Dealing with gaps in graduate CVs and applications

Your curriculum vitae or application form is the way employers can find out what you’ve been doing with your life so far. If you’ve had gaps during your education or working life, here’s how put a positive spin on them.

If you’re nearing the end of your studies and looking for a job, you need to get up to speed with submitting convincing, professional looking applications that will persuade your target employer to take a closer look at you. A well executed CV or application form offers a concise, bird’s-eye view of your achievements and experiences – usually within a timeline.

While employers aren’t looking for identikit, conventional employees, they will notice if there are chronological periods that are unaccounted for: for example, if you took longer than the standard time to complete your A levels or degree. It’s important to think carefully about how you present such ‘gaps’. And, depending on your approach, you need to be prepared to back up what you’ve said or, if you’ve chosen not to go into detail in your written application, have an explanation to hand in an interview.

There are few people who haven’t spent a few lazy (and probably well deserved) weeks off during their time at university, and there are usually good reasons for other kinds of gaps, so don’t waste time berating yourself and your misspent youth. Try to seek the positives in all your experiences and, if, for example, personal issues have at some stage or other affected what you were able to do, learn to feel comfortable about conveying the appropriate amount of information in a calm, clear way. Presenting yourself as a victim and trying to elicit sympathy will make recruiters run a mile.

Unusual chronology in your academic record

It is conventional to give dates of academic results gained, although you don’t need to give start dates. Still, employers will probably notice if there is an extra year or three that has crept into your academic track record. Ultimately, employers are more interested in the results you gained (and your work experience) than a slightly unusual timescale, but be prepared to explain any discrepancies in a straightforward and polite way. With any luck, you’ll be able to use the opportunity to convey something positive about yourself: for example, having the courage of your convictions to change direction in your degree, or retaking examinations after some difficult circumstances.

Gap year

Taking a gap year between school and university is pretty much the norm these days, so you’re unlikely to be given any grief about your decision. It is worth alluding to the fact that you had a gap year and explaining what you did during it. At interview, be prepared to expand on how you spent your time: if you only volunteered for three months, be honest about it, and have a hard think about what happened during the rest of the year, what you gained from it and what you learned about yourself. Remember that seeing the positive is a creative process – but don’t confuse creative with inventive!

Summer vacations

You don’t need to detail what you’ve done with your vacations during your degree on an application – however, be aware that if you have little or no work experience you will be up against some stiff competition from those who have. If you have chosen not to pursue this avenue, be ready to talk about what you did do during those months of free time. For example, if you went travelling or chose to spend more time studying, make sure you can explain the rationale behind your choices and how you felt they worked out and what you learned.

Top tips

Put the most important information first when listing academic qualifications and jobs: the subject and result gained, or the job role and company. Dates can be included in brackets afterwards.
Don’t feel you must give reasons for unusual dates (eg that show you did your A levels three years after GCSEs) – but if you are invited to an interview, be prepared to offer an honest explanation.
Don’t make things up to fill in gaps: it is much too easy to be found out and you are unlikely to sound convincing.
Get into the habit of keeping a record of what you get up to when you are not in full-time study or employment. If you are studying or working, don’t forget to keep a note of what you do during vacations and weekends. It can be easy to forget how much you have achieved and learned from all kinds of activities. Download our work experience tracker.

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