Resume gaps have always been around , often the result of sabbaticals , continuing education or pregnancy . As with many things , however , the pandemic supercharged this trend .

GROWING NUMBERS

Nearly 115 million jobs were lost in 2020 as a COVID- 19 spread . In the U . S . alone , women ’ s participation in the work force declined to 57 %, the lowest since back in 1988 . Reductions in working hours led to people applying for multiple jobs to replace lost income . ( Entrepreneur magazine said the equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs were lost through these cuts alone .) The job market has bounced back . Still , in early 2022 , the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that about 3 million fewer people were employed compared with pre-pandemic numbers . Attempting to enter the workplace is always daunting , but in particular when asked to explain a break in employment . You ’ ll need to control your personal narrative in order to overcome this

so-called “ red flag .”

COMING TO TERMS

Focus on overcoming the natural discomfort that comes

with talking about time spent out of work . Your uneasiness will translate in any interview , making for an awkward or tentative talk with a prospective

© ADOBE STOCK

employer . That ’ s not the way to land the job . Work through any residual anger , self doubt or resentment — in particular if the choice to leave a previous

job wasn ’ t yours . Come to terms with your life experience , and you ’ ll be better able to explain an employment gap — and then move on .

DEVELOP A NARRATIVE

Interviewers are , by their very nature , inquisitive . They ’ re going to notice a period of unemployment , and ask questions — perhaps even open-ended questions meant to allow you to speak extemporaneously about what happened . Practice your response , beginning with why you separated from the last company . Maintain a proper level of honesty , but create a response that allows you to smoothly move on to the next topic : Why you ’ re a great candidate for this position .

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

Accept responsibility , if appropriate . But focus on highlighting things you did to grow personally and professionally in the interim . Employment gaps are often great opportunities to further your education , to become more involved with charitable or civic organizations , or to gain leadership and collaborative skills through parenting . Look to the future . Things that happened far away from any office can also form a foundation for what your career evolves into next .