Interviewer: I can see on your resume that you did not work from March 2014 to January 2015. Can you tell me why there was a gap in your employment?
Jon: Sure. In March 2014, I left my job as a logistics specialist for XYZ Company. I decided that I wanted to take a break from working and see the world. So, I spent the next 7 months backpacking and traveling through Europe and Asia. It was a wonderful experience and I am very happy that I did it.
Interviewer: That sounds amazing. And what did you do when you got back?
Jon: When I got back in October 2014, I immediately started looking for a new job. It took me about a month to find a new job, and the start day for the job was two months later. That explains the gap in my employment.
Interviewer: Do you think you will want to take a similar trip again?
Jon: No, I don’t think so. It was an amazing trip and I had a lot of fun, but I am focused solely on my career now.
Interviewer: That is good to hear.
Patterns and Examples
There was a gap in my employment because ____________________.
- There was a gap in my employment because I took a year off to write a book.
- There was a gap in my employment because I took some time off after my first son was born to take care of him.
I took some time off work in order to ____________________.
- I took some time off work in order to work on some personal projects.
- I took some time off work in order to help my brother set up his new business, but I did not include this work on my resume.
I ____________________. That is why there was a gap in my employment.
- I spent a year creating my own app which I sold. That is why there was a gap in my employment.
- I took a year off to relax and recover from a medical issue. That is why there was a gap in my employment.
