How to Normalize Career Breaks

The gap in your resume isn't a liability. It's an asset. I once interviewed a candidate who apologized 3 PLUS TIMES for her 18-month career break! By the end of our call, I was convinced that break was her strongest qualification. Here's what nobody tells you about career gaps: • Your resilience is impossible to teach • Parents' multitasking skills beat any corporate training • Your comeback shows commitment others can't prove Let me say this for the people in the back.... YOUR GAP ISN'T A LIABILITY! It's an ASSET most candidates DON'T have. The skills you developed during your break: → Purpose (choosing to be here) → Adaptability (thriving in uncertainty) → Perspective (seeing what others miss) → Resourcefulness (doing more with less) The career gap interview playbook: → Connect those skills directly to the role's challenges → Highlight specific skills gained during this time → Own your gap confidently (no apologizing!) → Reframe it as intentional development The BEST teams I've worked with had folks with: • Parenting breaks (arguably THE most difficult job out there) • Personal growth sabbaticals • Travel/exploration gaps • Failed startup attempts • Health-related breaks • Caregiving periods Their unique perspectives transformed our results. The problem isn't your career gap. The problem is believing what society tells you about career gaps. The best contributors bring diverse experiences to the table. And your gap is full of them. What unexpected skill did your career gap give you? ------ If this hit home, repost ♻️ it And give me a follow → Nick Maciag 🙌

Career gaps can feel uncomfortable. Whether you took time off to travel, care for someone, reset your mental health or just figure things out. The question is always the same:
How do I explain this on my resume? Here’s what I’ve learned from my own break. Early in my career, I paused on my recruiting career to chase a passion and I took an unpaid internship in the music industry. I learned and this is the same advice I’ve been to my clients: It’s all in how you frame it.
Your break isn’t something to hide, it’s part of your story. Think about what you gained during that time: clarity or new skills. Own it directly on your resume. Here’s an example :  Career Break (11/2021–02/2023) Creative Exploration & Personal Development
 - Unpaid PR internship in the music industry: developed skills in communication and project management. - Explored personal interests, built clarity around career direction, and developed adaptability. Freelance / Consulting Projects - Created and managed social media strategy for a small business, increasing engagement and visibility
 - Designed pitch decks and marketing materials for an early-stage event startup, contributing to client acquisition Even if it was part-time, unpaid or self-initiated, if it built skills or experience that is relevant to the roles you are going for, include it. When someone asks about the gap, don’t apologize. Speak confidently and explain it clearly. Example: “I took time off to explore a new industry and ended up gaining clarity on what I really want. I’m more focused and motivated than ever to grow in this space.” Career breaks don’t disqualify you. It’s about you talk about them makes all the difference.

3 ways to talk about your career gap without sounding defensive. Stop apologizing for being human. I see this constantly. Smart professionals turning their career breaks into elaborate justification stories. You're not on trial. Here's what actually works: Way 1️⃣ - Own it upfront on your resume. Don't bury it. Don't over-explain it. Instead of: "Seeking new opportunities after organizational restructuring" Write: "Career transition - 2023 to 2024" Or: "Sabbatical for family priorities - 6 months" Be direct. Professional. Done. Way 2️⃣ - Flip the narrative in interviews. Never bring it up first. When they ask, lead with what you gained. Don't say: "I was unfortunately let go and struggled to find something" Say: "I took time to evaluate my next career move strategically. During this period, I refined my skills in X and Y, which makes me even more qualified for this role." Way 3️⃣ - Use transition language. Replace defensive words with intentional ones. "Unemployed" becomes "In transition" "Laid off" becomes "Part of organizational changes" "Gap" becomes "Career pivot period" "Struggling to find work" becomes "Being selective about my next opportunity" I had a client who was worried about her 8-month gap after having a baby. She kept saying "I was just on maternity leave." Just? You grew a human and managed a household. That's project management on steroids. We reframed it: "I took planned time for family expansion, during which I enhanced my multitasking and priority management skills." She got the job. Your career gap isn't a flaw to hide. It's a chapter that shaped who you are today. What story are you telling yourself about your transition?

What hiring managers really think about career gaps (It's not what you expect.) After stepping away from the workforce, whether for burnout, caregiving, health, or simply needing to breathe. The shame spiral starts immediately: → "I'm behind everyone else now" → "My skills are probably outdated" → "Employers will think I'm unreliable" → "Maybe I should just take anything" If you're feeling this, stop right there. Your career pause wasn't a mistake. It was self-preservation. And here's what hiring managers actually think when they see employment gaps: "What did this person learn during their time away?" Not: "Why did they stop working?" But: "What value are they bringing back?" The strategic shift: Instead of defending your gap, leverage it. ✅ Frame it as intentional growth "Took time to recalibrate and return with clarity" ✅ Highlight what you gained New perspectives, skills, or renewed energy ✅ Show you're ready for what's next Clear about your goals and boundaries ✅ Position your return as their gain You're not desperate—you're selective The truth about career pauses: They don't make you less valuable. They make you more intentional. You didn't fall behind. You stepped back to leap forward. What's the biggest fear holding you back from re-entering the workforce? I work with professionals to turn pauses into proof of value — so the right doors open. If your résumé or LinkedIn still feels like it’s defending your career gap instead of owning it, DM me "CAREER" and let's change that.

