Employment Gaps Deserve Respect, Not Interrogation

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do… is rest.” – unknown

I’ve had this conversation with myself at 2AM. I’ve had it with colleagues on FaceTime, over the phone, and in quick Google Meet check-ins.

Not in a café. Not with a latte.

But in real life — staring at applications that ask the same exhausting questions: “How do you explain this gap?” “How do you explain resigning?” “How do you explain being forced out?” “How do you explain getting fired… and then struggling to find your next role?”

Every application. Every interview. The same demand to defend the hardest seasons of our lives.

And the truth? The story behind those gaps is rarely neat or easy.

The Weight of the Question

That one box on the form — or that one line in an interview — can carry a whole season of pain.

Because sometimes the truth is:

• The environment was toxic.

• The leadership harmful.

• The job unsustainable.

• Or the decision wasn’t even yours to make.

And if you’ve lived it, you know: it’s not about laziness or lack of ambition. It’s about survival.

Healing Is Work

Resting is work. Grieving is work. Recovering from humiliation or betrayal at work is work.

Rebuilding your confidence after being forced out takes as much effort as earning another credential. But only one of those gets applauded on LinkedIn.

Sometimes the bravest, most strategic career move you can make is to leave — even when it wasn’t on your terms.

The Double Standard

Here’s what we rarely admit out loud:

• CEOs “step down for personal reasons” and get praised for “self-awareness.”

• Executives take sabbaticals and get celebrated.

• But the rest of us? A gap equals suspicion.

We say we want authentic, whole leaders — but shame candidates who admit they left because of burnout. We celebrate resilience — but ignore the systems that forced people to prove it.

And let’s be real: this double standard disproportionately harms women, people of color, first-gen professionals, caregivers, and those with hidden disabilities. People who are often pushed out of toxic spaces rather than invited to thrive in them.

Reframing the Gap

Imagine if hiring managers asked better questions:

From “Why weren’t you working?” → to “What did that season teach you?” From “Explain this resignation.” → to “What clarity did you gain?” From “Justify this firing.” → to “What strengths did you carry forward?”

BUT here’s the truth:

✨ You didn’t stop growing. You grew deeper.

✨ You didn’t fall behind. You found perspective.

✨ You didn’t waste time. You reclaimed it.

Because healing is not the opposite of working. It is the work.

What I Wish Hiring Managers Knew

A gap does not mean incompetence. Sometimes it’s evidence of courage.

Healing seasons strengthen leadership. Empathy, perspective, and resilience come from lived experience.

Rest prevents harm. Employees who take time to recover bring clarity and creativity that can’t be forced under duress.

If someone shares their gap, pause before judging. Humanity is not a liability. It’s a leadership trait.

For the Job Seekers

If you’re out here looking for work, I need you to hear this:

You don’t owe anyone the play-by-play of what happened. You don’t have to relive being pushed out, forced to resign, or fired. You don’t have to justify why you left a toxic place — or why it took time to find something new.

Because survival is not shameful.

If they press you, you can keep it simple: “That was a season of healing, growth, and redirection.”

That’s it. Period. Full stop.

You don’t have to make it sound pretty. You don’t have to convince anyone your pain was productive. The fact that you’re still standing, still applying, still showing up — that already tells the story.

Grounded Truth

Rest is not weakness. Resignation is not failure. Firing is not final.

Every season carries meaning — even the ones you never would have chosen. 

The truth is, careers don’t always unfold in a straight line. Some chapters end quietly, others end abruptly. Sometimes you choose to walk away, and sometimes the choice is made for you. None of that erases your worth.

What looks like a “gap” on paper often carries the kind of growth you can’t measure in bullet points: clarity about what you will and won’t tolerate, resilience you didn’t know you had, and the courage to rebuild when things fell apart.

Your worth doesn’t evaporate because a job ended. Your potential doesn’t shrink because a hiring manager raises an eyebrow. A tough season can hold just as much value as a season of titles and promotions.

The story of your career isn’t defined by one resignation letter, one firing, or one stretch of unemployment. It’s defined by how you kept moving, kept learning, and kept becoming through it all.

Reflection Questions

If you’re in the middle of a waiting season or returning after a break, consider:

• What did that season teach you about yourself?

• What strength did you gain that you didn’t have before?

• What values became sharper while you were away?

• How do you want to show up differently in your next chapter?

Closing Truth

Healing is not a gap. It is not a pause. It is a continuation of your work — the internal work that sustains all the rest.

So the next time someone asks you to explain?

Smile. Breathe. And remind yourself:

“My healing does not need your justification. My rest does not need your permission.”

Because the truth is — healing and rest are the work.

Free Resource: Reclaim Your Story Templates

Résumé Example (Career Break) Career Break | Personal Growth + Restoration June 2022 – July 2023 Prioritized mental health, recalibrated career goals, and restored balance after a demanding professional season. Returned with renewed clarity, resilience, and commitment to healthy, purpose-driven work.

LinkedIn “About” Section Example After years of producing in high-demand spaces, I paused — not because I lacked direction, but because I needed restoration. That pause was a teacher. It gave me clarity, compassion, and stronger boundaries. I return not with a gap, but with growth — ready to do meaningful work led by values and sustained by rest.