Gaps in Your CV: How to Explain Them

Almost every career has interruptions: looking for work after a dismissal, parental leave, an illness, caring for a relative or a deliberate break. Recruiters know this. They become suspicious mainly when a period is simply missing or the dates do not add up. So the rule is: do not hide gaps, name them clearly.

When is a gap a gap?

Short breaks between two jobs, say one or two months, usually need no explanation. If you give month and year in your CV, it is clear at a glance that it was just a transition. From about three months on, a short line that fills the period is worth it. You almost never need more than one line.

Wording for the most common cases

Unemployment and job search

Write what you did during that time, not just that you were without a job. Good examples:

• “Career reorientation, further training in project management (certificate)”
• “Active job search, alongside an English course at B2 level”
• “Freelance projects in bookkeeping”

You explain long-term unemployment the same way: name it honestly and show how you kept your skills up to date. Courses, volunteering, projects or temporary work all count.

Career break and sabbatical

A deliberate break can appear in your CV: “Sabbatical: travelled through South America, improved Spanish”. If you learned or organised something during that time, mention it. If not, “Sabbatical” with the dates is enough.

Parental leave and family time

“Parental leave” or “Family time” with the dates is enough. Details about family planning do not belong in an application, and you do not have to discuss them in an interview.

Caring for a relative

Enter the caring period like any other entry: “Caring for a relative” with the dates. Carers organise, deal with authorities and take on responsibility. If it fits the job, you can show that in half a sentence.

Illness

“Health-related break, now fully fit for work” is enough. Diagnoses do not belong in a CV. In Germany, questions about your health in an interview are only permitted if they matter for the specific job.

What can you leave out of your CV?

Not every gap comes from a lack of work. Often the CV is simply too long. You can leave out positions from many years ago that play no role for the job, school internships once you have work experience, and hobbies unrelated to the job. The only thing that matters is that the timeline stays complete: if you summarise early years, say so, for example “2004–2010: various positions in retail”.

Explaining gaps in the interview

Prepare an answer of two to three sentences: what happened, what you did during that time and why you are now ready for exactly this job. For example: “After my employer went insolvent, I deliberately reoriented myself and completed further training in controlling. That is exactly the knowledge I would like to bring to your team.” Then steer the conversation back to the job.

You will find more wording in our answers on addressing gaps in your CV and on structuring your CV.

Why do applications fail because of the CV?

Less often because of a gap than because of a poor fit. A CV that lists positions but does not show what you bring to the advertised job falls through, with or without a gap. So first check whether the key requirements of the ad are visible in your CV. The free Quick Check shows you where your CV stands within a few minutes.

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