Stress how you kept yourself busy with courses and were keen to learn and grow.
Finish by showing enthusiasm for the new role
Finally, always pivot back to this, stressing your enthusiasm and readiness for the job. Tell them you are rearing to get back to work by demonstrating your enthusiasm for the position and adding that you’re now ready to focus on the next stage of your career. Mention how because of the career break you’re better prepared and ready for this new role.
When to mention career breaks
If your career gap was a very long time ago, say more than 10 years then there is no need to worry. Employers are only really interested in your recent career history. You also do not need to be concerned about very short career gaps i.e. those only lasting for less than 3 few months (employers won’t notice short gaps).
As a general rule, you only need to explain career gaps of 3 months or longer.
What are Career Gaps
For various reasons many job seekers have taken time off from their careers. Whatever the reason trying to explain these career breaks to potential employers can be awkward. Employment gaps on a CV, also referred to as a CV gap is a noticeably large break between two roles that isn’t immediately explainable. Any period of inactivity over three months is typically considered an employment gap.
Reasons for career gaps
- Extended holiday i.e. round the world trip.
- Charity / voluntary work in the UK or abroad.
- Temporary emigration to a different country.
- Long term illness.
- An accident.
- Period of unemployment after being laid off.
- Maternity leave, starting a family.
- Education or training.
- Starting a business venture.
- Caring or looking after someone i.e. elderly parent.
- Redundancy.
- Dismissal or being sacked.
Career Gaps and Interviews
You will almost certainly be asked about it in any subsequent interview you have with a prospective employer. Make sure your give the same explanation for your career break as you listed in your CV. If you have been invited to a interview then take this as a positive sign as it means that even with your employment gap the recruiter is still interested in you. During the interview always focus on and try to get across that you are excited and eager to get back into work.
Don’t hide Career breaks
A gap in your employment history isn’t rare, many people have moments in their life when they need to pause, pivot, or change something. Breaks in employment also don’t carry the stigma that people think, so you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about CV gaps or try to hide them.
Do not see them as a setback or black mark on your CV that feels like revealing a shameful secret. Remember that many hiring managers have similar gaps of their own in their employment histories.
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