Does anyone know how to explain a 1 year 4 month employment gap on a resume? Took time off for health/family reasons and I keep getting auto rejected by the ATS. Sent out 100 applications, only 1 interview. Applying for financial analyst roles, 2 years corp tax Big 4, 3 years audit senior at smaller niche mid sized firm w/ an international office 1.5 years Internal Audit $22B healthcare Company in that order.

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Candidly, it could be multiple factors: 1) It could be your resume, 2) the roles your applying for, 3) how you sell this ‘gap’ on your resume, and/ or 4) you’re not catering your resume to the job description

like

Well for starters, I would update the resume to only show years, not months. That helps with the AI some when they are letting a computer do the first pass. It doesn’t help in the MANY roles where you still have to type all this back into an online form with set dates, but it’s a step.

I’d also run your resume through an optimizer to make sure formatting isn’t an issue.

Then as others have suggested, focus on key skills instead of jobs. Highlight the systems you work with, anything you are a SME on, etc.

like

I’ve been working on a Financial Modeling Course w/ Career Principles, and plan on doing Wall Street Oasis Premium next and then SQL, after that maybe power BI/Tableau, to skill up. I don’t want to give up on being an FA just yet.

like

Also - re-reading your post, I would HIGHLY suggest that you cater your resume to industry tech products (master excel, master tableau, PowerBi, and then get certified in the fancy SQLs, Allteryx, Python, etc.)

like

Good luck buddy! There truly is need for these skills! I consider myself an intermediate on several of these ‘products’ - and I am by far the most proficient across the next 50 or so folks on my team.

like

There could be many reasons why this is happening, but beyond figuring out if a 1 year gap is truly what's affecting you, it might be something else. A lot of times, our resume in itself has to be tweaked here and there to be made more exciting for potential employers, and this is only heightened if you apply to roles that are very industry-specific.

Explain with the truth. I have interviewed candidates with large time gaps and they had reasons. You should not try to figure out how to explain it - if you have reason(s) then you do.

Then you should tell them what you exactly said here. And I agree, omit the months bc it just makes it look more than 1 yr and 4 mos.

Have you tried Upgrade ? I highly recommend the company , has great work culture and work life balance.

No I haven’t heard of Upgrade! are they hiring or know someone who works there that can refer me?

like

I would just be honest. If you are candid they will likely be understanding and it probably won't be a huge deal. I don't think gaps like that are as glaring on a resume as they once may have been.

Just be honest with the interviewer. Health and family reasons are valid. Also, it would be better if you tailor your resume based on the role/job that you are applying for. Good luck!

Related Posts

Hello and Good morning.
I'm working in TCS in Non technical background and have 7 YOE . Recently I've upskilled with Data Analytics and Data Visualisation Skills . If I switch now for a Data Analytics role What salary I can expect. Can anyone please advise.

like

CEO bonus (750 USD) standard for all employees in JPMC every year.

Just heard in news
BNY going to provide some BK share 1 time gift i.e 10 share.
(10*45 USD) 450 USD

JPMC rocks in bonus compare to BNY.

like

Can someone describe the difference between Apple in Culver vs Apple in Cupertino?
(Types of work, culture, pay, teams, etc.)

like

M1 FAAS salary at EY in office like Atlanta?

like

Hi I am holding an offer from both Bdo rise and wellsfargo and the package is same 14 LPA. I am bit confused as the role eat bdo rise offering is quite good but not sure about the culture and other wlb in bdo rise Can anyone suggest which one will be good wellsfargo or bdo rise..

like

I have a offer for EY cybersecurity Information protection group. Any idea what is senior manager base salary range and bonus%?

like

What’s a fair salary increase after a year of inflation?

like

Anyone currently (or previously) at BuzzFeed LA? What’s a reasonable range for a Senior Client Services Manager? Should I think of it as an SAE role use that to guide me ($65-$75K)?

likehelpful

What would you all say a VP, Management Director at an Ogilvy, Leo or FCB make? $150k sound right? Appreciate any insight here.

like

Hello Fishes,

So far I received offers from PwC India, Capgemini and Lexmark for Data Engineering.

