How to explain a gap in your CV (UK)

The rule: one line, no apology

Treat the gap like any other entry on your CV. Put it in date order, give it the same formatting as a job, and explain it in a single line. You don't need to give medical details, apologise or tell the whole story.

Tip: Short gaps of a few months between jobs usually don't need explaining at all. Focus on gaps of six months or more, or any gap the application form asks about.

Gap in your CV due to illness

You don't have to name the illness or give medical details. In England, Scotland and Wales, the Equality Act 2010 means an employer generally must not ask about your health before offering you a job, apart from narrow exceptions such as asking whether you need adjustments for the interview. A neutral line is enough.

• CV line: "Mar 2024 – Jan 2025: Career break for health reasons, now fully recovered."
• If it's ongoing but managed: "Mar 2024 – Jan 2025: Career break to manage a health condition. Now ready to return to work."
• If you did something useful: "Mar 2024 – Jan 2025: Career break for health reasons. Completed [online course] during recovery."

Mental health: the same wording works. "Health reasons" covers physical and mental health, and you don't need to say which. If you'd find it helpful to tell an employer more, the cover letter or a later conversation is a better place than the CV.

Interview answer: "I took some time out for health reasons. That's behind me now and I'm ready to get back to work, which is why this role appeals. It uses my experience in [area]." Then stop and let them move on.

Tip: If you have a disability or long-term condition and need adjustments at interview or at work, you can ask for them. GOV.UK lists disability as a protected characteristic, so it is against the law for an employer to discriminate against you because of it.

Gap in your CV due to caring for someone

Caring for a relative, partner or friend is a common reason for a gap, and it builds real skills: organisation, coping under pressure, dealing with professionals and managing money.

• CV line: "Jun 2023 – Apr 2025: Full-time carer for a family member. Care arrangements now in place."
• With skills: "Jun 2023 – Apr 2025: Full-time carer for a family member. Coordinated appointments with health and social care services and managed household budgets."
• Still caring part-time: "Jun 2023 – present: Carer for a family member, now able to work [part-time / set hours]."

Interview answer: "I stepped away from work to care for a family member. They're now well supported, so I'm returning to [field]. Caring kept my organisation sharp. I was coordinating appointments, paperwork and several people's schedules every week."

Tip: If you'll still have caring responsibilities, you don't have to mention them on your CV. Once you're employed in England, Scotland or Wales, GOV.UK explains that you can take up to one week of unpaid carer's leave every 12 months.

Gap in your CV due to a baby or raising children

Time out to raise children doesn't need defending. Describe it plainly and, if it fits, show you've kept your skills current.

• CV line: "Sep 2019 – Aug 2025: Career break to raise my family."
• With activity: "Sep 2019 – Aug 2025: Career break to raise my family. PTA treasurer at [school] (2022–2025), managing a budget of around £[amount]."
• After maternity or shared parental leave with the same employer: you don't need a gap at all. Your job continued, so list it as one continuous role.

Interview answer: "I took a few years out to look after my children. They're both at school now, and I'm keen to get back into [field]. I've kept up to date by [course / volunteering / reading]."

Tip: Pregnancy and maternity is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. You don't need to share your childcare plans on your CV.

Gaps for other reasons

Tip: If you spent time in prison, the rules on what you must disclose depend on whether your conviction is spent. Read GOV.UK's guide to telling an employer about a criminal record, or get advice from a specialist charity such as Nacro or Unlock, before you write anything.

Where to put the gap on your CV

1. In your work history, in date order. This is the default and the most transparent.
2. In your profile, if the gap is recent and long. For example: "Experienced administrator returning to work after a career break to raise my family." Then the reader isn't left wondering.
3. In a hybrid CV, if the gap is long and your best evidence is older. Lead with key skills, then give a short work history that still includes the dates. See the returning to work CV example.

Use one place, not three. Mentioning a gap in the profile, the work history and the cover letter makes it look bigger than it is.

In your cover letter

Only mention the gap in a cover letter if it helps, for example if it's recent, long or the reason you're changing direction. Keep it to one sentence that points forward:

• "After two years caring for my father, I'm returning to procurement and looking for a role where my category management experience counts."
• "Having taken time out to raise my children, I'm ready to return to accounts work, and I've refreshed my skills with [course]."

See the career change cover letter example for a full letter in the same style.

Answering "Can you explain this gap?" at interview

Use the same three steps for any reason: what happened (one sentence), what you did or learned (one sentence, if there's something useful), and why you're ready now and want this job (one or two sentences). Keep it under 20 seconds, then stop.

Practise it out loud until it sounds unremarkable. The tell me about yourself guide and the interview questions tool help you prepare the rest of the interview.