A caregiving break need not have a negative impact on your CV

Returning to work after a career break can be anxiety-inducing, especially with the added stress of trying to sell yourself on your CV. But rest assured that the career break itself won't affect your chances of landing a role. In this article, we'll help you explain family-related career gaps on your CV, including career breaks you've taken to raise a family, and other caregiving absences.

How to explain a career break due to family reasons

First up, know that taking a career break due to caregiving duties is common. In fact, one in seven workers in the UK are juggling work and care, and 75% of these carers worry about continuing to do so.

Instead of viewing a career gap as a disadvantage, be as confident as you can about addressing it – here are some tips to help you get started: 

Tip 1: sell yourself as a candidate

Before you even start editing an old CV or writing a new one, remember the CV's purpose and what a potential employer will do with the document. It is, of course, roughly two sides of A4 detailing your skills and experience relevant to the role you're applying for. Recruiters will review your CV, amongst many others, and evaluate whether you could be a good fit for the role based on what you've listed. 

Bear this purpose in mind as you prepare your CV. Shifting your mindset to focus on what sells your candidacy, rather than what might depreciate your application, will help you to realise that a career break isn't something you need to defend or apologise for. Reframing thoughts will aid your confidence and your ability to talk matter of factly.

Tip 2: be honest and upfront about it

Studies suggest that being upfront about a career break may help you more than you think. One experiment involving female applicants by economists at Vanderbilt Law School found that the applicants in theoretical hiring scenarios were 30% to 40% more likely to be hired if they volunteered the reason for their CV gap, in comparison to applicants who didn't. 

It seems that being upfront about a career break averts ambiguity, and this is something recruiters respect, therefore strengthening your chances of an interview.

Tip 3: mention your career break on your profile (+ examples)

Speaking of being upfront, your profile, or professional summary, is a chance to address your employment break head-on, as it sits just after your name, professional title, and contact details on your CV. 

Effectively your elevator pitch, this section is designed to tie together your career history, professional experience, and immediate employment goals. Phrase it in a way that shows your readiness to re-enter the workplace.

Here are a few ways you might like to address your career break as a caregiver or as a full-time parent in your profile:

  • Caring for someone: Now looking to re-establish my career in XXX after taking some time out as a carer

  • Parental leave: Looking to pursue a part-time role in XXX after a short career break to raise children

  • Stay-at-home mum or dad: Currently seeking a position in XXX after refining and developing skills through a course in XXX while raising children

  • Housewife or husband: Now ready to resume a position in the XXX industry after taking some time out to care for family

Tip 4: tweak your professional title to be more accurate

Every CV begins with your name, professional title, and contact details. When you're returning to work after a career break due to family reasons or other forms of caregiving, there are a couple of ways you can leverage your professional title to stand out.

If you've been a full-time parent for a while, you may choose to own the fact that you're a stay-at-home mum or dad on your CV by listing your job title as “full-time mother,” or “full-time carer and household manager.” This usually works best for roles that predominantly require transferable skills (more on this below), where employers are typically more open to candidates from diverse professions and experiences.

Alternatively, if you're looking to re-enter the same industry you left, you might want to keep your latest professional title. For example, if you were a digital marketing manager and are now looking for a similar role, you might describe yourself as a “digital marketing professional.”

Tip 5: use the right CV format

If you've taken a career break because of parental leave or caregiver duties, it's likely you've taken an extended period of time off. If you've had over a year out of work, you may want to consider using a functional CV format.

Whereas a chronological CV format lists positions and employers in reverse chronological order – in which case, your career break would be the most recent “position” – a functional CV format focuses on skills, abilities, and achievements, with details of employment further down the document. 

A functional CV is ideal for those who have taken a career break due to family reasons as this format puts one's skill set front and centre; it will allow you to demonstrate how you meet the person specification, which you can further enhance by tailoring your skills to the role.

That said, the best CV format depends on your background and the industry you're looking to enter. If you've worked in a single industry for most of your career and are looking to continue this, then a chronological CV may still work better.

Tip 6: identify transferable skills you've gained 

Also known as soft skills, transferable skills are abilities that can be used in different types of roles. For someone who has had to take a quick career break due to family reasons, transferable skills are crucial as they can help make up for the lack of recent hard skills. These skills can also benefit the CVs of long-time carers, parents, or a housewife with no work experience.

Common transferable skills that are always in demand include communication, teamwork, leadership, organisation, problem solving, and financial administration. There's a strong chance that you've used the majority of these skills during your career break. 

To generate a clear picture of what you have to offer, write down a list of transferable skills and identify examples of how you've used them during your break, For example, you may not have used verbal communication skills in an employee capacity, but chances are you've used them when liaising with doctors, schools, or other services. Once you've acknowledged your skills, consider which are most relevant to your prospective employer and the best way to articulate them on your CV.

Tip 7: show your commitment to learning and development 

There were likely other activities you pursued during your career break, in addition to caring for your family. For example, you may have taken a course, either formally with a certificate, or perhaps took tutorials via YouTube, Skillshare, or LinkedIn Learning. You may have also developed a social media profile or blog as a budding influencer. Determine which ones can be highlighted on your CV to demonstrate how you've kept yourself productive during your break.

Tip 8: share relevant experiences 

Unpaid work and refining skills count as valuable experience on your CV. Think about the experiences that best show off the skills relevant to the jobs you're applying for, and add them to your CV. Perhaps you started a side hustle, or you may have volunteered through PTAs, speaking engagements, or local board meetings.

Tip 9: try reformatting the dates

Many job hunters forget that a CV isn't an overview of their entire career to date. Instead, it should offer a powerful overview of the last 10 to 15 years of work and your achievements along the way. This means eliminating early work history on your CV.

If your career break was under a year long, you could keep a chronological CV format but amend the employment history dates to address the gap. Try omitting the months from what's listed on your CV and display only the years instead. 

However, avoid extending dates to mask any gaps. This could get you into more trouble than it's worth. Remember too that your previous employment may well have officially terminated months after your parental leave began. 

Focus on the positives – and your strengths

Career paths are rarely linear. Twists, turns, and pauses are common. If you've had a career break due to family reasons, don't panic. There are thousands of individual stories behind a decision to step out of full-time employment, and you're not alone in feeling apprehensive as you consider returning to work. Explain your career gap by being honest and upfront while still highlighting your transferable skills, experience, and value on your CV – you'll be landing interviews in no time.

Need help explaining a career break due to family reasons on your CV? Submit your CV for a free CV review and we'll tell you where you stand.

This article was originally written by Laura Slingo and has been updated by Charlotte Grainger.

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