How to Address Career Gaps on Your CV and During Interviews in 2025

We’re often told that the only way to succeed in our careers is to keep climbing, non-stop. But life doesn’t work like that.

Sometimes, we need to step back — whether by choice or circumstance:

• Caring for a child or elderly parent

• Recovering from illness or burnout

• Taking a career break to travel or reflect

• Launching a personal venture that didn’t work out

• Pursuing study or training

• Simply pausing to decide the next step

And that’s not a failure. It’s human.

In fact, in 2025, more UK employers are acknowledging that careers aren’t linear. Awareness of well-being, mental health, and flexible work has grown. Recruiters are far less likely to dismiss you for having a gap — provided you handle it professionally, honestly, and strategically on your CV.

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How to Address Career Gaps on Your CV

1) Be transparent with dates

If your gap was less than a year, you can choose to list just the years of employment instead of months. This may reduce attention on short breaks.

That said, most UK recruiters still prefer to see both months and years. If your gap was only a few months, honesty is the better route — they will likely uncover it during interviews or reference checks anyway.

2) Highlight volunteering or pro bono work

If you volunteered during your time off, include it. Don’t undersell it — show how you applied your skills:

✔ Helped a charity redesign fundraising processes, boosting donations
✔ Mentored students at a local university, helping them secure placements

This shows you stayed engaged and used your expertise to add value.

3) Show professional development

Filling gaps with learning is a strong strategy. Free and affordable online platforms like Coursera and edX offer courses from Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London.

Listing a few relevant professional development courses on your CV demonstrates proactivity and keeps your skills current.

How NOT to Handle Career Gaps

🚫 Never falsify dates. Extending employment dates to cover gaps is a red flag. If recruiters call for references, dishonesty can permanently damage your reputation.

🚫 Avoid functional CVs. Functional formats hide dates and organise CVs by skills. Recruiters dislike them because they look evasive and often fail ATS scans. Stick to a clear reverse-chronological format — it’s professional, expected, and ATS-friendly.

How to Explain Gaps in Interviews

You can assume the gap will come up in conversation. The key is to own it and frame it positively.

Examples:

• “I took time out to raise my children, and now I’m ready to re-enter the workforce.”

• “After recovering from illness, I’m excited to return with renewed focus.”

• “I took a year to travel, which gave me fresh perspective and resilience that I bring back into my work.”

Always close by signalling readiness: “I’m fully committed to the next stage of my career and eager to make a strong contribution.”

Final Word

Career gaps aren’t career-enders. Handled poorly, they can raise doubts. Handled well, they can show resilience, honesty, and continued growth.

If you’re struggling with how to present your career gap, a professional CV writer in the UK can help you create a CV that’s honest, ATS-compliant, and still positions you as a strong candidate. At CV Pilots, we work with returners, pivoters, and executives every day to ensure their CV tells a compelling career story — gaps and all.

To find out more, visit our website www.cvpilots.co.uk If you have any further questions, you can either book a consultation call with one of our team, or get in touch via email on team@cvpilots.co.uk