Gaps in the resume

A gap in the curriculum vitae can happen quickly. Voluntary time off, dismissal, extended sick leave, failed self-employment or even travel can be reasons for this.

Nevertheless, gaps often raise questions with personnel officers and can even put the applicant in a bad light if necessary. We provide tips and show how you can skilfully conceal your gaps in your CV.

What are gaps in the resume anyway?
Gaps in the curriculum vitae are periods of non-employment. A period of four to eight weeks is often accepted by recruiters without explanation. Perhaps you were on an extended trip or you were intensively engaged in building a house. However, any interruption that lasts longer than eight weeks should be compellingly justified. The old adage "honesty is the best policy" should be heeded. Lies or embellishments are usually quickly seen through by personnel officers and lead to a decrease in your integrity and credibility. In addition, false information in your resume is a legitimate reason for dismissal.

Tips and tricks for dealing with gaps
Many applicants conceal their gaps by omitting month information and using only year information instead. This could then look like this:

2010 until 2015 Employment with NoName AG

2015 to 2016: Employment with XYZ AG

2016 to 2019: Employment with Muster AG

We advise you to refrain from this trick, because it is well known to personnel officers and can lead to unpleasant questions. Instead, we recommend that you explain the work interruption with an honest reason. Here, the choice of words is crucial. A good example of this is the term "unemployed". Under no circumstances should you use this word, which has negative connotations, in your resume. Rather, it is advisable to use the term "job-seeking" or "professional reorientation". Other gap fillers that meet with the understanding of most personnel officers include:

Basically, we recommend "courage to fill in the gap" and, above all, honesty. As long as you can explain your gap in a comprehensible and honest way, you will not have to worry in most cases. Even recruiters know that the job search can prove difficult under certain circumstances and that a gap in your resume is the resulting consequence. The important thing is that your motivation and commitment are noticeable.