Why We Need to Stop Judging Job Seekers by Resume Gaps

We’re told you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, yet we often judge a resume by its gaps. Should we negatively judge a job seeker because of gaps in their resume?

As an IT Job Seeker and IT Contracting advocate, this is one of the saddest things to hear - someone being rejected because of gaps in their resume - even before they get a chance to explain.

ATSs and AI-driven recruitment tools have been trained - not by compassion, but by the biases of their teachers: hiring managers, recruiters and outdated hiring metrics.

So when a resume shows a gap:

It gets flagged as a “red flag”

Scored down due to “lack of recency”

Or filtered out before a human even sees it

These tools aren’t evaluating potential, resilience or context - they’re scanning for continuity and keywords.

That’s not intelligence. That’s automation with bias baked in.

Despite what the official unemployment stats say, this is one of the toughest technology sector job markets since 2002.

People are applying constantly.

Networking relentlessly.

Upskilling when they can.

Doing everything right. Not sitting still and still not landing a role.

So if someone has a gap in their resume, it may not be a red flag.

It may be a badge of courage.

To survive a redundancy or a sudden job loss.

To care for a sick parent.

To recover from burnout.

To raise children.

To try, day after day, to find their next opportunity in a brutal market.

So, instead of asking:

“Why weren’t you working?”

Try asking:

“What’s your story?”

“What did you learn?”

“How can I help?”

Behind every gap is a person trying their hardest to stay hopeful in a system that often feels silent and broken, where they sometimes feel invisible.

Let’s stop treating gaps like dealbreakers and start treating them like conversation starters.

So if you're a job seeker in this position, try these tips:

- Don’t hide it — own it. Add the gap as a role with dates (e.g. Career Break | Jan 2023 – Jul 2024)

- Frame it with intent. Highlight volunteering, learning, caregiving or self-reflection

- Use language that reflects resilience and momentum

- Add a current role on LinkedIn if you’re actively seeking, so you stay visible in recruiter searches

- Practice your narrative so you can explain the gap confidently and calmly in interviews

Your story matters - especially the chapters you wrote while no one was watching.

What do you think?

Is it time we stopped judging people by their gaps?

#ResumeGaps #RecruitmentBias #HumanFirstHiring #CareerAGILITY 

#CareerAGENT Talentology AU