Explain an Employment Gap in a Job Interview
About this video
Jeff explains how to answer interview questions about an employment gap. He notes that short gaps of six months or fewer, and gaps from a number of years ago, usually require no explanation, but long or recent gaps do because employers worry about reliability, capability, and commitment. His one core strategy is to quickly reframe the question away from justifying the gap itself and toward the relevant skills and experiences picked up during the break that apply to the role being applied for, shifting from defense to offense. For a personal gap such as caring for a loved one or yourself, he suggests identifying transferable skills like multitasking, decision-making under stress, and project management, with concrete examples such as building an Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheets tracker to manage healthcare paperwork and deadlines, or researching hospitals, clinics, and doctors and consolidating findings to make decisions. For a professional gap such as being furloughed, downsized, or having an offer rescinded, he advises emphasizing that you are seeking a long-term fit rather than just a paycheck and explaining why this company is suitable — illustrated by an acquaintance out of work for eight months who cited being downsized due to broader market factors, admired the hiring marketing agency for cutting pay across the board instead of letting anyone go, and took courses on Skillshare, Coursera, and Udacity to stay current on digital marketing. He closes with supporting pointers: be honest because reference checks verify employment dates, stay calm and non-defensive while acknowledging the interviewer’s concern, and consider briefly explaining the gap in a cover letter.
Key takeaways
- Gaps of six months or fewer, or from years ago, usually need no explanation; long or recent gaps raise employer concerns about reliability, capability, and commitment
- Reframe the answer to focus on relevant skills and experiences gained during the gap that apply to the target role
- For caregiving gaps, cite concrete examples like building a spreadsheet tracker for healthcare paperwork and researching providers
- For furlough/downsizing gaps, stress seeking a long-term fit and upskilling, as in the eight-month example using Skillshare, Coursera, and Udacity
- Be honest about dates, stay calm and unapologetic rather than defensive, and optionally explain the gap briefly in a cover letter
Episode details: published October 7, 2020 · 6:28 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Jeff Su’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.
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