She had 12 years of experience. But after her maternity break, not a single company replied. (Hiring managers ghosted her) Samara's (name changed) story isn’t rare. But it shouldn’t be this common. She’s an Atlanta-based immigrant professional. Strategic. Sharp. 12 years in the game. But the moment she stepped away to raise her child, the world paused her career, too. She applied to dozens of roles. Silence. No calls. No responses. It's like taking a break for family made the industry forget her value. And I’ve seen this happen too many times — Especially to women who step out briefly… and return to find their experience discounted. When Samara reached out, we didn’t talk about motivation. We talked about strategy. Here’s what we fixed: ✅ 1. Resume positioning for impact Samara's old resume was a timeline of responsibilities. What it needed was proof of ownership. We rewrote every bullet point to answer: - What decision did she make? - What changed because of her? - What did she drive, improve, or influence? For example: Bad: “Worked on project tracking and reports for leadership.” Good: “Led cross-functional program tracking across 4 departments; improved reporting cadence and reduced status churn by 35%.” ✅ 2. Framed her break with confidence Instead of trying to hide her maternity leave, we added a one-line note that explained it upfront — so there was no awkwardness or ambiguity. Then, we followed with a clear pivot: “After a brief family sabbatical, I’m returning with renewed clarity and 12+ years of cross-functional experience leading tech initiatives across finance and enterprise teams.” We treated her career break like what it actually was — a pause, not a reset. ✅ 3. Rebuilt her application strategy We stopped cold-applying to dozens of random roles. Instead, we: Identified companies hiring for her strengths (structured program leadership, fintech, stakeholder alignment) Tailored her resume and her LinkedIn to those roles - Added relevant keywords to pass ATS, but also made sure her profile spoke clearly to human recruiters - Used warm networking + follow-ups to get noticed faster Last week, Samara got her first recruiter outreach in months from Bank of America. Now, she’s prepping for interviews again. But more importantly, she’s back in motion. That’s the moment most people quit: Right before momentum returns. Samara didn’t. And if you’re on a break, wondering if the market still sees your value? It does. You just have to show it — like Samara did: With strategy, not apology. P.S. DM me if you are ready to land your dream tech role in the U.S. Let's build a strategy to showcase the value and expertise you can bring to an organization.

📲 I received this question over text last week: 𝘐'𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘢𝘱? When the school supplies hit store shelves, 'tis the season for paid work re-entry. When you sense your career break is at its end and paid work is the goal, look forward (not backward) when determining your career direction. And once you know the role(s) you're after, position yourself as THE must-have candidate. Remember: Your career break is an asset, not a liability. 4 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞: ❶ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 Use a “Related Experience” heading in your resume to list experiences that matter for your job target. This simple trick allows you to demonstrate skills, wins and roles that translate to your ideal role. Consider including volunteer experience, leadership positions and side hustle (or freelance work). ❷ 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 This tactic is a great way to create continuity from a collection of experiences. Group like experiences and roles together, delineating the experiences in a summary section. Then, focus on the successes in your bullet points. Share the data of your efforts as it relates to the work you want to do going forward. Think money raised, the number of committees led, results of new programs built, etc. ❸ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 If you have a short gap as a mid-career professional, you can use an easy formatting fix: Delete the months on your resume to eliminate your short gap. For gaps longer than a year, use the date sandwich method. Instead of formatting dates to the right-hand side of your file, create a sandwich 🥪. The bread is the company name on one side and the location on the other, with the employment dates in the middle of the sandwich. This way the focus is being taken off the years out of the workforce and focusing more on your job title and the value you brought to the position. ❹ 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 These are one-line statements sharing the WHY behind your paid employment exit. Research shows applicants who disclose the reason behind their work gap were 60% more likely to receive a call back for an interview than those who didn't. Your exit line is a straightforward statement, not a novel. It can be placed in the line of the job title. For example: Product Manager | 2015 – 2022 | Left for a 2-year stint to care for children OR your exit line could read: Left position to get MBA If you have an extensive break consider a one-liner between roles in your work experience, like: Career sabbatical to care for family ❓What else?

