Gaps in work history - advice needed

[Llandudnocamping]

What do I do about a big gap in my employment history?
I’m currently not in paid work and haven’t been since 2021. For various reasons including waiting for an ADHD diagnosis and generally poor mental (and physical) health.
I’m not in the position yet where I feel ready to return to work, however I will be soon I hope. As I’m seeing a therapist once a week and that seems to be helping.

I do volunteer with a mental health charity though and have been doing that since around 2022. So although not paid work, I’m still doing something. I also have a 5 year old son, so childcare has also been a problem.

I’m just concerned I’ll be asked to explain these kind of things in an interview when it comes.
Any advice is appreciated.

It’s almost like there’s a rule that says that we have to be accountable for every moment of our lives on a cv isn’t it? When I realised that, and that all rules are just essentially made up, I’ve started to let myself off the hook. I advise doing the same op 🙂

There’s nothing wrong with having taken a career break - I’d describe it as such and then move on to what my experience and skills are. I don’t think justifying it helps as it makes it seem like you’ve done something wrong, whereas the reality is that we all need to bend and flex at times, and some of us more than others.

Best of luck on your job hunt and please remember you’ve done nothing wrong, a career break is just what it says it is.

Put -stay at home parent or career break.

That's not a gap. You had some time out just when lots of people weren't able to work and then you went to make a difference and gain new skills in the voluntary sector, probably did some training (safeguarding? First aid?) and now you're looking for a move back into a role that can make use of your experience, skills and help you progress further.

Plenty of people give up work when they have children. Just put Career break to raise children. You have the voluntary work to put on your cv as well.

Tell them you were looking after your young child whilst doing voluntary work. The volunteering will be on your C.V. anyway so it will look fine, it's a small gap.

You have a child- you can just put stay at home parent or looking after my child, and also add in the volunteering work. It will be fine.

‘Career break to care for young family’ is sufficient.

Theres no need to go into detail about health issues too.

Volunteering will hold you in good stead too. Good luck!

I’d just put lost job due to Covid followed by SAHM.

I do volunteer with a mental health charity though and have been doing that since around 2022. So although not paid work, I’m still doing something. I also have a 5 year old son, so childcare has also been a problem.

Exactly. You’ve not been doing nothing. that would be a problem.

2021 is no time at all. I haven’t worked since 2014 😄 and have just got a new position. It’s fine. You’ll be fine.

Time off to raise a family is perfectly fine.

Childcare and Volunteering are perfectly valid reasons for not being in work. I say this as someone who has interviewed other people.

I had a decade-long gap while my kids were small. I put "caring responsibilities for young family" and also listed (just a line each) about the various bits of volunteering and ad-hoc work I did during that time: running a toddler group, reading in a primary class, once a week cleaning job etc - to show I could juggle responsibiilities and be flexible with my time.