How to deal with gaps in your work history on a training contract/vacation scheme application

Whilst you’re at university, there’s no expectation for you to be in employment. That’s because you’re either in full-time or part-time education. Consequently, you don’t need to worry if you aren’t in a job role or have an internship to cover that period.

Once you’ve graduated, however, it’s important to ensure you don’t allow a large gap to appear on your CV from being in education to getting into the world of work.

There’s no hard and fast rule as to what kind of gap draws attention, and of course there could be a range of reasons why a candidate could have a significant gap on their CV: it could be market conditions, a personal matter, an illness, etc., and recruiters should be mindful of this. If you can avoid a gap, you should. 

If you’re just out of university, it would be highly unreasonable for a firm/company to form a negative opinion of you if you aren’t/weren’t working for the first 6 months post graduation.On the other hand, if you graduated a few years ago and have spent 6 months out of employment, a firm may question this. Of course, again, there may be a valid reason for this and this should be referenced on your CV to explain the career break.

TIP: If you are currently out of work or full-time education but you are able to work, consider volunteering. Whilst it may not replace all of the benefits of employment, it’ll show recruiters you’re doing something with your time and will make your gap in employment less stark. You’ll also potentially be able to use the volunteering experience to develop your skill set. If it’s legal volunteering, such as at a pro bono legal advice clinic or Citizens Advice, the experience can also demonstrate your motivation for a career in law.