In this interview training tutorial, I want to tackle that dreaded interview question:
Why are there gaps in your employment?
So, if you have a gap, or a number of gaps, in your employment history, please do not
worry.
I am here to help.
I will explain what you need to say during this interview question.
And more importantly, I will give you sample answers to every conceivable scenario based
around gaps in employment.
Now, before I do that, a very warm welcome to this interview training tutorial.
My name is Richard McMunn.
That's me there in the center.
I am a former fire officer and I am the founder of this CareerVidz YouTube channel.
And I help people by giving them TOP-SCORING ANSWERS to make sure they pass their interview.
And I will do that today, specifically, for you.
Please do make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the channel by clicking the red button below the video.
Then you won't miss out.
And I would also very much appreciate it if you gave the video a LIKE.
Thank you very much!
So, the interview question is going to be: Can you explain why there are gaps in your
employment history?
So, as I say, do not worry.
Now, there are many, many reasons why people have gaps in employment.
And it's actually seen as a positive thing nowadays.
With people living longer and longer lives, it's important that we manage our careers
and that we are energized to be at work so we can carry out our duties responsibly, and
competently.
So you might have had time off work just to take a general break.
You needed a bit of time off.
That's fine.
You might have gone traveling.
This is a good thing.
It's seen as positive if you go away traveling; experiencing different cultures and also experiencing
different languages, and you may have taken time off for educational or personal development
purposes.
And again, this is a good one.
A good reason why you might have a gap in your employment, you may have taken time off
to raise a family.
Again, a perfectly legitimate reason, and you're now ready to come back to work.
Or, maybe you've been off to look after sick or ill relatives.
An unfortunate situation to be in, but obviously you need to take your responsibilities in
regard to that situation seriously.
And finally, a really common one is, people just can't find a job!
They might spend months and months, or sometimes a year or two, looking for work.
And they've just been unfortunate.
That's absolutely fine.
So, I will give you answers to all of these scenarios when they say to you, why is there
a gap in your employment?
Two important tips before I give you those great, sample answers to all gaps in employment
interview questions.
IMPORTANT TIP NUMBER ONE: you have to be honest here.
Honesty is a very, very attractive attribute that employers look for.
So if you say…
“Can I be totally honest here?
I have been looking for work since I left my last job and I've not managed to find one
yet.
I've not been successful.”
That's attractive.
You're honest.
OK.
Honesty is really, really important.
So, do be honest, because you don't want it to come back and backfire on you later on,
if you've not told the truth.
The second tip, and this is the important thing.
What we need to do is ‘reframe’ your answer for any gaps in employment interview questions
to make them demonstrate that you are a smart and intelligent employee.
How do we do that?
Here are those all-important sample answers.
So a GENERAL ANSWER.
This is just a general answer to why is there a gap in your employment?
Here we go.
“Yes, the gap in my employment is down to a short career break I took, which was used
positively to study from a personal development perspective.
Now, during that period of self-development, I wanted to focus on improving my confidence,
developing wider interpersonal skills, and also focusing on developing my problem solving
capabilities.
I found the brake to be highly rewarding from a professional development perspective, and
I won't be looking to take time off again at any stage in the future.”
So, that shows that general career break you took was used positively from a self-development
perspective, and you might read books, you might have taken online development courses
by the numerous training websites that are out there.
But the important thing is, you have used that gap in your employment for a positive
purpose.
Next, while you've been out of work, here is a really good answer for anyone who's just
been OUT OF WORK.
I mean, looking for jobs, they can't get an interview or they can't pass the interview.
“Since leaving my previous job, I have been looking for work continually with determination
and positivity.
Each time I haven’t been successful, I have requested feedback, and when received, I have
been acting on that to improve and develop.
I am naturally a positive person and feel confident this job is very much suited to
my skillset, my extensive attributes, and also my positive approach to work.”
So that is positive.
Some people will sit there and go: “I've been applying for lots of jobs and I just
can't get one.”
