Covering the CV Gap

How bad is it to have a career gap in your CV?

The answer is it’s not bad. You just have to explain it. Gaps can appear for all sorts of reasons and yours is unique to you. CVs are skim read, so if you have a gap that will stand out, it raises the question “why?”. So, it’s best to have a short answer.

If your career gap is recent or more than a couple of months long, it’s worth addressing it somewhere in your CV. If not, be ready with an explanation in your interview. And yes, “I needed some time to work out my next move” is a valid reason to give and mental health breaks count too.

Depending on your reason for needing time out, you could include a brief gap explanation as a bullet point at the bottom of your last employer before the break.

• Left firm to start a business
• Took time off to start a family
• Took a break to study

But if your gap can’t be quite so neatly summarised, you could write a sentence explaining the gap in your cover letter or in your summary paragraph. Just keep it brief, honest and positive.

This is also true in an interview. Addressing your career gap in person needs confidence and practising your narrative. Your honesty and positivity explaining the gap can work in your favour and actually become a reason to employ you.

CV Gaps are not flaws in your personality. They’re realities for millions of people in every profession, including the legal profession. So don’t presume a gap is a career-defining catastrophe. It could even be the reason you land your next dream job.

If you’re thinking of leaving your current job and you’re looking for new legal opportunities, we’re ready for you! Get in touch today to start something new.