More are in pipeline from KPMG GS, TechM, Accenture.

But one peculiar thing is happening. I have appeared for 4 Cognizant interviews but in all I have been rejected. Whereas most of my friends had easily cleared Cognizant. I am switching tech, so I am a bit concerned like whether my knowledge is too shallow😐

Is it sign of an Imposter Syndrome 🥺

Pls help🙏🏾

Yoe - 3.2

like

Anyone care to share their biggest case interview mistakes? Anything you'd do differently knowing what you know now?

like

Hi all I have 2nd round technical interview for Salesforce Developer profile. Can you please share some tips for my interview. Thanks

Salesforce Tata Consultancy Amazon Infosys

like

What is the appraisal cycle in EY GDS? When do we get appraisal year end rating and hikr letter and amount?

like

Hi fishes
A known of mine with 8 years of experience in a leading US Bank industry got an offer from

EXL as AVP/Engagement manager at credit for fintech clients (42+5 LPA)

and

Accenture strategy as Manager in operations for banking (40+3 LPA)

Which one should he go for?
Any suggestions?

like

Is $22.10/hr for Technical Support Specialist decent? Been with the company going on two years and have supported that particular department quite a few times. Currently sitting as an IT Tech and support general help desk and between tier 1 and 2 tickets. This will also be my highest paying job yet lol. Thanks in advance for any guidance!

like

Im in internal sales.
a few years ago my company implemented a "2 pack" to my pay pay plan. Where they would deduct 200 per month to counteract minimum wage increase. Fast forward to now, it's 480 taken From commission.
Anyone else see this?

like
like

I have recently given interview at Microsoft.
HR provided the feedback as I am not rejected bit not fit for the role so they have put me in talent plus pool. What should I expect next and does this mean that I may get the offer ?

like

Salary range for lead analyst (band 28) non tech?

like

More Posts

Starting to feel I don’t like litigation. Third year. I’m not excited about winning an argument or destroying the other party’s arguments. But the current market doesn’t seem to favor a transition.

likefunny

Any experience interviewing for/know about client solutions manager roles at FB? Cant tell if its just their version of a CSM and can’t find much googling

Had a phone screen Wednesday then first interview Friday last week. I feel like it went well. I sent thank you notes to everyone. When should i follow up for the next step?

like

Anyone who landed Job outside India through LinkedIn can you please share your experience? How many companies did you apply how many interviews did you landed? I landed 4 interviews after applying for last 5 months and almost daily rejections.

like

Hello All,

Can anyone please help me to find any 1BHK or penthouse near ITPL.

TIA

like

Can we keep the Bosch company laptop with us permanently?

like

How many hours a week are you working? I’m generally clocking about 50-60 and I’m exhausted. I’m busy, but it’s mostly because no one I work with has any boundaries.

likehelpful

Does anyone know of companies in financial services that are only 2 or 3 days in office? I’m doing 4 days in office and one day remote and feel like 4 days is too much.

like

If I leave before the bonus gets paid (Dec 29th), do I get anything for bonus comp?

like

Anyone done work at/with USAA? Was contacted about contract subro role. Decent salary jump but want to make sure it won’t make me want to tear my hair out.

likefunny

I’m a scheduler in a major hospital, see my position in other departments being advertised as remote available. How can I successfully negotiate WFH? I’d like to cut down on my 44-mile one way commute.

