The Truth About Career Gaps (No One Tells You This)

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]Hey folks, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you are. My name is Saurabh Pole. Welcome to Pole Ke Pole. Today I'm going to talk about the reality of career gaps in corporate India, right? Like I can see that so many people nowadays are taking career gaps, okay? And there's absolutely no problem in that, okay? Let me start by saying career gaps are not a problem, guys, okay? It is not at all a problem.

[00:00:20]They become a problem when you can't explain them. Okay? See, anytime your CV, okay, is in front of an HR or even a hiring manager, they're going to look at your CV and going to be like, "Okay, I can see you did this and this between 2017 and 18, but then nothing is there between 2018 and 2020. What's up?

[00:00:41]Where were you? Because I can see there is no education at that time. Obviously, usually I got a couple of years of gap, but I you want to check Okay, was it Was this person studying or something, right? But if this it's not there, then it's a career gap, right? A career gap is not when you Oh, I studied for 2 years. That's not a career gap. That is part of the career, right? Like yeah, I was studying. I I went back into academics, right? So, there is that.

[00:01:03]So, you were part of an institution, a full-time institution, because of which you could not work. It's logical. You can either be a full-time student or a full-time employee, okay? Or you're a part-time student and a full-time employee, or you're a full-time student and a part-time employee. Correct? You can't be both at the same time.

[00:01:21]So, that kind of career gap is absolutely fine. It's not even a career gap in the first place.

[00:01:25]Then it could be like Oh, okay.

[00:01:28]You know, then the question comes towards you Okay, what was this career gap? Explain to me, please, right? And at that time you are supposed to, you know, answer with any anything that you did. You just have to be honest about it. Never lie about your career gap, okay? Career gaps are not a problem. You know what's the problem? If you're not able to explain them, then it's like a disco This guy is out of my you know, short list, essentially.

[00:01:55]Cool, okay? Just just keep that in mind.

[00:01:57]Career gaps are not a problem. Not being able to explain them is a huge problem, okay? For example, if you just say you know, see, many people don't realize that you can honestly tell them what you were doing, right? Like I know people who did not work for 9 months because they were like I'm sick.

[00:02:16]I had a surgery. I was sick. I had an accident. I was sick.

[00:02:19]Okay? Like literally, again, maternity could be another reason Hey, I was pregnant. I was out. I had a kid. That was a That was a life break. For women, that is a very common one, right?

[00:02:31]There are many women who are like Okay, I did get a maternity break, but I probably just want to take a career break off a couple of years. You know, spend some time with my child and my family and then get back into the workforce.

[00:02:43]Completely normal. These things have been normalized. These things are there so that we perform at our best in corporate, right?

[00:02:52]You need to keep that in mind. And many of these things are mandated by law, right? Like 6 months maternity leave is literally mandated by the government of India. If any companies want to give more, they can, but the paternity leave part is a maternity leave part is mandated.

[00:03:07]But if you decide you want to stay at home, that's up to you. But when the HR asks next, you know, you you are supposed to answer it and answer it truthfully, right? They will not judge you or not, that's a different thing, but I'm telling you right now with my experience and my conversations with seniors, this is not a problem at all. You took a break for family, completely fine. Then you'll get back.

[00:03:30]The compensation, the roles, that's a different story, but that career gap is not penalized is what I'm trying to tell you. If someone says family responsibility, what that I know someone who had to go back because in their family there was a death.

[00:03:44]You know, like they had to stop their career because in their family there was a death and they were like I need to take care of my family.

[00:03:50]I need to be home. I need to sort things out for 6 months.

[00:03:54]I can afford it. Money is not the problem. I can just get back to, you know, get back home and just I want to Family comes first.

[00:04:02]That's a fair career gap. No one's going to say anything to you.

[00:04:06]Okay? You need to keep that in mind.

[00:04:08]If it's for a year or two also, it is not a problem. Usually, if it is above 2 years, then it becomes a problem and I'll come to that why later, right? So, you need to understand that. You can even say Hey, I you know, if it's the reality, they'll ask for proof, by the way.

[00:04:21]Okay, what were you doing those 2 years?

[00:04:23]I had my own startup. And usually people put startup as work experience.

[00:04:26]Sometimes if it fails, people feel ashamed of it, so they don't put it, you know? So, they If you have tried your own business and you failed, absolutely nothing wrong with that.

[00:04:36]You can do it.

[00:04:37]So what? So what if you failed? So what?

[00:04:39]You tried. You did it, you know?

[00:04:42]Most And what that ups and downs life may happen, but you can't hide hide them. You shouldn't be hiding them. As like you are not well, like you know, like No, I don't want to say. In fact, it raises suspicion.

[00:04:55]You were studying or something. You could be saying anything. Anyone could be saying anything. What were you doing?

[00:04:58]What were you doing?

[00:04:59]You need to understand once again, it is not about the break. It is about the response that you give, whether you're able to justify it or not, okay?

[00:05:08]Again, I want to make you understand when corporations when you're looking at career gaps and they ask you and if you say it was an academic break, so they'll ask Okay, which college did you go to? What What institution did you go to? You know, what did you study?

[00:05:22]And like Oh, no, I was preparing for UPSC. That's not an academic break.

[00:05:27]Let me break it down to you.

[00:05:29]Break it down for you. It is not an academic break. It is considered just preparation break and that's on you.

[00:05:37]They don't consider that as academics.

[00:05:40]You were preparing for UPSC. You were studying half an hour a day. The rest of the time you were playing with your friends.

[00:05:45]Who knows?

[00:05:47]Who knows?

[00:05:48]Who knows?

[00:05:49]Maybe you're working studying 10 hours a day.

[00:05:52]You're reading books 4 hours a day.

