how to explain a long gap on CV

graduate2012

Hi,

I graduated University in 2012 and haven't worked since. I had what I can only describe as a breakdown, I have been depressed for as long as I can remember and certain events in 2012 triggered a serious anxiety disorder, most of the issues stemming from an abusive/neglectful childhood. I have been having CBT since last year after being on the waiting list for a significant amount of time.

I don't feel ready for work yet, but I worry a lot about how to address this two year gap in interviews, CVs (whether to address it on CV). In the past I have seen application forms that request explanations for gaps of more than a few months, and I am assuming that I may be asked in an interview what I have been doing the past two years.

Any ideas? I truly am terrified that no employer will ever see past this and that I'll never find work. More than anything I want to work and have a 'normal life'. I just don't know how to explain without getting into possibly awkward territory in an interview, having to discuss these sort of things. I'm also worried it might terrify a potential employer.

I would really appreciate some advice

Thanks

LittleVoice

graduate2012 wrote: »

Hi,

I graduated University in 2012 and haven't worked since. I had what I can only describe as a breakdown, I have been depressed for as long as I can remember and certain events in 2012 triggered a serious anxiety disorder, most of the issues stemming from an abusive/neglectful childhood. I have been having CBT since last year after being on the waiting list for a significant amount of time.

I don't feel ready for work yet, but I worry a lot about how to address this two year gap in interviews, CVs (whether to address it on CV). In the past I have seen application forms that request explanations for gaps of more than a few months, and I am assuming that I may be asked in an interview what I have been doing the past two years.

Any ideas? I truly am terrified that no employer will ever see past this and that I'll never find work. More than anything I want to work and have a 'normal life'. I just don't know how to explain without getting into possibly awkward territory in an interview, having to discuss these sort of things. I'm also worried it might terrify a potential employer.

I would really appreciate some advice

Thanks

What work experience did you have before the start of the "gap"? What sort of work will you be looking for in due course?

Voyager2002

Voluntary work: do something. You can use experience gained as a volunteer to demonstrate your suitability for paid jobs, and can 'big up' something that is only a few hours a week to give the impression that it was a full-time job.

bargainbetty

There is no easy way to address a period of ill health other than by addressing it as a period of ill health. If the condition is likely to affect your working capabilities in the future, then any boss will need to have an understanding of the situation.

If you feel able to start volunteering, then do so. You will find it an easier transition back into a workforce, and easier to cope with. It doesn't have to be something obvious like a charity shop - if you have any form of animal sanctuary nearby, you may find helping with the animals/dog walking, grooming animals etc somewhat therapeutic. This is a popular option though, so you'd have to add your name to a list.

When_the_going_gets_tough

I would second volunteering - and think outside the box - lots of charities need all sorts of back office help which someone with a degree would be well placed to provide. Volunteering can be much more flexible than paid work and will build your skills, stamina and your CV whilst you recover. Above all have faith in yourself - its clearly been a hard time - but you do have a great future ahead of you. Good luck

tgon

Be honest to a potential employer and to yourself. Your illness is just as compromising to both as any physical condition. Most savvy companies are aware of their equality obligations.

Cyberman60

When I was self-employed I took a year off occasionally and this was never a problem. I'd just say I'd been travelling, which of course was true.

Lone_Northern_Lass

I have one gap of over 18 months in my work history which was due to mental-health difficulties. I got out of that period of unemployment by doing full-time voluntary work for a few months and then by studying for a qualification which gives good employment prospects (a social-work degree leading to registered social worker status). The first few times I applied for jobs after all of this, I talked on my applications about what I'd done to address my mental-health difficulties and why I didn't think they would have a substantial negative effect on my ability to do the jobs I was applying for. Now that the work-history gap is longer ago (i.e. a number of years ago and I've worked full-time in the intervening years), I just say that during this period I was "unemployed due to ill-health".

In some ways I was lucky, because social work appealed to me as a job anyway. Two distinct advantages of going into social work if one's experienced mental ill-health are that there's a national shortage of social workers (hence more job opportunities and employers have less scope to turn down applications without fully considering the applicant's merits) and that (very broadly speaking, obviously there are exceptions to everything) social-work managers are less likely to unfairly discriminate on the grounds of mental ill-health. Having said that, I would never recommend that the solution for anybody who's unemployed for over 18months due to mental ill-health is to become a social worker. It worked in my case because I have a passion for the work and related issues. However, social work is a stressful, demanding and emotive job and for many people who've experienced mental ill-health (arguably just for many people in general) trying to become a social worker would be a disastrous life choice.

However, it sounds, graduate 2012, like you're just at the start of trying to think about work issues again. I would advise taking things one step at a time - voluntary work, thinking about what kind of job you'd want and whether you can increase your relevant skills before applying for such jobs, getting advice (from your mental-health team, relevant charities or the job centre, etc) about applying for jobs and how to present your recent difficulties, finding out whether you could initially start working again on a part-time basis, and so on. I am proof of the fact that one can go on to work full-time in a graduate-level job after a significant gap in work history due to mental ill-health. However, that didn't happen overnight - first I thought very hard about what I wanted to do with my life and what I thought might be realistic (my first degree was nothing to do with social work, in another world I might have liked to re-train as a psychologist, but after some research I decided this would take too long and cost too much for me to seriously consider), then I did relevant voluntary work for a few months, then I applied for relevant degree courses, then I got the degree (no mean feat), only then did I start applying for jobs and needing to explain my work history gap. graduate2012 - when you get to the point where you need to explain the gap in your work-history, there will be ways you can do that and you will be able to get advice (online, from friends irl, from support organisations, etc). However, if that's not the point which you're at currently, then don't worry too much about it - look at what you need to be doing at the moment and how you can take the first few steps back towards the world of employment.

Good luck with it all.

Ronaldo_Mconaldo

an9i77 wrote: »

Why is it self indulgent to have a nervous breakdown?

First world problems.

Lone_Northern_Lass

Mental ill-health can affect those in developing countries just as it can affect those in the 'first world'. Why do you think Medecins Sans Frontiers runs mental-health support programmes in places like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

People experiencing mental ill-health often feel huge amounts of guilt and shame to start with. Informing them that they are being "self-indulgent" is unlikely to help them recover to the point where they can work again. Presumably you also think the 18-month gap in my work history was self indulgent? How does this weigh up against the voluntary work I've done before and since then and the years I've spent as a social worker working far more hours than I'm officially paid for?