complicated.work

By situation

How to explain it, situation by situation

Each page covers one reason for a gap or a move: what interviewers actually ask, labeled example answers, a resume line, and what not to say. The gap explainer is built in, set up for that situation.

  1. Laid offHow to explain being laid offA layoff is the easiest exit to explain and the one people most often over-explain. Say what happened in one sentence, then talk about the job in front of you.
  2. CaregivingHow to explain a caregiving gap on your resume and in interviewsCaring for someone is work, and it's one of the most common reasons for a gap. Name it plainly, say who only if you want to, and spend the rest of the answer on why you're ready now.
  3. HealthHow to explain a gap for health reasons, without oversharingYou decide how much of your health history an employer hears, and the honest minimum is usually enough. One sentence that it happened, one that you're ready, then back to the job.
  4. Study or trainingHow to explain time out for school, a degree or retrainingTime spent studying isn't really a gap. It's a credential with dates. The work is making the link between what you studied and the job you want obvious.
  5. Freelance or contractHow to explain freelance or contract work between jobsFreelancing isn't a gap. It's work, done without one employer's name on top. Your job is to make it read like the experience it was, and to answer the one question everyone asks: why go back to a permanent role?
  6. RelocationHow to explain a gap after moving to a new cityAfter a move, the gap itself is rarely the worry. What employers want to know is whether you're settled and staying. Answer that, and the dates take care of themselves.
  7. Career switchHow to explain time spent switching careersWhen you've taken time out to change direction, the gap is part of the story, not a hole in it. The trick is telling it forwards, from what you did before to why you're ready for this role.

Want the reasoning behind all of this? The guides go deeper on gaps, layoffs, career changes and returning to work.