How to Explain Gaps in Your Work History?Being concerned about gaps in your work history is understandable, but should a question about a gap come up, you should smoothly fill the gap with an honest response followed by a powerful statement of the future. To do this effectively, you'll need to take time to work through your emotions regarding the gap before sitting down in an interview.
Eliminate the Emotional Baggage
Many resume gaps include emotional baggage. If you were laid off and unemployed for a long stretch of time, you might have issues with self esteem and this can sorely affect your future employment. If you were fired or targeted in layoffs, the negative emotions can follow you from one job to the next, so before interviewing and trying to explain the gap in professional terms, be sure you've left the more dramatic aspects behind.
If an issue is particularly painful, you might use help working through the issue before trying to explain it professionally. You might benefit from speaking with a professional about periods of depression or other medical conditions that have affected your work in the past, especially if the issue is unresolved.
Explaining the Gap
When actually explaining a gap in your work history, you'll want to do so honestly, with as little time spent on the details as possible. Your goal should be not to gloss over the hole, but to offset it with a positive statement about the future. You should also avoid making any statement that might make future employers concerned. For example, "My boss fired me after we fought one day," sets a very different tone than, "I lost my job unexpectedly and I used the opportunity to seek out a position that challenged me professionally and helped expand my skills in critical areas."
The latter statement is an example of an honest response, "I lost my job unexpectedly" followed by a strong positive statement. Using the time provided by severance or even being fired to find a more suitable position is understandable. It is much better than sitting around feeling sorry, of course.
Stay Focused On the Future
Throughout your interview and particularly this question, you should stay focused on the future. Offset any negative remark with a positive one about the career you're now seeking or what you learned from the experience that can benefit you in the future. For example, even personal issues can be turned around in a positive light, "I felt that personal issues outside of my control were affecting my performance at work, and decided to leave the position to resolve those issues. I am happy to say that my decision was the right one as I've been able to handle those items and used the extra time to seek out opportunities, such as this one, that best utilize my problem-solving skills and determination."
