Career Gap

A period of unemployment or time away from work visible on your resume.

A career gap (also called an employment gap) is any period longer than a few months where you were not formally employed. Gaps can be intentional (childcare, travel, education, health, sabbatical) or unintentional (layoffs, extended job searches). They're increasingly common and no longer carry the stigma they once did.

The best way to handle a gap is to be honest and brief. Don't try to hide it with a functional resume format — recruiters will spot the trick and become suspicious. Instead, acknowledge the gap directly, either in your cover letter or with a short "Career Break" line on the resume explaining what you did during it (learning, caregiving, freelance, etc.). Keeping your skills current during the gap is the most important thing you can do.