Use these tips to own your work history

Some of our jobseekers have experienced significant transitions and challenges in their journeys. Whether you’re an asylee who navigated the road to safety or a parent adjusting your family to a new environment, it’s normal for that to translate to disruption in your career path. But for internationally trained professionals, we know that those blank spaces in your resume can cause some anxiety.

If you’re wondering how to explain your employment gap, don’t worry. Gaps happen all the time along a career journey for one reason or another, especially for immigrants navigating an unfamiliar system. 

What matters far more than the gap itself is how you talk about it. With the right framing, your career gap can become a part of the story that makes you stand out rather than a disadvantage.

“Employers respond best to honesty, confidence, and clarity,” says Nadine Umuhire, Senior Employment Services Advisor at UpGlo. “Briefly acknowledge the gap, highlight how you stayed productive or continued growing during that time, and confidently redirect the conversation to the skills, experience, and value you bring to the role.” 

Start by changing the narrative in your own mind

Think about how you frame it for yourself before explaining it on your resume or cover letter. Relocating to a new country, navigating immigration logistics, and rebuilding a life from the ground up is not “doing nothing.” It takes resilience, problem-solving, and an enormous amount of courage.

In a cover letter, you can say something like: “After relocating to the U.S., I focused on navigating the work-authorization process, familiarized myself with the workforce customs of the U.S., and assisted my family in settling into our new home in (city), (state).” 

Show how you stayed engaged

If you took online courses, earned certifications, volunteered, studied for licensure exams, or picked up freelance or contract work during your gap, make sure hiring managers know about it.

These activities show that although you weren’t working, you still kept your foot in the door, even when it felt hard to open. You can list these on your cover letter like this: “After relocating to the U.S., I strengthened my skills through coursework in [field].” 

If your gap is longer than a year, consider listing it directly in your experience section. You can say something like “Career Break, Relocation and Professional Development, 2023–2025.” This shows your career gap was an intentional chapter in your story.

And if you have worked at any U.S.-based jobs, make sure to include them in your resume, even if you don’t think it’s relevant to the role you’re hoping to land. These jobs show general skills like teamwork and reliability, how you filled employment gaps, and that you can navigate a U.S. work environment successfully.

Consider alternative resume formats

A hybrid or functional resume format that leads with your skills and accomplishments rather than a strict timeline can shift attention to what you bring rather than when you brought it. You can also simply list the years you worked without including the exact dates of employment to minimize the visual weight of shorter gaps. 

Be ready to talk about it during your interview

Keep it brief and honest. Lead with your value and mention anything you did to stay up to date in your field. 

Your career journey is more than a timeline, and a work gap does not erase the skills, expertise, and determination that brought you here. Employers aren’t looking for perfect paths; they’re looking for people who can adapt, grow, and bring value to their business.