How To Explain Employment Gaps In An Interview
Jobseekers usually think that employment gaps are the obstacle between them and the offer letter. However, this is not true, because every professional takes a break from work at some point. The reason could be anything like post-graduation, executing a business idea, family problems, etc.
The reason for rejection is the incapability of explaining the employment gaps properly to recruiters. Through this blog, we will help you with how to explain gaps in employment during an interview.
How to talk about employment gaps
The following are some infallible strategies that will help you talk about employment gaps. Let’s get started:
Be prepared to talk about it
Employment gap questions are something that you cannot skip during the interview because recruiters are interested in knowing what you were doing when you were not working with any organisation. Therefore, you should be prepared mentally to answer their questions correctly instead of going blank in front of the interview panel.
Be honest
Be honest with the recruiter when talking about employment gaps because they can easily catch you if you try to manipulate them by giving an excuse. You should not be surprised by this because recruiters talk with many job candidates in a day, and this experience helps them catch lies in no time. Thus, you should give them a valid reason, explain what you were doing during the gap, and elaborate on why you want to return to work.
Fill the gap
Remember that you are not expected to give every tiny detail about what caused an employment gap because hiring managers just want to know what you did during the free period.
Hence, talk about how you kept up with the industry trends and what preparation you’ve done for your comeback. If you have done any freelance work or attended any seminars/classes to hone your professional skills, talk about it. In short, you should explain how you kept yourself engaged when you were not formally employed.
Four good reasons for employment gaps
If you are wondering about how to explain gaps in employment, here are some reasons that you can give to the hiring manager:
Impromptu resignation
Unplanned resignations occur when there’s an emergency, especially in the family. So, give a brief explanation and why you are ready to return to work now.
Laid off
The outbreak of coronavirus has resulted in a lot of layoffs, so don’t hesitate to speak if you were removed from your position. Since the coronavirus outbreak caused the recession, it’s okay to tell why you didn’t get the right job till now.
Fired
If you were fired because your employer was dealing with a financial crisis or management did any internal politics, explain everything clearly to the recruiter.
Took a sabbatical break for personal reasons
The last 2 to 3 years have been tough for everyone, so there’s no need to hesitate if you take a sabbatical break for mental health. Just explain your situation to let the recruiter put themselves in your shoes.
Final thoughts
Employment gaps can be problematic only when you don’t explain them adequately. It is worth noting that every professional has some gaps in employment, no matter whether they are in terms of days, months, or years.
With the help of this blog, we have attempted to give you some handy tips on how to explain gaps in employment. We hope this helps you in acing further interviews!
