{"id":15659,"date":"2025-12-09T09:31:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T14:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/?p=15659"},"modified":"2026-03-09T12:33:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:33:15","slug":"what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your MBA Application Resume"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do MBA programs care about employment gaps?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>How long is too long for a resume gap?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Should I explain an employment gap in the optional essay?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Will being laid off hurt my MBA application?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>How do I talk about caregiving or a personal break in an MBA interview?<\/span><\/p>\n

These are questions that MBA candidates often ask me if they have a gap on their resume. They wonder how admissions committees will view an employment gap when evaluating their candidacy. Given that the value of an MBA program lies largely in the opportunity to learn from your peers, admissions committees favor candidates with strong and differentiated work experiences. Therefore, committees will first focus on the quality and scope of your experience. However, an employment gap longer than two or three months generally will be considered a negative\u2014unless you get ahead of it, explain it, and connect with the admissions committee at a human level.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through no fault of their own, some aspiring MBAs may have found themselves unemployed during the global pandemic or during the recent government shutdown and funding cutbacks. However, during the pandemic, many young professionals were applying and getting accepted to MBA programs while unemployed. Therefore, an employment gap is not necessarily a fast pass to the ding pile!<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some tips to help you overcome an employment gap on your MBA application resume:<\/span><\/p>\n

Be Honest and Transparent: Don\u2019t Leave Admissions Committee Guessing<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you have a resume gap, face this weakness head on and do not leave the admissions committee guessing why. Committee members have very active imaginations; they will try to fill in the blanks in your application, and this may not always reflect positively on your candidacy. If you actually sat on the couch binge-watching Netflix for months, be honest. You may have needed a mental break after a particularly grueling work or college experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Explain Your Employment Gap on Applications and in Interviews<\/span><\/h2>\n

On many schools\u2019 applications\u2014and certainly in the interview\u2014you will be asked point blank to explain those vexing gaps. Use these opportunities to your advantage. First, describe why you were not working and what you did with your time, and then take it one step further and share what you learned from the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tactically, you can explain a gap in a variety of ways on your application. You can use the optional essay to very directly address why there was a gap and what you learned. Don\u2019t make excuses; simply explain what you did with your time and how it set you up for what came next. You might also weave your rationale into the main essay and focus on how the experience shaped your perspective or informed your next move or long-term aspirations.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the remainder of this section, we offer guidance on approaching several different types of employment gaps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Employment Gap Due to an Extended Break Following Undergrad<\/span><\/h3>\n

Often, companies hiring college graduates will assign their start date, leaving some who had a job offer at graduation several months to fill before they begin their first job. I worked with one client whose start date was eight months after graduation. After graduating in May, he traveled for a few months, did a three-month internship with a nonprofit, and then joined his start group in January. Another client was given a September start date and spent the summer with her mother, who had recently been diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder and was learning to navigate an entirely new diet. My client did a ton of research and basically ran a test kitchen, which she highlighted as an interest on her resume. Another client whose start date was pushed back from July to January turned his attention to an initiative he had started during undergrad that focuses on enhancing the leadership skills of young business professionals. With an extra six months, he was able to build a strong foundation for the organization before he stepped into his full-time consulting role.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plateau-Induced Departure Employment Gap<\/span><\/h3>\n

I recently collaborated with a client who worked on long-term environmental impact consulting engagements for government agencies. As she was wrapping up a project, she realized that she had hit a plateau and could be doing more of the same work for years if she didn\u2019t leave. Given the pace of the consulting work, she was unable to explore new opportunities while working, and she knew that would continue for another year if she were assigned to a new project. When her project wrapped up, she left the company without another position lined up. Shortly after leaving her paid role, the executive director of the nonprofit for whom she volunteered asked her to step in temporarily as director of operations. Over the next few months, as she was looking for her next professional position, she helped the nonprofit improve its processes and revamp its operations, and she also implemented new software\u2014developing new skills she would leverage in her next role. What might have been a five-month gap on her resume was accounted for with community engagement, which was supported by a recommendation from the executive director as a component of her business school applications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unexpected Layoff<\/span><\/h3>\n

