How to write a CV after a career break
Caring for children or a relative, illness, redundancy, travel, study, a move abroad: people step away from work for all sorts of reasons, and employers know it. A career break isn't the problem on a CV. An unexplained jump in the dates, or a CV that reads as if it was written before the break, is. Here's how to handle both.
In this guide
The principle: one honest line, then move on
A recruiter scanning your work history is checking two things: is there anything unexplained, and are this person's skills up to date? A single, plain line about your break answers the first question. The rest of your CV answers the second.
You don't need to justify the break or give medical or family details. The National Careers Service's advice is to be open and honest and to be ready to explain gaps if asked. "Career break to care for a family member" is enough. So is "Career break: full-time parent" or "Career break: travel and voluntary work". If you were made redundant, say so: it's about the role, not you.
What to avoid: stretching the dates of the job before the break, inventing freelance work to fill the space, or apologising. None of these help, and the first two can unravel at the reference stage.
Where the break goes on your CV
Treat the break as an entry in your work history, in date order, with its own heading and one or two lines. That way the reader's eye moves down the page without stopping at a hole.
- Short or long ago: if the gap was a few months, or many years back, you can often leave it to the dates and cover it at interview if it comes up.
- Recent and longer: give it a line in your work history, and consider a brief mention in your profile so it's addressed at the top.
- Several breaks: handle each the same way, briefly and consistently.
What to include from your time away
If you did anything during the break that's relevant to the job you want, it belongs on your CV. Paid or unpaid doesn't matter; relevance does. Examples include:
- Volunteering: a school governor, a charity treasurer, a sports club secretary, a community project.
- Courses and qualifications, including short online courses, as long as they relate to the role.
- Freelance or occasional paid work, however small, described honestly.
- Running a household budget or a family member's care arrangements only if it shows a specific skill the advert asks for. Keep it to one line and don't overstate it.
List these as bullet points under the career break entry, with what you did and, where possible, a result. "Treasurer for a local youth football club: managed annual accounts and introduced online subscription payments" is far stronger than "kept busy with voluntary work".
A profile that points forward
Your profile should be about the job you want next, not the job you left. Name the role you're applying for, your strongest relevant experience, and one sign that you're ready now: a recent course, a refreshed qualification, relevant voluntary work. Mention the break in a short clause if it's recent; it shows confidence rather than avoidance.
Then make sure the rest of the CV backs it up. Our step-by-step guide to tailoring your CV to a job advert shows how to pick the evidence that matters most for each application.
Which CV format to use
Most UK employers expect a reverse-chronological CV: your most recent experience first. It's still the best choice for most returners, because it shows your track record clearly.
A purely skills-based (functional) CV, which lists skills and leaves the employment history as an afterthought, is often suggested for people with gaps. Be wary: recruiters are used to it and some will assume it's hiding something. A hybrid layout is usually better: a short "key skills" section under your profile, followed by a normal dated work history that includes your career break.
If your break coincides with a change of direction, our career change CV guide goes into the hybrid format in more detail. If you're returning after 50, see our guide to writing a CV over 50 as well.
A fictional worked example
Fictional example
Profile (applying for a payroll officer role at a housing association)
"Payroll administrator with six years' experience running monthly payroll for up to 400 staff, returning to work after a planned career break to raise a young family. Recently completed a payroll legislation update course covering current HMRC reporting requirements. Accurate, calm under deadline pressure and used to answering staff queries clearly."
Work history entry
Career break, 2021 to 2025
Full-time parent. During this time:
- Treasurer, local parent-teacher association: kept the accounts, reconciled the bank statements each month and presented a year-end report to the committee.
- Completed a payroll update course and refreshed Excel skills (VLOOKUP, pivot tables).
Notice what the example doesn't do: it doesn't apologise, give unnecessary detail about family life, or overstate the voluntary role. It names the break, shows recent relevant activity, and gets straight back to payroll.
Refresh before you apply
Before sending your CV anywhere, check that your skills section uses the names of systems and methods as they are today, not as they were when you left. Look at five or six current adverts for the role you want and note the tools and terms that keep coming up. If something important is missing from your experience, consider a short course before you apply; it gives you something current to put on the page and talk about.
Your cover letter is also the natural place to say a little more about your return. One or two sentences is plenty: what you've been doing, why you're ready now, and why this role. Our cover letter guide includes a full example.
Free support worth knowing about
- The government's Returner toolkit on GOV.UK covers CVs, applications and flexible working.
- The National Careers Service has advice on explaining gaps in your work history, and free sessions with a careers adviser.
- Some employers run "returnships": paid programmes designed for people coming back after a long break. Search for returner programmes in your field.