There are many reasons that somebody may have a gap in their employment history. Stay-at-home parents, health issues, wellness breaks, whatever the reason, it can be challenging to explain your reason to a potential employer.

Most of the time, honesty is the best policy. That doesn’t mean you have to give all the details. However, telling the truth is the easiest thing to do. You won’t have to remember elaborate stories or say something that may make the employer suspicious.

After explaining why there was a gap on your resume, assure the employer that you will fully commit to your new job. You can spend less time doing this. Give a high-level overview of why you can commit to working again and erase any doubt in the employer’s mind about your commitment.

After explaining the why and assuring the future, tell the employer the skills and values you learned while you weren’t working. Just because you weren’t employed doesn’t mean you stopped learning. Whether through volunteer work, running your household, or managing a crisis like a health scare, you would have continued adding to your transferable skill sets. Highlight all of these learnings to the employer.

After you have done all of this, you only have to talk about your past work experience, your strengths, and the value you bring to the company.

Understandably, somebody may be nervous about explaining employment gaps. If you’re one of those people, remember you’re not the only one. Most employers won’t hold it against you. Life happens. There are so many reasons that somebody can’t work for a period. Most employers are concerned about the now and how you can help them in the future. Be as honest as possible, and focus on what you bring to the company.