June 14, 2021
Source: iStock/Brothers91
There are several valid reasons why you may need to take a break from your career for months or even years at a time.
Perhaps you need to care for a child or family member, or perhaps you took a break to travel, volunteer for a worthy cause, or work on a personal project.
Some of the most common reasons for a CV gap include:
Whatever the case may be, it can still feel a little awkward explaining your career break to prospective employers once you return to the job market.
With that in mind, here are some tips that can help you explain your career break in your cover letter.
First of all, you don't want your cover letter to sound like a defence of why you had to take some time away from work.
Very few employers are going to worry much about your career break unless they think you're not ready to return to work, or there is some underlying factor that will affect your work with them.
Otherwise, your recruiter just wants to know why you would be the right person for the job.
Instead of addressing your career gap immediately, talk about your accomplishments in previous roles. For example:
Think about what you can share that will demonstrate your competence, industriousness, and expertise to the recruiter.
After all, the main reason you're writing the cover letter in the first place is to make yourself look as attractive to the company as possible.
Even though your qualifications and value to the prospective employer should make up the bulk of your cover letter, you still need to explain your absence from the workforce at some point.
Never give in to the temptation to hide your career gap, or gloss over it.
Granted, there may be a small possibility that the recruiter overlooks the gap; but if the recruiter finds out at a later stage of the hiring process, it could become an issue. In this situation, as in all others, honesty is the best policy.
At the same time, it's a good idea to mention why you think this role is the right fit for you coming back into the workforce.
Perhaps you could reiterate your previous experience in similar roles, or how you've kept your skills sharp during your absence.
Source: Shutterstock/GP Pixstock
When it's time for you to explain your career break in the cover letter, keep the explanation brief and concise.
Remember, you don't have to go in-depth as to why you left your previous job.
For example, let's say that you decided to leave work to care for your elderly parents. The recruiter doesn’t need to know the details about how you came to make the decision, as it is very personal to you.
Instead, you could briefly state something such as: In [insert year], I took some time away from work to care for my parents. It's simple, to the point, and tells the recruiter all they need to know about the situation.
At Airswift, we are committed to helping employees in the energy, process and infrastructure industries find the right job.
If you'd like to explore current openings in your field, sign up to our jobs board today.
This post was written by: Mariana Santos, Delivery Center Manager – Global Recruitment & Training
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