How to explain gap years in résumé

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• 1 Like

  MissChanandler Alum Member Sage ⭐

  October 2018 3256 karma

  Gap years can look really good for law school if you're being productive, but gaps in your resume are not good. I don't think that serving in the military or having an internship is a gap. Those are both productive jobs and you were actively doing something that you can put on your resume. A gap is a period of time where you were unemployed AND out of school. It sounds like you've always been either in school, working, or both. If that's the case, I don't think that you need to address it at all. It won't seem weird.
• _oshun1_ Alum Member

  October 2018 edited October 2018 3652 karma

  You don’t need to address the “gaps” literally in your resume. Just fill out your resume like a regular resume with bullet points listing out ie January 2014–August 2014-military. Under education you would just write School Name, expected graduation date June 2019.

  There will be a question on the app “has there ever been any gaps in your education, explain” and either a text box on the application or an additional addenda section where you can just write down exactly what you said here.

  Just to be clear, a gap in your education means that you took a semester off of school and took no classes for a period of time.
• AudaciousRed Alum Member

  October 2018 2689 karma

  Gaps happen, especially to us non-traditional types. Hell, I have a gap of about 7 years during my Associates. Easy enough to explain, and I did some consulting work during that time, so I don't see it as a big black mark. A few months here and there is probably extremely common.
• hl_alarak Alum Member

  October 2018 edited October 2018 158 karma

  @MissChanandler @oshun1 @AudaciousRed

  Thank you all for your thoughtful advice! I'll be sure to answer the "study interrupted" prompt on the application.