Are Employment Gaps Normal After Military Service?

Yes. Employment gaps after military separation are extremely common and hiring managers who work with veterans know this. The transition from military to civilian employment is not instant — there is out-processing, relocation, VA appointments, job searching, and sometimes education or training in between. A gap of 3-6 months is typical. Even gaps of 6-12 months are not unusual, especially for veterans who relocate across the country, pursue certifications, or deal with medical transitions through the VA.

The problem is not having a gap. The problem is leaving a gap unexplained on your resume, because an unexplained gap forces the hiring manager to guess — and their guesses are rarely in your favor. They might assume you were fired, could not find work, or have issues you are hiding. A simple explanation eliminates the guessing and keeps the focus on your qualifications.

Veterans have a built-in advantage here that most civilian job seekers do not: your gap has a clear, respectable cause. You were transitioning out of military service. That is a legitimate life event that every employer understands. The key is framing it correctly so the gap looks intentional and productive rather than empty.

How Do You Address a Gap on Your Resume?

There are several strategies for handling employment gaps, and the right one depends on the length of the gap and what you did during that time.

Strategy 1: Use years instead of months. If your gap is less than a year, formatting your employment dates as years only (2022-2024) instead of months (March 2022 - January 2024) can bridge small gaps naturally. This is not deception — it is standard resume formatting that many career professionals recommend. A gap from January to June of the same year disappears when you list "2024 - Present" for your current role and "2020 - 2024" for your military service.

Strategy 2: Add a transition entry. For gaps longer than 6 months, add a line item on your resume that accounts for the time. This does not need to be a formal job — it is a description of what you were doing during the transition period.

Examples that work well:

• "Military Transition / Professional Development" (Jan 2024 - Aug 2024) — Completed PMP certification, attended career transition workshops, relocated from Fort Liberty to Dallas metro area
• "Career Transition / Education" (Mar 2024 - Present) — Pursuing Bachelor's in Cybersecurity (expected May 2025) while completing CompTIA Security+ and Network+ certifications
• "VA Medical Transition" (Dec 2023 - Jun 2024) — Completed VA disability evaluation process and medical appointments while relocating and beginning civilian career preparation

Strategy 3: Include SkillBridge or training programs. If you participated in a SkillBridge internship, apprenticeship, or vocational training program during your transition, list it as work experience. SkillBridge is particularly valuable because it shows you were actively working in a civilian environment while still on active duty — there is no gap at all.

Strategy 4: List education and certifications with dates. If you used your GI Bill during the gap, your education section with enrollment dates accounts for the time. "Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, University of Texas (2023-2025)" explains exactly what you were doing for those two years. Similarly, certification dates show active professional development: "PMP Certification — July 2024" placed in context with your military end date tells the story without you needing to spell it out.

Strategy 5: Address it in your cover letter. If the gap is significant (12+ months) and the resume strategies above do not fully cover it, your cover letter is the place to provide context. One or two sentences is enough: "Following eight years of active duty service, I spent 2024 completing my VA transition, earning my PMP certification, and relocating to the Austin area to pursue project management opportunities in the defense sector."

Dominic Landed a Six-Figure Role
With a Top Defense Firm.

"The most effective resource I used in my transition."
— Dominic, E-7, Marines

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What If Your Gap Is Due to Medical Issues?

Many veterans have employment gaps related to VA medical appointments, disability evaluations, surgeries, or recovery from service-connected conditions. You are not obligated to disclose medical details on your resume or in an interview — and you should not. Medical information is protected, and employers cannot legally ask about your health or disability status.

Instead, use neutral language that accounts for the time without revealing medical specifics:

• "Personal / Medical Leave" — simple and direct, requires no elaboration
• "VA Transition and Relocation" — lumps medical appointments in with the broader transition
• "Military Separation and Personal Development" — covers everything without specifics

If an interviewer asks about the gap, keep your answer brief and redirect to your qualifications: "I took time after my service to handle the transition process, including some medical appointments through the VA. During that time I also completed my Security+ certification and relocated to this area. I am fully ready to work and excited about this opportunity." Then move on. You do not owe anyone your medical history.

It is also worth noting that many veteran-friendly employers — USAA, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton — train their recruiters to expect and understand military transition gaps. These companies have dedicated veteran hiring pipelines where gaps related to service are not held against you. Targeting employers with strong veteran programs reduces the chance that a gap becomes a sticking point in the first place.

