Employment Gaps

How to Address a Job Gap on Your Resume and LinkedIn

Let’s start with this: job gaps are normal.

They always have been, and in this market, they are even more common. Layoffs, long hiring cycles, paused roles, and companies changing direction have created gaps for a lot of strong people. A gap does not mean you are behind, broken, or less qualified.

What matters is how you talk about the time.

First, the resume

I usually don’t recommend calling out a gap on a resume until it reaches about a year or more. Shorter gaps don’t need special attention. Recruiters understand how slow this market has been.

Once a gap hits the one-year mark, that’s when it helps to add context.

A simple way to do this is to add a line like:
Job Search | Month/Year – Present

Under it, briefly explain what you are doing with your time. This is not about filling space or defending yourself. It’s about showing intention.

Good things to include:

• Skills you are building

• Courses you are taking, especially free or low-cost ones

• New tools you are learning

• How you are staying current in your field

This is a great time to talk about learning. With AI becoming part of almost every role, many people are teaching themselves tools, testing prompts, or finding ways to use AI in their daily work or job search. Those are real skills and real stories, especially when they connect to your profession.

The more aligned your learning is to your target role, the better.

Now, LinkedIn (this part matters more than people realize)

LinkedIn works differently than resumes. The platform and its algorithm favor people who appear to be “currently employed.”

As soon as you are out of a job, I recommend adding a new experience.

Here’s how to do it:

• Add a new role

• Use the company name “Job Search”
  There are many versions already on LinkedIn. Pick one that has a logo and is clearly not a real company. You can click into the page to check. The goal is to use it as a placeholder employer.

• For the job title, use your target job title

• Use the date range from your last role to Present

Then add a short description of what you are doing during this time.

Here’s a simple template you can copy and customize:

Actively pursuing opportunities in [target role]. Spending this time strengthening skills in [skill/tool], completing coursework in [area], and staying current on industry trends. Applying strategically, networking intentionally, and continuing hands-on learning aligned with my next role.

That’s it. Short and clear.

The reason this works is simple: even if you are marked “open to work,” having a current role can help you show up higher in recruiter searches.

The bigger picture

The real question recruiters start asking over time is not “Why is there a gap?”
It’s “What have you been doing with your time?”

Sometimes the honest answer is that you’ve been applying to roles. That’s fine. But the longer you are in the market, the more helpful it is to also show growth, learning, or direction.

Good recruiters understand this market and won’t judge a gap. Bad recruiters might. Don’t shoot the messenger.

By addressing the gap proactively, you reduce unnecessary questions and give yourself something solid to talk about. Especially if you are learning something new or expanding your skill set, that time can actually work in your favor.

Gaps are not the problem. Silence around them is.