How To Handle A Lapse In Your Employment History

A lapse in work isn't an unusual situation, and it isn't anything to hide from during your job search. Whether due to a job loss or a family situation that kept you out of the workforce for a while, your employment gap doesn't have to be a setback. Our guide will cover:

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Best Practices for Addressing a Career Gap

Candidates may feel uncomfortable addressing a lapse in work on a resume, a cover letter, or in an interview. But the best way to handle a career gap is with confidence. A lapse in work is nothing to be ashamed of and can happen to anyone for any number of reasons. As you address your lapse in work, keep the following in mind:

Honesty is the best policy

It can be tempting to fudge the numbers on your resume to minimize career gaps. After all—what's one little date change? But employers have methods for verifying your employment history. 

The last thing you want is to invest time and energy into the interview process only for your integrity to come into question. Be up front about your lapse in work, and you'll find that employers can understand the circumstances related to your gap.

Emphasize strengths

There are lots of things that keep workers out of the workforce. Common reasons for gaps on a resume include:

• Searching for a job: An extended job search can last longer than anticipated and can quickly end up causing a significant resume gap. Whether you're searching for your first job or recovering from layoffs, there's nothing unusual about a job search that takes longer than expected.
• Caring for family: Family circumstances are a common reason for an employment gap. Prioritizing your family's needs is both reasonable and expected in times of crisis.
• Recovering from illness: A number of unexpected long-term illnesses, flareups of chronic conditions, or intensive medical procedures can remove you from the workforce for some time.  
• Starting a business: Making a bold career move, like starting a small business or scaling up a freelance business, can remove you from the workforce for a while and contribute to a career gap.

Not all gaps like those above directly contribute to your work history, but they can contribute some major positives to your resume. Instead of minimizing these gaps, lean into the transferable skills and strengths that they bring to your resume. 

Spent time as a stay-at-home mom? Lean into your organizational and time management skills. Extended job search? Show employers how you've kept your finger on the pulse of your industry and emphasize any certifications you may have earned during this time. Started a business? Perfect! Discuss the leadership skills that you honed during this major growth experience.

Keep moving forward

A lapse in work does not have to be a lapse in skill development or career growth. While you search for your next opportunity, focus on developing your skills. 

Try pursuing certifications that are relevant to your field. Read updates from thought leaders in your industry. Take on volunteer work and start challenging personal projects that allow you to grow as a professional. 

The steps you take to keep busy and move forward will help you show future employers that you're a passionate and dedicated candidate.

How to Handle a Lapse in Work on Your Resume

When writing a resume, choosing the right format is an important decision, especially when you have a career gap to address. The three common formats are:

• The chronological resume format: This format lists your work history in reverse-chronological order. It is the best style for experienced candidates and can work well if your career lapse doesn't pose a major interruption to your work history.
• The functional resume format: A functional resume focuses on skills rather than experience. This format is perfect if you have a lengthy gap on your resume because it gives you space to focus on transferable skills rather than emphasizing experience.
• The combination resume format: Combination resumes offer a balanced blend of experience and skills. This template is great for career changers and candidates with moderate experience levels. If you have several smaller career gaps or a lapse in work contributing to a big career pivot, this format is for you.

Once you've chosen a format, you can start writing your resume. Follow these steps to create an impressive resume:

Choose an appropriate resume template 

A neat and organized resume is more likely to pass through ATS screening. Plus, it saves you time while helping you easily project a professional image. Choose a resume template with a matching cover letter design, and ensure that your style is simple and professional.

Write a resume profile 

Your resume profile section should introduce your resume to employers. As an experienced candidate, a professional summary acts as a brief introduction to your career highlights. 

If you're more of a beginner in your field, a resume objective is a strong choice that focuses on introducing your desire and willingness to grow your skills. Your resume profile doesn't need to address your lapse in work; however, if your gap is significant, you may briefly address it.

Sample resume objective for a lapse in work: 

Motivated and skilled sales professional with a strong foundation in lead generation, client relationship management, and closing high-value deals. Recently concluded a dedicated period of career exploration and job search, and now eager to reenter the workforce with renewed focus. Committed to exceeding sales targets and driving revenue growth in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment.

Write a skills section

Your resume's skills section should be filled with both hard and soft skills related to your field. Use your lapse in work to emphasize relevant transferable skills to show employers that you're ready for your next opportunity. This section doesn't need to directly address your lapse in work.

Sample skills section 

Create a work history section

When it comes to a lapse in your experience, writing an experience section is often the biggest point of confusion. A great work history entry includes action words and measurable data that describe your accomplishments in past roles. This should apply to your career gaps, too. 

List your time out of the workforce along with a few bullet points describing how that time has prepared you for your next role.

Sample work history section for a candidate with a lapse in work history

Write your education section 

Your education section should be relatively unaffected by your lapse in work. Simply list your degrees beginning with the most recent. If you need help fleshing out your resume's qualifications, include relevant coursework in this section.

Sample education section

Include optional sections 

During your lapse in work, you may have engaged in volunteer work. You may have pursued interesting personal projects. You may have even invested deeply in a professionally relevant hobby. If this sounds like you, then don't hesitate to include these unique qualifications on your resume. 

Common optional resume sections include:

• Languages
• Volunteer work
• Hobbies and interests
• Personal projects
• Certifications

How to Address Employment Gaps in Your Cover Letter

Your resume isn't the place to add context to your career story—that's what a cover letter is for. And that's precisely why the cover letter is the perfect place to explain the circumstances of your lapse in work. Whether you list your employment gap on your resume or not, use your cover letter to explain your circumstances in deeper detail. In general, you'll want to cover:

• A brief mention of why you were out of the workforce during your lapse in work, be it a personal circumstance or a professional setback
• What you did during your career gap to stay current in your industry, improve your skills, or contribute to your community
• How the time you spent during your lapse has prepared you to reenter the workforce

This may sound like a lot to cover, but you don't want to dwell on career gaps either. Address this in a sentence or two and then move on to discussing why your skills are perfect for the role. 

Example excerpt from a cover letter that addresses a lapse in work: 

How to Talk About Work History Gaps in an Interview 

Once you've made it to the interview, you need to be ready to answer questions about your career history. This means addressing lapses in work if they come up. Just like in your resume and cover letter, being transparent and honest is key, as well as emphasizing the productive ways that you used your time during the gap.

You will feel more confident answering interview questions if you practice a few of them before the interview. Here are a few sample questions that employers may ask candidates with career gaps, as well as some sample answers that you can use to help strategize your own.

Sample interview questions

Why were you out of the workforce between [date] and [date]?

Answer:

Your resume says that you were caring for a family member between [date] and [date]. How did this time away from work impact you?

Answer:

Key Takeaways

Resources to Help With Your Job Search

• 20 Surprising High-Paying Jobs You Can Do from Home
• How to Use AI for Your Job Search in 2025
• How to Get a Job With No Experience or References
• 18 Resume Tips to Help You Write the Best Resume
• How to Quit a Job You Just Started

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Hailey Brophy

Career Writer

Hailey is a career writer whose work for Resume Now helped job seekers excel in their careers.

Read more articles by Hailey Brophy