How to explain a career gap on your CV and in interviews

Career breaks are common: caring for children or parents, health, redundancy, study, travel, or simply needing a rest. Employers see them all the time. What matters is that you explain it briefly and move on to what you can do.

On your CV: one honest line

Put the gap in your experience section like any other period, with a short description. You don't need to give private details.

• "2021 to 2024: Career break, caring for a family member."
• "2023: Career break after redundancy. Completed a bookkeeping course."
• "2022 to 2023: Time out for health. Now fully ready to return to work."

Count what you did during it

Caring, volunteering, running a household, helping at a school or club, a course: these all use real skills like organisation, patience, budgeting and problem solving. Add them if they're relevant.

In an interview: three sentences

Say what the break was, what you did or learned, and why you're ready now. Then bring the conversation back to the job.

What you don't have to share

You don't have to give medical details. If a health condition or disability means some adjustments would help at interview or at work, you can ask for them. On KindHire you can save adjustments privately and choose whether to share them when you apply.