How To Address Gaps in Your Resume With Confidence —and Without Apologizing
One of the most common sources of anxiety I see when working with job seekers is how to explain resume gaps. People worry that time away from paid work needs to be justified, explained away, or quietly hidden.
As a professional resume writer, I’m going to fill you in on a little secret…
It doesn’t.
Let me explain.
A Real Client Story: When “Gaps” Are Actually Experience
I worked recently with a client, Joan, who came to me in a panic. A woman in her mid-sixties, she had landed a last-minute interview and needed a resume prepared quickly. I send all of my clients a questionnaire to fill out that we review together on the phone—and a few minutes into our call, I understood why she was so nervous.
Her form was blank.
Nothing on it at all.
The client explained that she had spent much of the last decade “not working.” Rather than pass judgment, I asked her what she had been doing.
And let me tell you, this woman was quite busy!
During that time, her primary role had been as a hands-on caregiver—caring for her disabled grandson who required constant attention and advocacy. Earlier in her life, she had also stepped away from work to recover from a serious car accident. Understandably, she was deeply concerned about how an employer would perceive this employment gap—and whether it would disqualify her entirely.
But as I asked more questions, a new story began to take shape.
Uncovering Hidden Skills and Experience
During those years, she was an active volunteer at her grandson’s school and ultimately received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the PTA. She helped launch local chapters of national community organizations. She managed schedules, coordinated people, advocated for resources, and built relationships across institutions. She was also deeply engaged in her own interests—an avid bowler and a longtime dancer who continues to practice ballroom and Latin dance.
None of this was an “absence.” It was experience. And for me as a resume writer? It was gold.
“I had the most pleasant experience working with Hayley Brooks. She was available throughout the process and produced my resume within the timeframe I needed. I cannot say enough about her professionalism. I look forward to working with her again.”
Joan Nielsen
You Are More Than Your Job Titles
Resumes are not historical artifacts, confessions, or apologies. They are strategic, curated documents. Their purpose is to tell a clear, honest story about who you are, what you can do, and how your experience translates to the exact role you’re pursuing.
How We Reframed Her Resume
When we reframed her resume, we stopped trying to explain away the gap and instead reorganized the document to reflect the reality of her experience.
We broke her resume down into unique, thoughtful sections that made sense for her story and showcased her volunteerism, which allowed her caregiving and community leadership to be seen clearly—without defensiveness or over-explanation.
And once she felt proud of what she saw reflected back to her on the page, the rest came easily.
Common Reasons for Resume Gaps (And Why They’re Valid)
This approach applies far beyond caregiving. I regularly work with clients whose resumes include employment gaps due to:
Maternity or parental leave
Mental health breaks or burnout recovery
Caring for an aging parent or family member
Illness or recovery from injury
The death of a loved one
Extended job searches after layoffs
Career pivots that required time to retrain or reassess
These experiences are human. They are also increasingly common.
The Biggest Mistake People Make With Resume Gaps
The biggest mistake I see when people address career gaps is leading with apology and defensive energy.
When you frame a gap as something shameful—something that needs to be justified—you unintentionally signal to an employer that this time was a liability. Instead, the goal is to address it authentically, succinctly, and without self-judgment.
You set the tone with your energy. Let everyone else match you.
Keep it moving!
What You Should Remember
And if you take anything away from this, let it be this:
You do not need to share everything
You should never apologize for prioritizing your health, your family, or your life
If you are made to feel ashamed in an interview, you probably don’t want to work there anyway
A well-crafted resume (and interview narrative) acknowledges time away from paid work calmly, focuses on transferable skills, and makes it easy for the reader to understand what you bring to the table now.
Easy, breezy, and honest. Good, grounded energy.
Owning Your Story: From Gap to Strength
In this client’s case, once she stopped seeing her caregiving years as an absence—and started seeing them as leadership, advocacy, and real work—everything shifted. Her resume reflected confidence instead of defensiveness. Her interview answers followed suit.
And yes—she got the job.
Your Next Steps
If you have gaps in your resume, you are not alone, and you are not behind. The work is not to erase those chapters, but to integrate them thoughtfully into a story that you can stand behind proudly and honestly.
Need help taking the next step?
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Schedule a free consultation or fill out the form below to start. I’ll take it from there.