Another candidate was let go from her job as she was about to submit her MBA applications. Because she was planning to use an MBA to make a career change, she had been exploring positions in a new industry and had made connections with leaders in a few companies. Within a few weeks, this candidate was able to secure a role as chief of staff to the CEO of a small company in her target industry. Although being fired is never a fun experience, her dismissal created an opportunity to become familiar with players in her target industry\u2014through which she could demonstrate her commitment to the career move. The know-how this candidate developed in the months leading up to matriculation gave her industry insights that she was able to draw on to start her own company in this space during business school.<\/span><\/p>\n

Employment Gap to Support Family<\/span><\/h3>\n

Consider another candidate who was forced to take extended time off immediately after college to care for her parents, both of whom were undergoing surgeries. Although the experience may not have had an obvious connection to getting an MBA, it provided the candidate with unique insights into patient care, health-care privacy laws, hospital management, insurance policies, and integration across the health-care landscape. Each parent\u2019s situation was slightly different in terms of what went well in the health-care system and what could have gone more smoothly. In addition to getting to spend time with family during a difficult period, this candidate decided to build upon the lessons she learned by pursuing an MBA with a health-care focus. She leaned on the personal experience gained during her employment gap as a core component of her narrative for essays.<\/span><\/p>\n

Employment Gap to Prepare for Standardized Test and MBA Applications<\/span><\/h3>\n

I have spoken with a number of aspiring business school students who decided to leave their jobs so they would have time to prepare for their standardized test and work on MBA applications. However, I do not advise this tactic. During business school, you will need to juggle classes, group projects, extracurricular involvement, and recruiting. Excelling at your job while preparing compelling business school applications demonstrates your ability to find the right balance while you are enrolled in an MBA program. For years, outstanding candidates have figured out how to navigate work, life, and applications. If you can\u2019t, then you are unlikely to secure a coveted seat in your dream business school program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Make Excuses; Just Explain Your Employment Gap<\/span><\/h2>\n

By giving admissions committees the full, authentic picture of your employment gap, you take control of your narrative. Therefore, be sure to deeply reflect upon your experience and explain it. Don\u2019t make excuses; make your story specific and meaningful. It goes without saying that you should not lie. Keep in mind that most top programs will hire a third party to conduct a background check before you matriculate; they will likely uncover any inconsistencies, and the school could rescind your acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use the Optional Essay to Explain Any Employment Gaps<\/span><\/h2>\n