Now, that might be truthful, but what you're doing here is you're showing that you're smart,
you're intelligent, but you're also determined and positive, which are two really attractive
attributes to any employer!
Next one, the TRAVELING answer.
So if you have a gap in your employment where you've been traveling, here is my suggested
answer.
“I took time out from my career to basically travel.
This had been an ambition of mine for some time, and the experience was highly-rewarding
in respect of the life experiences I gained, being able to experience different cultures
and languages, and also helping to develop my communication and interpersonal skills.
Now that I have fulfilled my ambition to travel, I have no further plans to take any form of
career break and I am eager and enthusiastic to get back to work so I can put my skills
and experiences to positive use.”
That’s a great answer if you've been away traveling.
And as I said at the beginning, going away and traveling is actually seen as a positive
thing, because you've experienced different cultures and it does help to improve and develop
your communication and interpersonal skills.
Next one… the EDUCATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT reason for having a gap in your employment.
Here is my suggested answer: “When I left my previous job, I was determined to take
time out to reflect on my skillset and qualities with a view to undertaking a period of education
and self-development.
This was something I had planned for, whilst in my previous job, and I found the experience
to be extremely beneficial.
During my period of learning and development, I undertook courses that have, in my opinion,
made me a much more effective worker with a wider and more diverse set of skills.
The break has also done me good in respect of the fact I now feel so much more energized
and ready for the new challenge this role presents.”
A cracking answer!
A really good answer, and it's positive in nature.
You'll see all of my videos that I teach are all based on positivity, because positivity
is attractive to employers.
The next one RAISING A FAMILY.
Let's say you've been off to raise a family.
A really good reason to have a gap in your employment.
Here we go.
“I was simply off work to raise my family and it was a brilliant experience, I have
to say.
Having said that, I am really ready to go back to work now and my partner and I have
put things in place to make sure I can commit to this job wholeheartedly, and still have
valuable time to continue to be a supportive parent in the evenings when I am not at work.
Whilst I was off work raising my family, I did spend time keeping up-to-date with developments
within this industry and I also made sure I kept on top of my personal development responsibilities.”
So that's a good answer because it shows that, yes, you know, I’ve been off raising my
family, but I'm now ready to come back to work, which a lot of people are after raising
a family.
But what's important, is you're saying there that you've spent time keeping up-to-date
with what's going on in the industry, because if you're a parent and you've been off, you
may have been off many, many months, sometimes perhaps a year.
So it's important to keep up to date with developments by speaking to work colleagues
or, you know, going online and looking at forums or subscribing to different websites,
and also making sure you keep on top of your personal development responsibilities.
Let's say you've been off, unfortunately, to look after sick or ill relatives.
Here is my suggested answer.
“I was forced to take an unexpected career break to look after my relatives who were
not very well.
During that time, whenever I had the opportunity, I read personal development books and also
undertook a couple of online training courses to ensure my mind was being used effectively,
and to also ensure I continued to learn new and beneficial skills that will help me within
my next role.”
So, they are all really strong answers to any gap in employment situation that you have
been in.
So, use any of those, but also, if you would like more strong answers, high scoring answers
to common interview questions, you can either click the link below the video, or go to my
website PassMyInterview.com, and I've got 21 great answers to give you!
The link is below this video and the description.
I've also put it in the first comment I’ve pinned to the top of the comments section
below the page, or in this top right hand corner.
You can click that button and it will take you through to my website, and I recommend
you download those 21 great answers to interview questions!
It will be probably one of the best five dollars, five pounds that you spend.
I can assure you they are really good answers to common interview questions, and they will
give you the confidence to go into your interview with great answers.
More importantly, you will come across very positive and beat the competition.
Thanks for watching, guys.
Don't forget, SUBSCRIBE and please hit the like button.
I appreciate your support.
Have a brilliant day and I wish you all the best in passing your interview.
Thank you very much.