How Do You Explain The Inevitable Breaks In Your CV? Mind the Gap…

There are around 1.1 million people in the UK working multiple jobs, making up 3.4 per cent of the workforce.

• 590,000 of these have multiple employee roles,
• 120,000 have multiple self-employment, and
• 420,000 combine employment and self-employment.

Traditional employment continues to evolve with the 9-5 paradigm almost obsolete. The gig economy is on the rise. Most importantly, flexibility, autonomy and lifestyle are the new priorities. This does not necessarily mean though that employers have fully embraced/understand the new career deal. And/or that they are not (still) nervous about hiring candidates without a consecutive employment history.

Because gaps in a CV can be of course both voluntary and involuntary. And both positive and/or negative reasons (e.g. prison). Like or it not, for many employers a gap or gaps in someone’s employment history represent a potential red flag. So they need an explanation. I know, I know completely misaligned with portfolio careers. And/or the freelancing/interim world.

Justifying gaps in a CV isn’t just applicable to the freelance/interim/gig economy world. It is also applicable to people that had career break/s for all sorts of reasons. From looking after an ill relative to having children and so on.

This opens up a whole different discussion on the diversity and inclusion challenges of barriers to re-entry in the workplace. I shall leave/expand on this next week, in Part 2 of this blog.

In the meantime, if you are a freelancer/working in the interim management space let me know what is your experience with this? How do you explain the inevitable breaks in your career?

Mind the Gap…