Over the past six years, I’ve coached hundreds of job seekers, but recently, I’ve seen more people returning to work after career breaks—some lasting months or even years—than ever before. Many of my clients are moms whose career plans were disrupted by the pandemic or immigrants who needed time to settle their families in a new country.
Even though they’re in good company, my clients often worry about these gaps—even the planned ones—fearing they’ll seem less appealing than other candidates. Historically, professionals with resume gaps have faced biases that hurt their job prospects. Some struggled to land interviews, while others tried creative (and sometimes questionable) ways to hide their career breaks.
But these days, I reassure them that they don’t need to perform Simone Biles-level resume gymnastics. Career breaks aren’t as taboo as they once were. In fact, I encourage them to address gaps directly on their resumes—because when done right, it can actually help.
Why Career Breaks Are More Common—and Talked About
Nobody works nonstop from graduation to retirement. People have always taken breaks for all sorts of reasons—leaving a toxic job, focusing on family, relocating for a partner, traveling, career planning, education, volunteering, pursuing passions, recovering from burnout, or exploring new paths.
The pandemic, though, made career breaks even more common. Many left the workforce by necessity or choice, with women exiting at higher rates than men (according to the International Labour Organization). But by 2022, employment bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.
Initially, layoffs and caregiving drove the exodus, but it continued for other reasons. Remote work gave people time to reflect on what they really wanted, leading to the Great Resignation—where many quit without another job lined up.
In early 2022, LinkedIn polled nearly 23,000 workers and 7,000 hiring managers about career breaks. They found that 62% of employees had taken one, and 35% (mostly women) were interested in taking one in the future.
That same year, LinkedIn introduced a feature letting users highlight career breaks in their profile’s Experience section. They could select reasons like relocation, retirement, travel, volunteering, bereavement, caregiving, parenting, gap years, layoffs, or professional development—and even add details like skills gained.
With so many people taking, planning, and even showcasing career breaks, I tell my clients it’s okay—even beneficial—to include them on their resumes.
Why You Might Want to Include a Career Break on Your Resume
Listing a career break lets you control the narrative. You can frame it positively, explain if it was intentional, and show what you gained from the time off. This helps employers understand your character, values, and skills—exactly what they’re looking for in interviews.
Some recruiters even seek out professionals returning from breaks, offering re-entry programs (nearly 40% of Fortune 50 companies have them, per Harvard Business Review). If you hide a break, screening tools or recruiters might miss that you qualify—and both sides lose out.
When to Include a Career Break on Your Resume
If a client has an unexplained gap, I assess whether to add it by asking:
- When was the break? If it was 10–15+ years ago, we skip it (just like other outdated info).
- How long was it? For recent gaps, I recommend listing breaks longer than a month. Employers assume you weren’t working if there’s a gap. For example, if your job ended in May 2022, they’d expect the next one to start by June 2022. If it starts in July or later, you should explain the gap.
How to Add a Career Break to Your Resume
The best place is the Experience section. Here’s how:
- Name the “position” (e.g., Family Sabbatical, Professional Development, Volunteer).
- Under “company,” write Career Break, Planned Career Break, or similar. (If you volunteered, list the organization.)
- Add the time frame, just like a job.
- Include key activities and achievements.
Examples of Career Breaks on Resumes:
Here’s how I listed mine:
Self-Employed Part-Time, January 2022 – June 2022
Planned Career Break
- Took time to focus on caregiving for my infant.
- Recorded episodes for my Express to Impress Podcast.
Other real examples:
Education and Family Sabbatical, Mar. 2021 – Present
- Relocated to Tokyo for family caregiving.
- Earned teaching certifications.
Career Break | April 2019 – March 2021
Relocation
- Moved family from India to the U.S., settled into a new home, took maternity leave, enrolled kids in school.
- Earned AWS Cloud Practitioner certification.
Skipper, April 2017–April 2018
Career Break
- Sailed from Seattle to the Galapagos (survived a broken mast, fires, leaks, and toddler tantrums!).
Should You Mention a Career Break in Your Resume Summary?
Usually, no—there’s limited space, and a cover letter is better. But if cover letters aren’t allowed, add a line like:
- “Highly motivated to return after a caregiving break.”
- “Eager to apply new skills gained during a career transition.”
These examples show pride in their breaks, framing them as growth opportunities—setting the tone for how employers perceive gaps.
