How to properly justify an employment gap due to COVID-19 on your CV

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Find a sensible strategy to get around both the large and little gaps in your career history.

At some time in their careers, the majority of people will experience a gap in their employment history. Due to the fact that 9.6 million American employees lost their employment in the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak, this has become even more widespread. Even with this, research reveals that eighty-four percent of job searchers believe there is a social stigma attached to being unemployed, and sixty-seven percent feel this is impacting their job hunt.

You've come to the perfect place if you're a looking for a job, but unclear of how to handle gaps in your CV.


What exactly is an employment gap?

A career gap is a timespan, typically a few months to a few years, where an individual is not working. There are several explanations for why a person can have a break in their career history, such as caring for one's family, returning to school, or just being unemployed. Employment gaps can always be accommodated for, whatever the cause!


5 CV strategies for employment gaps


Be truthful regarding any pauses in employment

Simply lying on your CV regarding an employment gap will make you appear unreliable. Any dishonesty will very certainly be uncovered during the recruiting process. The majority of companies are understanding when it comes to cutbacks and dismissals, but getting discovered misrepresenting your work history will reflect considerably worse on your reputation than a break in employment.


Recognize large gaps

You may construct your resume such that lengthy work gaps look as their own job if you have to take a sizable period of time off from your profession. For instance, if you were off the job from 2020 to 2021 taking care of a sick member of the family, mention this on your cv as if it were a job, including your duties and the knowledge you acquired.


Reduce the prominence of minor gaps

There are techniques you may use to make a work gap appear less evident, even though you should never mislead employers on your cv or application form. This is crucial since firms are now using AI to screen candidates, which might cause them to reject your application. One easy tip: If you were only out of work for a short while, merely list the years you worked there instead of the months. This can help you acquire a job, yet you should still be open and honest about your reasons for leaving during the interview.


Don't overlook training or volunteering

Show your effort and bring attention to the unique skills and knowledge you acquired while unemployed. Volunteering might show employers how committed you are to acquiring the traits of a top recruit (e.g. team spirit, emotional maturity, and dedication). Attending a few free classes shows that you have desire and are up to date on advances in your field. It's a great achievemet that you were able to sign up for an on-site or online training course. Even if it is unrelated to the profession you are applying for, freelancing provides an opportunity to showcase fresh skills (e.g. versatility, organizational skills, and fast learning).


Prepare for interview questions in advance

Plan how you will respond to questions about a job gap in interviews even if you should have previously given some background in your cover letter. Try to maintain a positive attitude and recall the abilities and information you gained while working. How could they make you a more valued worker?

The most essential thing you may do if you were terminated is demonstrate that you learnt from the event (e.g. now I understand I should communicate to my management if I'm going through a serious issue in my private life - and engaging with them so my work performance isn't harmed.). If your employment was abolished as a result of company-wide layoffs, you'll need a brief justification (e.g. COVID-19 virus, company reorg). Remember to be concise and, if at all possible, emotion-free in your response even if you departed to take up the role of caretaker.



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