Employment gaps on a UK CV — guide

Learn how to explain an employment gap on a UK CV with honest framing, example phrases, recruiter insight, and a pre-send checklist.

A career break on a UK CV rarely ends an application on its own — unclear silence or oversharing does. If you have months or years outside paid work, you need a short, honest narrative that shows what you did, what you kept current, and why you are ready now. This guide gives you a practical process, ready-to-adapt wording, and the checks recruiters quietly run before they shortlist.