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A gap in your CV can occur for a huge variety of reasons, from having a family, to travelling or personal illness. But an employer won\u2019t overlook your CV if you are ready to explain it carefully.<\/p>\nFor many, being asked about a gap in a CV can feel like a nightmare. But it doesn\u2019t have to be. Follow our tips, and you\u2019ll be able to explain it well.<\/p>\n
A gap in your CV can occur for a huge variety of reasons, from having a family, to travelling or personal illness. But an employer won\u2019t overlook your CV if you are ready to explain it carefully.<\/p>\n
It is vital that you are honest. Lying about your time at a company, or extending your dates, can be very dangerous- all an employer or HR Manager has to do is phone your former boss to find out you weren\u2019t telling the truth. Many hiring managers will see straight through you if you attempt to bluff your way through a gap.<\/p>\n
Bear in mind that if you already have a lot of experience on your CV, you may not be including everything anyway. If this is the case, a gap in your experience may not need to be addressed.<\/p>\n
We asked Naomi, Recruitment Consultant<\/strong> at CharityRecruit, part of CharityJob, for her top tips on explaining a gap:<\/p>\n \u201cThink carefully about how you phrase the reason for any gaps in your CV \u2013 focus on skills you learned\/developed and how this could potentially be of benefit to future employers. If the gap is small this can easily be explained with one sentence ( for example, \u2018Searching for a new position\u2019 or \u2018Took the opportunity to go travelling\u2019) but with larger gaps it is worth explaining what you actually did in that time without going in to too much personal detail regarding the circumstances. Descriptions should be short in your CV and, if given the opportunity, further explanation can be given in a cover letter or at interview.\u201d <\/p>\n Often, it\u2019s much better to explain your gap succinctly in your cover letter. But you don\u2019t need to go into too much detail. For example, if you\u2019ve been travelling, don\u2019t say \u2018I went travelling because I was bored of working and really wanted to just do something fun\u201d. Instead, say: \u201cI took some time out to immerse myself in different cultures and to gain a fresh new perspective.\u201d If you\u2019ve had time off because of sickness, resist going into long details about what you\u2019ve been through, but instead, say: \u201cDue to a recurring medical condition, I felt unable to continue in my position. However, I am now fully recovered and ready to pursue a new role.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been made redundant, it\u2019s better to say that you are proud of everything you
\n– Naomi, Recruitment Consultant at CharityRecruit
\n<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"cv\"](\"https:\/\/www.charityjob.co.uk\/careeradvice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/cv.jpg\")
achieved in the position, rather than to be rude about your previous employer and their reasons for letting you go.<\/p>\n
![\"naomi\"](\"https:\/\/www.charityjob.co.uk\/careeradvice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/naomi.png\")