An optional essay is often the best place to explain an employment gap. See \u201c<\/span>Optional Essay Dos and Don\u2019ts<\/b><\/a>\u201d for more insight on this component of an MBA application.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether your employment gap resulted from caregiving, a layoff, an extended start date, or taking time to explore new opportunities, MBA programs care far more about your honesty, reflection, and growth. A well-explained employment gap will not hurt your MBA application\u2014especially when framed with clarity and purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Applying to an MBA program with an employment gap? Stratus has helped hundreds of applicants turn resume gaps into strengths. Schedule a <\/span>FREE consultation<\/span><\/a> with one of our MBA admissions experts today!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do MBA programs care about employment gaps? How long is too long for a resume gap? Should I explain an employment gap in the optional essay? Will being laid off hurt my MBA application? How do I talk about caregiving or a personal break in an MBA interview? These are questions that MBA candidates often…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":17609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[378,1153],"tags":[789,730,662,790],"class_list":["post-15659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mba","category-application-materials","tag-employment-gap","tag-optional-essay","tag-resume","tag-unemployment"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat If I Have an Employment Gap on My Resume?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Employment gap before an MBA? Discover how to address layoffs, caregiving, travel, or time off\u2014and make your candidacy stronger.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What If I Have an Employment Gap on My Resume?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Employment gap before an MBA? Discover how to address layoffs, caregiving, travel, or time off\u2014and make your candidacy stronger.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Stratus Admissions Counseling Blog | Admissions Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/business.facebook.com\/stratusadmissionscounseling\/?business_id=1549495231831060&amp%3bamp%3bamp%3bref=bookmarks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-09T14:31:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-09T16:33:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Susan Cera\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@StratusMBA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@StratusMBA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Susan Cera\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Susan Cera\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/83b552161e76f86f3180c2ca4da93c42\"},\"headline\":\"How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your MBA Application Resume\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-09T14:31:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-09T16:33:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1497,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Employment Gap\",\"Optional Essay\",\"Resume\",\"Unemployment\"],\"articleSection\":[\"MBA\",\"Other App Materials\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"What If I Have an Employment Gap on My Resume?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-09T14:31:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-09T16:33:15+00:00\",\"description\":\"Employment gap before an MBA? Discover how to address layoffs, caregiving, travel, or time off\u2014and make your candidacy stronger.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1\",\"width\":800,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"MBA\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/mba\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your MBA Application Resume\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Stratus Admissions Counseling Blog | Admissions Blog\",\"description\":\"Your MBA Dream Team\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Stratus Admissions Counseling\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/stratus-favicon.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/stratus-favicon.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Stratus Admissions Counseling\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/business.facebook.com\\\/stratusadmissionscounseling\\\/?business_id=1549495231831060&amp;amp;ref=bookmarks\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/StratusMBA\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/stratusmba\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/organization\\\/1022842\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCvQwmo9OA-cg_5B1C7z_ExQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/83b552161e76f86f3180c2ca4da93c42\",\"name\":\"Susan Cera\",\"description\":\"MBA Admissions Director Susan Cera brings nearly a decade of experience on Duke Fuqua\u2019s admissions committee and has guided clients from 30+ countries to top US and European MBA programs and more than $10.5M in scholarships. A Dartmouth and Fuqua graduate and former product manager, Susan was named the #1 MBA admissions consultant by Poets&Quants in 2021 and remains among the top three globally.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/about\\\/mba-admissions-counselors\\\/susan-cera\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/susan-allen-cera\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/susan-cera\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What If I Have an Employment Gap on My Resume?","description":"Employment gap before an MBA? Discover how to address layoffs, caregiving, travel, or time off\u2014and make your candidacy stronger.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What If I Have an Employment Gap on My Resume?","og_description":"Employment gap before an MBA? Discover how to address layoffs, caregiving, travel, or time off\u2014and make your candidacy stronger.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/","og_site_name":"Stratus Admissions Counseling Blog | Admissions Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/business.facebook.com\/stratusadmissionscounseling\/?business_id=1549495231831060&%3bamp%3bamp%3bref=bookmarks","article_published_time":"2025-12-09T14:31:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-09T16:33:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Susan Cera","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@StratusMBA","twitter_site":"@StratusMBA","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Susan Cera","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/"},"author":{"name":"Susan Cera","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83b552161e76f86f3180c2ca4da93c42"},"headline":"How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your MBA Application Resume","datePublished":"2025-12-09T14:31:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-09T16:33:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/"},"wordCount":1497,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","keywords":["Employment Gap","Optional Essay","Resume","Unemployment"],"articleSection":["MBA","Other App Materials"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/","url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/","name":"What If I Have an Employment Gap on My Resume?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","datePublished":"2025-12-09T14:31:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-09T16:33:15+00:00","description":"Employment gap before an MBA? Discover how to address layoffs, caregiving, travel, or time off\u2014and make your candidacy stronger.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","width":800,"height":600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/what-if-i-have-an-employment-gap-on-my-resume-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"MBA","item":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/mba\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Explain an Employment Gap on Your MBA Application Resume"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/","name":"Stratus Admissions Counseling Blog | Admissions Blog","description":"Your MBA Dream Team","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Stratus Admissions Counseling","url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/stratus-favicon.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/stratus-favicon.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Stratus Admissions Counseling"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/business.facebook.com\/stratusadmissionscounseling\/?business_id=1549495231831060&amp;amp;ref=bookmarks","https:\/\/x.com\/StratusMBA","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/stratusmba\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/organization\/1022842\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCvQwmo9OA-cg_5B1C7z_ExQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83b552161e76f86f3180c2ca4da93c42","name":"Susan Cera","description":"MBA Admissions Director Susan Cera brings nearly a decade of experience on Duke Fuqua\u2019s admissions committee and has guided clients from 30+ countries to top US and European MBA programs and more than $10.5M in scholarships. A Dartmouth and Fuqua graduate and former product manager, Susan was named the #1 MBA admissions consultant by Poets&Quants in 2021 and remains among the top three globally.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/about\/mba-admissions-counselors\/susan-cera\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/susan-allen-cera\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/author\/susan-cera\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/What-If-I-Have-an-Employment-Gap-on-My-Resume-1.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15659"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19493,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15659\/revisions\/19493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}