Gaps on a CV

If a gap is only a month or so, don’t worry about it. If it’s longer then you need to have some kind of explanation.

When recruiters see a gap on your CV they’re generally not too concerned up to about 3 months, but once you go over this level you do need to add an explanatory note. Having said that it also depends on how long ago the gap was! If you had  a period of unemployment 15 years ago then it may be safe to ignore it but if it’s been in the last 5 years it definitely needs addressing.

Where you have been travelling for 12 months this should be included as a one-liner in your CV but avoid over elaborating on where you went and how you “found yourself”…

For women who have gaps due to raising a family this can also be explained with a simple one-liner. Where this is your first job application or attempt to find work after raising a family then this can (and should) be addressed in your profile.

Why is all this so important?

Gaps in employment make people suspicious, whether consciously or unconsciously, and once a seed of doubt has been sown you face an uphill struggle to overcome it – so it’s best avoided.