Explaining career gaps:
Sickness: Try to focus on your recovery. If you were out of work long-term, you could explain why you made the decision to take a break to get better, which has ensured you could perform well in your next role.Redundancy: The concern may be about why it was you over other colleagues, so be factual about the situation and avoid any negativity. For example - ‘my company’s policy put me at risk, and I saw an opportunity’ or ‘I was put at risk and my role was made redundant, but I used the time to learn a new skill, which makes me a better candidate for future roles.’Parental leave and home-schooling: Maternity or paternity leave is a wonderful, important and much-needed, part of becoming a parent, but there is still an opportunity to use this time off to your advantage on your CV. Many parents were also faced with the difficult task of full-time home-schooling during the lockdown. You can explain how this experience enabled you to learn new teaching skills and are now better equipped to work with junior employees in the workplace.Travel: Travelling shows you value a work-life balance and are interested in learning about different cultures or expanding your language skills. If you went travelling solo, you can also talk about skills like independence, self-reliance and possibly even problem-solving.
