How to cover gaps in your CV
By gaps we mean a time of relative inactivity or a time when you do not have any job/ career. The fact remains that CV is like a replica of ourselves without our being and we should try as much as possible to portray our selves in the best true color.
Out-of-work gaps are not a big deal by itself. People are not comfortable with it because it looks like they were not productive for sometime, and that implies some sort of failure. The essence of this write up is to highlight how best one can cover up gaps in the CV/Resume where applicable.
Let’s proceed:
Suppose you have a minor gap of a few months (less than a year). In that case nobody needs to know about it really. All you have to do is write your CV with yearly gaps instead of giving the month and year. In this way, when you mention only the years, it will not be visible that there is a gap of a few months in between. If the gap indicates the time period you took for having a child, then it is good to tell them without much trouble.
Suppose you have a two years gap in your CV between two jobs when you did not have any job. ‘What happened in the gap period?’ the employer will ask. In most cases, people leave their jobs to pursue higher studies – if that is the case with you, let your employer know. In this context the gap will be seen as a benefit. If this is not the case, and you have just been in between jobs for a gap of more than one year – You may like to say that you have been self-employed for some time, you might say that you have helped your father, uncle, bother, friend, etc to set up their business (be sure you have the details ready as you will be asked for them) Be careful to have a plausible explanation as to why you are seeking employment again. A good reply here would be that the business is now successfully handled by the friend, partner, father (or someone who could take over) and you are looking forward to pursuing your main career goals; you may also say that you have volunteered to work for some philanthropic cause that your family, community, or friends created (again be ready to give details); you can say you wanted to be with your family for sometime before you started working again (be sure you have plausible reasons – like grandmother sick or wife/husband having a too demanding career which neglected the children who were young at the time.
As a last resort – and not one that I would personally advise anyone to do – you could just fib saying that ‘from the year so-and-so to present I was working in the following capacities’ and enumerate your jobs without giving the years. It is possible that the employer assumes that your work is uninterrupted. However, such deceptions (however mild it may seem) can create a deep sense of mistrust when found out – hence it is advisable to always use the truth in your answers.
However, it is best to explain the gap in as simple and realistic situation as possible, which in all probability, will not recur in the future. Look for normal, legitimate ways to bridge the gap. However, you should not worry too much if you cannot really carry it off- in that it is better to tell the truth directly (such as you could not get the right job) and highlight the fact the you would be a valuable asset to the company.