Background: I’ve been in my position for 1 yr. I have 20 yrs military experience, bachelors in Business. I took an entry level $15/hour job to get my foot in the door. I’m actively looking for a promotion. But 44 miles plus gas & business casual clothing on $15/hour is killing me.

like

I'm looking to get in to pharma sales and have a sales background but in medical device. Has anyone made this switch? Would you be willing to offer any advice?

like

for pharma project managers: is there more money to be made in the central lab side of a company or the bioanalytical side? looking to apply at labconnect if any employees are floating around and could speak to the company specifically, but open to other input. fwiw, i only have experience in central lab (1 year) but have a science background. TIA!

like

FAANG salaries and tc on Glassdoor seem way too low? Thoughts?

One of my friends works as a Director in Nagarro. She has been there for 7 years and has a CTC of 42 with total yoe 17. Per current trend this is low even though she is a constant top performer. She says that even though delivery people play a pivotal role, they are not paid well. In her team, she sees technical people earning 45-50 at 10-11 yoe. So the factor is 2.5 for delivery vs 4.5 to 5 for technical roles. Per her, this is quite common in Nagarro & she is not an outlier. ctd in comments

likehelpful
like

Found a bed bug in a Radisson Red in Campinas Brazil, how many points?

like

Guys does CITI account operates from Chandigarh location?

Cannot make up my mind on carry on - I have a tumi leather carry on.. but need a new one..

like

Additional Posts in Finance

I received a take home case study for a strategic finance position. They gave me historical statements for the last 3 years (quarterly) and asked for insights/observations and opportunities/trends. What should I be observing here? I’m used to just modeling exams but I’m not sure how to proceed here. They didn’t give industry but this looks like retail store financials when they are a software company....

like

Can someone explain how to maximize the 401k employer contribution -- by when during the year should I have invested the full $18k to get the 1.5% match?

like

Do you get comp time when you travel for work? For instance, I’m leaving for a flight on Sunday at noon so that I can be ready for work Mon-Fri on site. Should I ask for comp time? If so, so I ask for a half day or whole? What is expected?

like

Working in Risk Management, looking into the FRM exams. Does anyone have any insight or advice?

like

Best home office chair? A bit late to the WFH game and just getting set up

like

Who here actually owns a car and what kind of car is it?

like

Tip for anyone taking the CAIA exam, get UpperMark. Was using willey and was abt 1/2 complete and borrowed a friends test bank … night and day much harder and honestly was more like what I expected

like

Is there a difference in value between pursuing an MBA at an accredited, but not ivy, and a certification (business analytics or CIA)?

Does one provide more value than the other? I've heard the MBA's shine is dimming and don't want to waste time if a certificate can do the same for me.

like

Best gadgets, accesorios, etc. for traveling? What are the things you always take with you when you travel?

like

My boss’ boss wants to catch up on how things are going; I changed groups 6M ago for a more fast-paced environment but have only partially gotten the transaction/networking exp I wanted - any advice?

like

Does anyone know what the base salary increase is going from Analyst to AVP at Barclays in the UK is? Front office trading role

like

People interested in B-school: what are your top schools and why?

like

Lady Fish, I'm looking for a light weight, professional jacket to wear this fall. I haven't found anything that's caught my eye. Do you have any recommendations?

like

Please help. I am a top producing financial advisor (mostly insurance) and I hate my job. Im so sick of feeling like all I do is prospect for clients to sell whole life to. I have a series 7 & 66 and life and health. I just want to do something in the financial world. Whether that be actually advising clients, investment banking, or anything. I’m 25 years old and have a year of experience. What are some options?

like

Looking for a great espresso machine – willing to pay whatever as long as it lives up to its hefty price tag. Any recommendations?

like

What is the value in professional certifications? ACCA, CFA, CIPD, etc.

like

Poor Pats 😥

like

Is the OPEC-Russia alliance gone for good? Pretty surprised to see the price war

like

Any advice for someone about to start a new role remotely and how to deal with the long hours? My new role is going to be more demanding and was wondering how some of you deal with the continual late nights.

like

I am an Associate (equivalent to team lead in my company org chart) with 14+ YOE in FP&A. Looking to make an external move to managerial position. Should I obtain any of the BI certification to make myself more marketable?

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal