CleverHire

How to explain a gap in your resume during the interview process? 🤔 1. If you’ve been laid off by your previous company, do not answer it this way: ❌”My last company laid me off with absolutely no warning and I haven’t been able to get another job since.” Instead, answer it this way: ✅”Last year, I was affected by restructuring and nearly my entire team was let go. It’s a shame because I really enjoyed the company but ultimately, I’m grateful because it’s allowed me the time to be very intentional about the next role that I accept.” 2. The reason for the gap is because you’ve been caretaking. ❌”My mother was really sick and there was no one whole could take care of her, so I had to quit my job and move in with her.” Try answering it this way instead: ✅”Unfortunately, I had to take a step back from full time employment in order to take care of a very sick relative. While I was unable to work full time, I did freelance and was able to keep up with the latest industry news and software updates. And now I feel fully prepared and couldn’t be more excited to rejoin a company as a full time [your role].” 3. If you’re a stay at home parent: ❌”I was just a stay at home mom and now my kids are in school, so I need a job” Answer it this way instead: ✅”I made a lifestyle decision to take step back from full time employment in order to raise my 2 young children. During that time, I stayed up-to-date with all the latest industry news and upskilled by earning new certifications. 4. If you have a private/generic reason: ❌”Um, it’s only an 18-month gap, and it’s none of your business.” ✅”I had to take step back from full time employment to deal with some personal matters. I’m happy to say that everything is resolved, and I couldn’t be more excited to dive back into full time work.” The original post was by Anis Surya. Really nails it with this advice. It’s always important to remember it’s not always what you say but how you say it. You create the context so you won’t leave things up for interpretation.