If you’re job hunting just now, chances are you’ve looked at your CV and worried about a gap or two. Maybe it’s a few months. Maybe it’s a year. Maybe it’s longer than you’d like. The good news? You’re far from alone, and it’s not the deal-breaker many people fear.

Employment gaps are completely normal, and they’re becoming more common. Careers today rarely follow neat, straight lines. People are made redundant, take time out to retrain, care for family, or simply need a reset. A gap on your CV isn’t a failure — it’s part of your career story.

Why employment gaps happen

First things first: you don’t need a dramatic or apologetic explanation for a gap. Some of the most common reasons include:

Redundancy or restructuring
Entire teams can disappear overnight. It says nothing about your ability or work ethic.

Caring responsibilities
Looking after children, elderly relatives, or family members is real work — even if it doesn’t come with a payslip.

Health and wellbeing
Taking time to recover from illness or burnout is sensible, not selfish.

Upskilling or retraining
Courses, qualifications, and career changes don’t always fit neatly into employment timelines.

Contract or freelance work
Short-term roles can make gaps appear bigger on paper than they actually were.

Career breaks or travel
Stepping away to reset, refocus, or gain life experience is more common than ever.

None of these makes you less capable of doing a great job.

What an employment gap doesn’t say about you

A gap does not automatically mean:

• You lack commitment
• You performed poorly in your last role
• Your skills are out of date
• You’re not motivated

In reality, many people return from a break clearer about what they want, more focused, and more confident about their next move. Good employers recognise that.

How to explain employment gaps with confidence

1. Keep it simple

You don’t owe anyone your life story. A short, honest explanation is usually enough.

Examples could include:

• “Redundancy following company restructure”
• “Career break for caring responsibilities”
• “Time out for retraining and skills development”

2. Focus on what you bring now

Employers are most interested in what you can do today. Make sure your CV highlights your current skills, strengths, and experience — not just dates.

3. Highlight transferable skills

Caring, studying, volunteering, freelancing, or managing a household all build valuable skills like organisation, communication, resilience, and problem-solving. These absolutely count.

4. Be consistent

If your CV and interview explanation align, it builds trust. There’s no need to overthink it — clarity and honesty go a long way.

5. Practise saying it out loud

If you can explain your gap calmly and confidently, employers are far more likely to accept it and move on to what really matters.

What employers are really looking for

Most employers aren’t searching for a ‘perfect’ CV. They’re looking for:

• The right skills for the role
• A positive attitude and willingness to learn
• Someone who understands what they want next

A gap on your CV rarely outweighs those qualities.

A small step that makes a big difference

Briefly explaining gaps on your CV — or in a cover letter — can make conversations with employers much easier. A line or two is usually plenty. No oversharing required.

Your career doesn’t need to be flawless

Successful careers aren’t built on perfectly tidy timelines. They’re built on experience, growth, and knowing what you want to do next. Gaps are often part of that journey — and that’s perfectly fine.

If you’re ready to take your next step, head over to jobs24 and explore opportunities that fit where you are now.