If your gap is related to a VA disability rating, remember that veterans with service-connected disabilities receive 10-point preference in federal hiring. The same condition that created your gap can give you a competitive advantage in the federal application process.

How Do You Handle Multiple Gaps or a Long Period Without Work?

Some veterans face extended periods without traditional employment — sometimes two years or more. This might be due to a combination of medical recovery, education, caregiving responsibilities, or a difficult job search. Longer gaps require more deliberate framing, but they are not career-ending.

Combine all transition activities into one block. Instead of leaving a two-year empty space, create a single "Career Transition" entry that covers the entire period and lists everything you accomplished: certifications earned, courses completed, volunteer work, freelance projects, and any part-time or gig work. Even informal activities count — if you helped a veteran service organization with events, tutored other veterans, or did consulting work, include it.

Use a functional or combination resume format. If your employment timeline has multiple gaps, a combination resume format puts your skills and accomplishments at the top and your chronological work history below. This ensures that the first thing a hiring manager reads is your value proposition, not your timeline. BMR's resume builder can create both chronological and combination formats depending on which works better for your situation.

Get a bridge job if the gap is growing. If you have been out of work for 12+ months and still searching for your target role, a bridge job stops the gap from getting longer while giving you current civilian work experience. Warehouse operations, project coordination, security, delivery driving — any role that demonstrates reliability and work ethic is better than a growing gap. You can continue searching for your target career while employed, and your resume shows no gap.

Freelance or contract work counts. If you did any freelance work, consulting, or contract projects during your gap — even informally — list it. "Independent Consultant (2023-2024): Provided logistics advisory services to small businesses" or "Freelance Project Manager (2024): Coordinated renovation projects for residential clients" shows you were active and applying your skills even outside traditional employment.

Volunteer work fills gaps credibly. If you volunteered with veteran service organizations, coached youth sports, participated in Habitat for Humanity, or helped with community events, these activities demonstrate initiative and character. List significant volunteer work as its own entry with the organization name, your role, dates, and a brief description of what you accomplished. "Volunteer Operations Coordinator, Team Rubicon (2024): Organized disaster relief logistics for 3 deployments, coordinating 40+ volunteers and supply distribution across affected areas" is legitimate experience that fills a gap and showcases transferable skills.

The career translation guides on BMR can help you identify which civilian career paths match your military background, which makes your gap-filling activities more targeted. If you know you want to go into project management, getting PMP certified during your gap is strategic. If you know you want cybersecurity, earning Security+ during that time shows deliberate career planning.

How Should You Talk About Gaps in an Interview?

Interviewers may ask about employment gaps, especially if your resume does not fully explain them. The key is to answer honestly, briefly, and with a forward focus. Do not apologize for the gap or over-explain it.

Keep it to 2-3 sentences. Give the factual reason for the gap, mention anything productive you did during the time, and pivot to why you are ready and excited to work now. The interviewer is looking for a simple, reasonable explanation — not a detailed narrative of your entire transition.

Frame it as intentional. "I took time to properly transition from eight years of active duty. During that period, I earned my PMP certification, relocated my family, and researched the right career direction. That preparation is why I am here — I am specifically targeting this type of role because it aligns with my operations and leadership background."

Do not be defensive. A gap after military service is one of the most understandable reasons for not working. You served your country and then took time to transition into a new career. That is not a weakness — it is a life event that demonstrates maturity and planning if you frame it correctly. Employers interview dozens of candidates with gaps for all sorts of reasons — layoffs, caregiving, health, career changes. Yours is among the most understandable of all.

Practice your answer ahead of time. The gap question should never catch you off guard. Write out your 2-3 sentence explanation, rehearse it until it sounds natural, and have it ready. When you deliver a confident, brief answer and immediately pivot to your qualifications, the interviewer moves on. When you hesitate, over-explain, or seem uncomfortable, they dig deeper. Preparation eliminates that risk entirely.

Redirect to value. After your brief explanation, bring the conversation back to what you offer. "The transition period gave me time to get certified and think strategically about where my skills create the most value. Based on my research, this role is an excellent fit because..." Then talk about the job, not the gap.

If you are preparing for veteran-specific interview scenarios, the veteran interview questions guide covers the 15 most common questions and how to handle them.

Related: How to write a professional summary that gets you hired and how to write work experience sections on your resume.