I’ve spent years helping executives, managers, and professionals at every level thrive in their careers. Lately, I’m hearing this question a lot: “How do I handle an employment gap?” Yes, some biases remain when it comes to gaps on a résumé. But remember: your gap doesn’t define you—how you own it does. Here’s how to approach it: 1️⃣ Own the Gap – Be upfront about why you stepped away. Family responsibilities, personal health, or even a deliberate break are all valid. 2️⃣ Highlight Growth – Use your experiences to show your adaptability and values. It’s not that you “did nothing”—life itself can teach invaluable lessons. 3️⃣ Make It Relevant – Draw a clear line from what you learned during your gap to how it will help you succeed in this new role. Most importantly, be confident in the choices you made. Employers worry that time away might mean you’ve “shrunk” in skills or passion. Prove otherwise by sharing how your experiences have actually expanded what you can offer. Have questions about making a comeback or any other career move? Drop them below! #CareerAdvice #EmploymentGaps #ProfessionalDevelopment #JobSearch

Not every career path is linear. Some of the best journeys have detours. Career gaps aren't flaws either. They are often chapters of resilience. Here’s how some of my clients have addressed career gaps with employers: [Save these] 1. Layoff "My position was eliminated during a company restructuring. Since then, I've worked as a sales consultant, helping a tech startup exceed their quarterly targets by 30%. I'm excited to bring these fresh insights and results-driven approach to your sales team." 2. Termination “I knew soon after I started that the job wasn’t as described, but since I committed to the company, I wanted to give it my best effort. In the end, my skills of X, Y, and Z weren’t being utilized effectively to bring value to the business. We amicably separated which gave me time to find the right job where I can bring the most value based on business need.” 3. Parental Leave "I took an 18-month parental leave to care for my newborn. During this time, I contributed to open-source projects and learned new programming languages. I'm now eager to apply these enhanced skills to help develop innovative software solutions." 4. Caregiving "I took time off to manage my father's complex medical care. This experience honed my skills in stakeholder communication and resource allocation under tight constraints. I also earned my Agile certification. I'm now ready to apply these enhanced skills to lead high-stakes projects in your organization." 5. Medical Leave: "I took a year off to address a health condition. I'm now fully recovered and used this time to earn my CFA certification. I'm excited to apply both my previous experience and these new skills to optimize financial strategies." 6. Travelling the World "I took a planned one-year sabbatical to gain international experience. I worked with NGOs in Southeast Asia on employee development programs. This enhanced my cross-cultural communication skills and understanding of global workforce dynamics, which I believe will be valuable in this multinational HR role." Key Strategies: - Be concise. Don’t linger on the explanation - Be specific about skills gained during the gap - Quantify achievements where possible - Connect experiences to the potential job role In my experience, a resume gap can be a sign of strength. Don’t let it hold you back. If this resonates, reshare to your network ♻ And follow me for more posts like this.

“How do I talk about my career break?” I hear this question every single week from executives in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are navigating transitions. Let’s normalize the truth: 62% of US professionals have taken a break. When you are interviewing, the odds are in your favor that the majority of the people that you are talking with have also taken a break. Here’s how I coach my clients to talk about a career break without apologizing for it: * Add a short “Career Break” entry to your resume if the gap is more than 6 months: I add this in chronological order as a way to tell the overall career story. * Clarify the nature of the break (caregiving, etc): Here's where things get a little tricky. I've had clients who are coming back from illness/cancer - you don't necessarily have to share that you had cancer if you don't feel comfortable doing so. * Highlight what you learned or how you stayed connected to your field: Share if you've taken classes, completed volunteer work, or delivered special projects that are related to your industry. * Use confident language. No need to over-explain or minimize: You don't have to apologize for taking a career break. Career breaks aren’t a weakness. They’re often a sign of values, resilience, and maturity. It's not easy to take a break and it can feel almost impossible to make a comeback from one (especially in a market like this one). If you've returned from a career break: what are your biggest tips for making a comeback? And if you're trying to make a comeback: what are you biggest pain points in returning to the workforce? #careerbreak #gethired #getahead ♻ Repost to share the word. 💡 Follow Colleen and Ageless Careers for career tips.

As a mid-career professional, you’re also a 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻. Or at least pretty darn close to mid-life! 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘. Children, elderly parents, company lay-offs, rough job markets, medical needs, changes to the political climate, and the hopefully once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic. All of these factors and more can lead mid-career professionals to take a career break (a step out of the paid workforce for a period of time with the intention to return). 𝗜𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻. With all that in mind, we know that sometimes a career break is a choice. Sometimes, a career break is a financial or medical necessity. And sometimes, a career break is entirely out of your control. (Hello, job market for the past year.) But if you know a career break is coming for you, or might be coming in the near future, there are some things you can do to prepare. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 - 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀! You are going to get asked "So, what are you doing for work right now?" and I want you to feel super confident answering that question. For example, if you're taking a career break to care for family members, your framing can look like this: "𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀." And if you experience a layoff and are on a career break that wasn't a choice, try something like this: "𝗜'𝗺 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗫, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗫, 𝗬, 𝗭 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀." Lead with intention and focus on the good while still giving yourself credit for all of the professional experience you'll bring back with you into a new role in the future. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 right down here ⬇️