Last updated: January 2026
In this article: Be Truthful | Keep Dates Simple | How to Reference It | Fill in the Gaps | Cover Letter Advice | FAQs
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It’s an age-old conundrum: whether you were unemployed for a while or took a leave of absence, how do you address date gaps on your resume?
Traditionally, there are two schools of thought: ignore the gap and deal with it when you speak to a hiring manager, or be upfront about it so you don’t have to choose your words carefully during the interview—assuming you get that far.
We asked several HR and career experts to settle the issue once and for all.
Be Truthful About Employment Gaps
“Be proactive—address it upfront,” suggests Heather Huhman, a former hiring manager and founder of Come Recommended in Washington, D.C. “In a competitive job market, employers are pickier about who they interview. Having obvious gaps of employment makes many hiring managers wary about you—whether it’s a fair assumption about your character or not.”
Amy Phillip, a Brooklyn-based career coach and resume writer who formerly worked as an HR director, agrees that you have to be honest about gaps, no matter how short.
“If you don’t address gaps, you won’t get an interview,” she warns. “The more transparent you can be, the better.”
If you don’t explain professional time off in your resume, a hiring manager may infer any number of things about you—and that could cost you the interview.
“You don’t want to leave anything open to interpretation,” Phillip adds. By addressing it upfront, questions about why you took time off are out of the hiring manager’s mind before they even meet you.
Keep Dates Simple
One way people minimize the appearance of resume gaps is to list only years of employment rather than months. So if you were out of work during the summer but employed by October, it still looks like continuous employment.
But should you disclose every short-term break? It depends.
Phillip never references months on a resume. Dawn Bugni, Master Resume Writer, says she only lists months when it helps a client.
For example, if you were laid off in June, you may want to note that your sabbatical began then. “If the search is protracted and the month becomes a detriment, switch to years only,” she notes.
How to Reference Employment Gaps
So you’re going to address the gap—where exactly do you include it?
Phillip suggests referencing time off exactly where the gap appears chronologically in your work history, or placing the note at the end of your professional experience section.
If you have more than two periods of unemployment to explain, put the reference at the bottom and state both dates in one statement.
What Language to Use
The less detail you share, the better. The last thing a recruiter wants to see is intimate details of why you took time off.
Phillip says including fluff or filler is never a good idea. Instead, include a one- or two-line note stating that you took a “professional sabbatical,“ followed by the dates.
“Job seekers need to focus on the positive done and skills gained while between positions, not on explaining why they were between positions,” Bugni adds.
Some may argue that being vague still omits the truth. But Phillip says by simply referencing your sabbatical, you can explain it during an interview if asked—without having to address the elephant in the room.
Fill in the Gaps with Activity
Most professionals who were laid off didn’t spend all their time watching TV. Instead, many kept busy by attending networking events, interning or volunteering, taking professional development courses, or going back to school.
Jobs aren’t always easy to come by, and it’s not uncommon for people to be unemployed for a year or more. By including these activities in your professional experience section, you’re not ignoring the gap—you’re showing you stayed productive during it.
A recruiter will see that although you weren’t “working,” you didn’t spend your days waiting for the phone to ring.
“Put it under ‘Professional Experience,'” says Phillip. “I would not separate that out to a separate section.”
Phillip recently worked with a young architect who took five years off to have children but wanted to return to her profession. She noted her time as a new mom on her resume and received plenty of calls. She had to take a step down to get back into the field, but she got a job, and her gap did not hold her back.
“The gap wasn’t even a question during the interview, because it was already addressed in the resume,” Phillip says.
Rethink Your Cover Letter Strategy
Many people omit gaps from their resume and explain them in the cover letter instead. But Phillip says this can waste your time. Why? Because most cover letters don’t get read.
She admits that during her time as a hiring manager, she only read a cover letter if the applicant was from out of town and needed to discuss relocation expectations. Otherwise, the cover letter was futile.
That’s not the viewpoint of all hiring managers, and many companies require cover letters. However, Phillip suggests not using the cover letter as your only means of explaining gaps.
Bugni agrees: “There is no guarantee a cover letter will be read in the order intended, if at all. I do not risk sharing anything important only in the cover letter. I do it on the resume and might mention it in the cover letter too—although you don’t want a cover letter to become a regurgitation of the resume.”
Key Takeaways
- Address gaps proactively — Don’t leave them open to interpretation
- Use “professional sabbatical” — Avoid “leave of absence” terminology
- Keep it brief — One to two lines maximum
- Show activity — Include volunteering, courses, or freelance work during gaps
- Use years, not months — When it helps minimize short gaps
- Don’t rely on cover letters — Address gaps on your resume directly
“Resume writing is sales and marketing. Do what it takes to present skills in the most positive light possible,” adds Bugni. “Put effort into selling the value you bring to an organization, not explaining why you were able, forced, or chose to take time away from the work world.”
FAQs About Employment Gaps on Resumes
How do I explain an employment gap on my resume?
Address it directly by listing a “professional sabbatical” with the dates where the gap appears in your work history. Keep the explanation brief (one to two lines) and focus on any productive activities during that time, such as volunteering, courses, or freelance work.
Should I put a sabbatical on my resume?
Yes. Using the term “professional sabbatical” is preferable to leaving an unexplained gap. It acknowledges the time off without getting into personal details, showing you’re transparent with potential employers.
Is it better to use months or years on a resume?
Using years only can help minimize the appearance of short gaps. If you were unemployed for a few months but working by year’s end, listing only years makes the transition seamless. However, if months help your case (showing you started a sabbatical recently), include them.
Should I explain employment gaps in my cover letter?
Don’t rely solely on your cover letter to explain gaps—many hiring managers don’t read them. Address the gap on your resume first. You can mention it in your cover letter as well, but the resume should be your primary venue.
What’s the difference between “leave of absence” and “professional sabbatical”?
In HR terminology, “leave of absence” typically implies medical or family-related leave, which can raise questions. “Professional sabbatical” is more neutral—it simply indicates time away from your career without suggesting specific circumstances.
How do I address a gap if I was caring for family?
List it as a professional sabbatical with the dates. You don’t need to explain that you were caregiving on your resume. If asked during an interview, you can briefly mention it without going into detail. Focus on any relevant skills or activities during that time.
Will employment gaps hurt my chances of getting hired?
Not necessarily—especially if you address them proactively. Unexplained gaps raise more red flags than acknowledged ones. By being transparent about what you did during your time off, you demonstrate honesty and initiative, which many employers value.
How long a gap is too long to explain?
There’s no fixed rule, but gaps of a year or more warrant explanation. Even extended gaps can be addressed positively if you show you stayed engaged through volunteering, education, freelance work, or other professional activities. Focus on the value you bring, not the length of the gap.
