What to do if there are gaps in your CV?

Should you be open about gaps or try to hide them? Here you can find out what HR professionals value – and why honesty is the best policy.

Curves, detours, gaps – not every career goes straight in one direction. The more frequently we change our job, the more gaps sometimes accumulate in our CV. After all, things don’t always go as planned. If there are delays, the time between jobs also increases – and the applicant finds himself in anguish. But when do HR managers actually start talking about a gap?

What is actually a gap in the CV?

A gap is a section of the CV where the applicant cannot provide evidence of employment. The term therefore describes the distances between two jobs. Basically, however, there is only a tangible gap at intervals of at least two months . From then on, HR managers usually become skeptical as to whether the candidate is suitable for the position. The assumption: The applicant apparently had difficulties finding a new job – perhaps even for good reason.

According to a study by the Robert Half recruitment agency, 71 percent of HR departments have already sorted out candidates with incomplete CVs. It is therefore important to deal skillfully with phases of reorientation. Or, ideally, not to let it develop in the first place – as a complete curriculum vitae.

Exception: starting a career

Nevertheless, HR managers do not immediately evaluate every gap as a knockout criterion, because they often arise for completely different reasons. Various factors play a role in the evaluation – but above all the context of the gap.

If it is less than two months, no HR manager expects a justification. However, starting a career is considered a legitimate reason for a larger gap . Since this phase generally takes a little longer, companies also accept larger gaps here. Since newcomers have less experience, they often have a much harder time in the application process. The employer is of course aware of this. Delays of up to six months are acceptable here – provided, of course, that this phase falls directly after the training. For all other gaps, there is of course still a need for explanation.

Effect on staff

Gaps in a CV tend to have a bad reputation because they tend to be related to longer periods of unemployment . Without other explanations, this suspicion is at least in the room.

It is therefore important to either clarify gaps or to fill them with meaningful activities beforehand. Here, for example, further training or social commitment come into question. Basically, any proof that you didn’t spend the time on the couch will do. On the other hand, the HR manager may not only recognize a certain level of initiative as an excuse, but even as a genuine reason for hiring.

Hiding Gaps: Risky Tactics

Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can fill in gaps with imaginary sections of your life. At the latest in the job interview, such frauds usually fly up and result in immediate resignation. And that’s not all: you Ergatterst the job despite a false statement , threatening in case they become known also subsequently dismissed without notice. Then everything was in vain.

Instead, many applicants try to cover up gaps with imaginative paraphrases. For example, a longer vacation is quickly relabeled as language training abroad. Of course, most HR managers know immediately what this is really about, after all it is their job.

Hiding gaps in your resume is also a popular tactic, such as leaving out months. Stages of life are then only ordered based on years, which means that most of the gaps in the list disappear. Others achieve the same effect with a so-called experience profile: Instead of depicting the beginning and end of employment relationships, the format is limited to the respective periods of time. It can look like this, for example:

6 years bachelor’s degree in history
3 years master’s degree in cultural studies
4 years editor at Example GmbH

5 years editor at Musterstädter Abendblatt

However, HR professionals know both methods well enough. Therefore, their chances of success are correspondingly low. At the latest during the interview you have to expect the question of what you have been up to during this period. If it ever comes to that. Your potential employer may also evaluate these tricks as an attempt to deceive – and sort out your application without further ado.

Tips for dealing with gaps in your CV

As a rule, there is no reason to resort to excuses and lies. In principle, HR managers only want one thing: a plausible explanation for any gaps. They automatically recognize the start of their career as a reason. You don’t have to state it separately, as long as it does not exceed the period of six months . Above all, however, all other gaps should provide answers – and not raise any questions.

For example, if you changed majors and were waiting for a place at college, this is an acceptable explanation. Personnel managers are familiar with such orientation phases and usually show forbearance – especially if you have successfully completed the follow-up studies. It is only important that you state and justify this period:

9/2014 to 4/2015 – Academic reorientation, change of course

Of course, this understanding has its limits. A large number of dropouts, for example, is less easy to explain and can be interpreted as an indication of a lack of discipline.

A longer period of illness or the care of a family member is also considered a legitimate reason. You do not have to explicitly state which disease it was. This is of course a private matter.

The norm: gaps due to unemployment

Unemployment tends to be seen as a negative point. However, shorter periods of time without employment do not mean that the applicant is immediately out of the application process. For example, if the employee has worked uninterruptedly for 20 years, four or five months of unemployment carries less weight – especially if it is the only gap in the CV.

The reason for dismissal can play a role here, for example . If the reason for the termination is, for example, the bankruptcy of the employer, the dismissal often hits the applicant suddenly. So finding a job is often more difficult – especially after long periods of employment or in old age. Such cases can certainly convince HR managers to overlook a gap.

For longer phases, however, it is often more difficult to find a satisfactory explanation. In most cases, the HR manager’s obvious assumption applies here: The applicant had difficulties finding a new job. For the company, the question is whether the candidate lacks the necessary skills. This suspicion is of course difficult to dispel. But there are ways and means to make the best of this situation.

Cover up gaps: structure of the CV

The first impression counts – also in the CV. You should therefore opt for a structure that places a gap at the end of the CV, if possible. There are basically two options here : the chronological or the anti-chronological, American CV. If you are not currently employed, the chronological structure is recommended. Then you start with the event that happened furthest back in time.

If, on the other hand, the gap is a little behind, a CV based on the American model is suitable. In this case, you start with the current date – and your last job.

Avoid drama

Most of the time, the truth is enough to put a gap in perspective. However, this should never happen at the expense of others – even if you are right about it. Blame or excuses never go down well. Your former boss unfairly fired you? You should keep that to yourself. Above all, your potential employer sees that you are badmouthing someone in their position.

Final touch: wording

Another strategy involves a seemingly unimportant detail: the word “unemployed”. You should generally avoid this term. Instead, the term “job-seeker” is appropriate. She describes the applicant as active and hard-working and avoids negative associations. In the best case, further training, retraining or internships support this impression.

In the case of a drastic career change or a lateral entry, the following formulation is even useful:

Professional reorientation with the aim of positioning in the xy area

The best way to demonstrate this commitment is through internships, further training and relevant certificates – or a course of study that suggests a connection to the position you are aiming for.