Covid-19 has had a devastating effect for many employees, explaining gaps in our CVs can be a worrying time without the added difficulty of the current employment market. At the latest count approximately 1.72 million people are looking for work, from our experience being upfront and honest about the gaps on your CV is always best. When explaining your CV to potential employers you control the narrative and have the ability to turn what could be a negative situation into a positive one.

What did you do in between jobs?

When writing your CV always be truthful with employment dates, do not be tempted to increase the duration of a role – you may be caught out further down the line. Consider what you have done between jobs: have you been looking after a family member, have you travelled, volunteered or started a new business? In many cases the activity that you did during this hiatus has a wealth of transferable skills and can be an excellent talking point within the interview.

If the gap in your CV is due to job hunting, use this time proactively, there are only so many roles you can apply to in a day without feeling stale. Have you always wanted to study a particular topic? Now is the perfect opportunity to do so alongside your job search.

Post 2008 and the financial crash we saw the temp market soar, with the current uncertainty this could be another trend. Have you considered temping whilst looking for your next permanent role? Here is an interesting article on temp work that is expected to boom: https://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/article/10-of-the-most-exciting-areas-for-temp-work-in-2020/

Know What You’re Trying to Achieve

Focus on being prepared, you know what the interviewer is going to ask you, so focus on what you learnt and why it is transferrable. It’s not unusual to have a gap in your employment history and it’ll only stand out if you don’t explain it. The main thing employers want is for you to demonstrate your enthusiasm and readiness to re-enter the workforce. Do not feel ashamed of the decisions you have made and the reasons why you have gaps on your CV, remember these experiences are what have made you and are unique to you.