It might be tempting to include an explanation that offers full disclosure about the circumstances surrounding your leave of absence. Factors to consider on how to explain medical leave on your resume Sometimes, these types of absences aren’t readily understood by prospective employers and hiring managers – which means it’s critically important that you know exactly how to explain medical leave on your resume and cover letter. Because long-term care costs are so high, many families find it more cost-effective to serve as caregivers for close relations in these situations. It could be the case where you simply had to leave work in order to care for a loved one. Perhaps you suffered a serious injury that left you facing a long time of physical rehabilitation before you could rejoin the workforce. Prevalent diseases such as cancer, with the chances of one in two men and one in three women in the US getting it, can sometimes force you to take an extended medical leave lasting for months, or even years, while you battle the illness and recover to good health.
There are three major causes of medical leave: You may find yourself ill for an extended period of time – leaving you unable to perform your job duties. Taking medical leave from work can happen for a variety of reasons. Many US employees will have gaps during 2020, and beyond, due to COVID-19, whether that’s because the industry they were part of didn’t function during this time or they were bedridden with COVID and were unable to work.īut how to explain medical leave on a resume that involves a leave of absence due to illness and do it in such a way that employers won’t doubt your fitness for future employment? How do medical leave gaps occur? In this post, we’ll show you the best way of explaining medical leave on a resume in 2023, including when you’re caring for a loved one or have had to take time out to recover from an illness or serious injury.Įmployment gaps were always a problem for job seekers, and resumes that contained those gaps could easily be dismissed by hiring managers who preferred to see a more consistent work history throughout.īut since the pandemic, this view has shifted. It means you’ll have to sideline your career for a while.
Then wham! You get a health diagnosis that hits you like a ton of bricks. You’re journeying along quite nicely in your career, thank you very much, and everything seems to be falling into place.