Career breaks happen for many reasons: You may return to school to earn a graduate degree, travel or step away to care for a loved one. Whatever the reason, re-entering the workforce can feel intimidating, especially when you need to explain a gap between jobs.
The good news is, your cover letter is an ideal place to reframe a career break as a positive. We spoke with Senior Director for Career Engagement Lori Shreve Blake from the USC Career Center to learn more.
What Is the Purpose of a Cover Letter?
When you apply for a job, employers almost always request a resume or curriculum vitae and, often, a cover letter. Beyond highlighting your qualifications, skills, past roles and communication skills, a cover letter provides an opportunity to clarify any potential questions, such as a noticeable employment gap or a shift in career focus.
Do You Need to Mention Your Career Break in Your Cover Letter?
While a cover letter does give you the opportunity to address a gap between jobs, you don’t necessarily have to do it. First, consider the actual length of your break.
“If it’s not that long of a career break, you don’t need to mention it. A month or two or three or four, don’t say anything in the cover letter. If you want to mention it in the interview, sure, maybe, but it’s not necessary to do so there, either,” Shreve Blake advised.
Once a gap extends to a year or more, however, it’s wise to acknowledge it briefly. “There are many reasons for a career break, such as caring for a family member, being downsized from an employer, significant life changes, sickness, relocation, following a partner to a new city for their job, wellbeing and so many more reasons.
What Are the Pros of Addressing Your Career Break in Your Cover Letter?
Acknowledging a career break in your cover letter puts you in control of your narrative. You can address any employer concerns if there is a year or more between your current and former positions.
“Employers are looking to ensure you have the requisite skills and experience to succeed in their open role, but they also scan resumes for any potential red flags. That includes job hopping or unreliability. You can be the best candidate ever, highly competitive, but if you move to a different company every six months, that could be a red flag. Being out of work for a while could be a red flag,” Shreve Blake said. “So, you get to address that yourself.”
Your cover letter is also an opportunity to highlight experiences and showcase your writing ability, which adds to your value. Whether you were caring for a family member, traveling, volunteering or studying, those activities have built skills that make you more marketable.
How Do You Address Your Career Break in Your Cover Letter?
When addressing a career break in your cover letter, there is a core tenet to follow: keep it concise and straightforward. In fact, Shreve Blake recommends sticking to about one sentence.
“It can be a longer sentence, but just keep it simple — maybe something like, ‘After taking a career break to take care of a family member, I’m eager to reenter the workforce and am particularly interested in the role’ — and then get right back to your strengths,” Shreve Blake explained.
If you were laid off, you can note, “Following a reorganization, my position was eliminated, and I am highly motivated to contribute as a project manager at your company,” offered Shreve Blake.
In general, a cover letter isn’t the place for lengthy, in-depth explanations. Save those details for the interview and stay focused on the skills and experience you bring to the role, as well as why you’re the best fit for it.
“The recruitment process is about this employer trying to find the best match and talent to fill that role, and the cover letter is a sales letter for you. It’s to persuade the employer to bring you in for a job interview, when you can seal the deal on why you’re the best candidate for the role. It’s a business letter focused on selling you, so a career break is minor,” Shreve Blake emphasized. “Finally, always ensure that your cover letter is well-written and free of typos and grammatical errors, and that it is your unique work not written by AI.”
Are There Any Gaps You Shouldn’t Mention in a Cover Letter?
While you want to acknowledge a gap if it’s significant, specific details are better left unsaid, Shreve Blake advised — specifically, information that could potentially work against you. Instead, you’ll need to get creative about how to address them.
“It is important not to give too much personal information … it’s really none of their business and could be used against you,” Shreve Blake explained.
Similarly, avoid sharing personal issues. Frame your break instead as time for personal growth, caretaking, skill development or educational enrichment.
“The focus of a cover letter is not your personal life story — the focus is why you’re a fit for that particular role. Remember, it is a concise, written, persuasive business letter, ” Shreve Blake said.
Do Employers Care About Career Breaks?
It’s good practice to acknowledge a lengthy career break in your cover letter, but an employer likely won’t fixate on it. While companies may have reservations about frequent job hopping, the world of work has undergone drastic changes in recent years, according to Shreve Blake.
“Many years ago, you needed to stay in a job for two years, or it was a red flag. However, nowadays, people tend to leave after only one year. It’s changed. There’s more flexibility,” she said.
Employers understand that career breaks are common and can even enhance a candidate’s qualifications — for example, earning a new degree, gaining new skills or global experience.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, career breaks are a natural part of life and can happen to anyone for various reasons. If the gap is short (three to six months), you can skip mentioning it entirely. If it’s longer, acknowledge it briefly and pivot quickly to your skills, achievements and enthusiasm for the role. Employers are ultimately most interested in your ability to deliver results — and your cover letter should keep the focus there.
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