Does a career break look bad on your CV?
William Smith
Updated on April 02, 2026
Breaks shouldn’t be a barrier to getting a position, but can raise a red flag for some recruiters, Andrew South from Agoge Recruitment says. “In an age where personal brand is so important, it means the way you approach a career gap or opportunity is all the more important,” he says.
How do you mention career breaks in CV?
In the experience section of your resume, list your career break as if it were a job. Instead of a job title and company, you can list “personal sabbatical,” “family leave” or other similar phrases to simply account for any periods of time when you didn’t have a job.
How do you write a letter for a career break?
Career break cover letter template
- Opening the letter. Always play it safe when it comes to the opening paragraph.
- Second paragraph – Why are you suitable for the job?
- Third paragraph – Explain the gap.
- Fourth/Fifth paragraph – What can you do for the company?
- Fifth paragraph – Reiterate.
- Closing the letter.
How do I restart my career after a long break?
If you feel you’re in this situation, here are six effective tips to help increase your chances of restarting your career after a break:
- Assess your situation.
- Update your CV with your career break.
- Network.
- Be prepared for your interview.
- Look for career returner programs.
- Be confident.
How do you justify a career break?
Job Interviews & How to Explain a Career Break
- Honesty. You don’t have to provide all the details surrounding your career break, especially if it involves an illness, difficulty finding a job or other sensitive information.
- Highlight Temporary and Volunteer Work.
- Emphasize What You Learned.
- Explain Why You’re Ready.
Is it OK to take a career break?
Taking a career break can seem daunting at first, but it could be one of the best decisions you ever make. Career-wise, a break could help you to up-skill, find motivation, or even set you off on a whole new path. And that’s not to mention the personal benefits to your overall wellbeing and sense of self-worth.
Should CV include career break?
So now we know what not to do, how should you show a career break on your CV? The quick answer is that you should state any career break clearly and provide any level of further information you feel comfortable with and that might be useful to position this career break in the mind of a recruiter.
How do you explain a career break?
A career break is generally defined as any time you’ve been off work for an extended period (of typically more than three months) that has been for any reason other than redundancy. It can cover illness, travel, a sabbatical, having children, caring for relatives and many other reasons.
How long can a career break be?
A career break is usually between one month and two years long. Six months to two years is the most common period of time for a career break. It is also possible to take a mini career break of less than one month, which enables people to try out career break activities without committing to longer periods of time.
Is a career break a bad idea?
How do I re enter workforce after 20 years?
Tips for returning to work after a long absence
- Start with volunteering.
- Complete freelance work.
- Ask others about their experience.
- Take refresher courses.
- Get a certificate.
- Focus on your soft skills.
- Work an entry-level position while you job search.
Is it bad to take a career break?
What is an academic curriculum vitae?
Curriculum vitae is Latin for “course of life,” so an academic curriculum vitae or CV refers to your course of life in academia and your professional career. Unlike a standard resume, your academic CV serves as a comprehensive list of your educational background, publications, awards, research and teaching experience in the field of academia.
Should you list a career break on your CV?
If you have taken a career break for any reason, it can be difficult to know how to show it on your CV. In this article Career Expert, Kath Sloggett, will explain how to avoid two common career break CV mistakes and what you should do instead. When the “return-to-work” inspiration hits, the first thing many people do is dig out their CV.
Is it a career break if you have been made redundant?
If your role has recently been made redundant and you have been actively seeking work – even for longer than you had hoped – then this is not a career break. For our purposes, a career break is a decision not to work for a prolonged time – over 3 months or more.
How old do you have to be to work at Boots?
If you did not create an account, please register your details by clicking here. How old do I need to be to work at Boots UK? You’ll need to be 15 years old to work as a Customer Assistant in most of our stores. However, to work at an airport store you’ll need to be 18 years old or over.