[00:05:55]Who knows? Maybe Maybe you're doing all of that, right?

[00:05:57]It could be. Who knows what your UPSC prep looks like? Who knows what your CAT prep looks like? Who knows what your NEET prep looks like? Nobody does. So, an HR has no obligation to look at your academic break and give it any credence.

[00:06:13]Okay? Please understand. Like someone comes up to me and says I'm preparing for entrances. I'm like all the best.

[00:06:19]But many breaks gap but I'm okay, cool.

[00:06:23]Do it, but don't you know, extend it. 1 year preparation break is fine. Over and above that, you know why that that is a problem? You're like, "So what? I was also doing something, no?"

[00:06:33]See, from an HR's perspective, you took a decision to do something, to achieve something.

[00:06:40]Clearly, if that thing would have worked out for you, it would have worked out for you, but it did not, right? Most likely it did not.

[00:06:47]Or if it did, you can justify it I prepared for 2 years, then you know, I went to this college after that.

[00:06:54]I went to this college.

[00:06:57]Correct?

[00:06:57]But the reality is that is just an entrance test, which is not giving you any real-life skills.

[00:07:04]Okay?

[00:07:04]These are not real-life skills that you're getting from there.

[00:07:07]There's nothing. It's an aptitude test or it's a technical test. Most of these tests these UPSC and these CAT and all of that in real life have very little application.

[00:07:17]I've given these exams.

[00:07:20]I've given these exams. Yeah, these are aptitude tests, okay? General knowledge tests, okay? So, I know these tests. So, I'm telling you.

[00:07:30]These are If I'm did you learn?

[00:07:35]What skills?

[00:07:36]That is assuming you studied 8 hours a day. Assume you did that.

[00:07:41]What's the use of those 8 hours a day to me when I'm trying to hire you?

[00:07:45]Because there are other candidates who don't have breaks, who have more experience than you. They were working at the same time.

[00:07:50]So, they have 1 2 years more experience than you in the same field, mostly.

[00:07:55]You get me? So, those career breaks are there for those reasons. They are not You can't say I was preparing for an entrance. You can, but I'm saying they are they're not justifiable that easily. If you take a break for a year or so, fine. There are I simply do not understand. Don't you guys see the world moving on without you?

[00:08:18]Like don't you don't you get it? Like okay, you tried. You tried it. It's fine. It's fine. You tried something.

[00:08:24]You It didn't work out. It's fine.

[00:08:27]Have the courage to go up to your parents and be like I need to get back into the workforce.

[00:08:35]Career start bump car Let me go and let me work.

[00:08:41]I'll start working.

[00:08:45]I'm telling you right now, folks, these these career gaps of 3 3 4 4 years are not good for you. I repeat this every month. God knows how many of you take it seriously, but I'm I'm telling you, okay? Because then what happens your salary growth is slow. The people who have joined before you, okay? You have that career gap where you which means you have to start learning everything they learned 2 3 years ago.

[00:09:07]Okay? And then the salary at which they are there Okay, the salary that they are there, you should not be you will not be on that salary because they they were on that salary long back. You will be on a lesser salary than them. And they were your peers at one point of time. Now they have more work experience than you.

[00:09:26]They have more knowledge and skills than you and they have definitely more salary than you.

[00:09:30]Okay? And then when you go out for interviews, this hits your confidence.

[00:09:34]This hits your confidence.

[00:09:36]See, I made this video to tell you the truth that this is how career gaps are viewed.

[00:09:42]I told you I gave you five different examples where career gaps are absolutely fine.

[00:09:46]Okay? And then there is that other thing which is like Oh, I was preparing for entrances. Like Oh.

[00:09:52]1 year is okay. Over that, it becomes a challenge.

[00:09:56]Okay?

[00:09:58]By the way, nowadays you can take a mental health break, also.

[00:10:01]This is very common in India now. You can literally say, "I was burnt out.

[00:10:06]Took a mental health break." How long? 3 months, 6 months. I have not seen people take it or justify it.

[00:10:13]It becomes like, "Okay, we get it, but unless it is like medically mandated, then it becomes a medical issue, right?"

[00:10:22]Maybe it was just like, "Okay, normal."

[00:10:24]Okay, I went through it. Like, if you do cognitive behavioral therapy, also, and all. You up within 3 to 6 months, you are free, more or less, to be like, "Okay, while he's not fully recovered, he can actually resume, you know, usual life." More or less. Or, if it is a if it is basic issue, it's it's a therapy issue, and not a psychiatric issue. I mean, I don't want to get too deep into it, but you get what I mean.

[00:10:47]So, you need to understand it's become very liberal nowadays. You can completely do these things. But, the entrance exam don't Okay? So, you need to do not go out there in a defensive manner. He said, "Actually, I took this break because, you know, no, no, no. You need to know that this question is coming."

[00:11:08]It's like, you know, you have to you have to prepare for it. You have to be confident. You have to say, "Yes, sir, that you got it. You got it." Okay, good thing.

[00:11:15]You know, you have to go to the screw you.

[00:11:18]You know?

[00:11:19]You need to justify it. Okay, when did you take it? Why did you take it? What did you do? What did come out of it?

[00:11:27]Okay, you need to genuinely genuinely show it. And you need to have proof, by the way. You need to have proof, because they'll check later. They'll be like, "Okay, do this."

[00:11:34]If I'm in that situation where I'm evaluating someone, and there's a noticeable career gap, I will honestly be like, "Okay, you know, I want your story to be, you know, sorted." Is all I'm saying. You know, it should make sense. I've always said, "Don't lie in interviews." You know, it's it's not worth it. You get caught, it becomes an issue, you know, obviously.

[00:11:58]It's an ethical issue. I'll not go into it, because in the comments people are like, "Oh, we should lie in interviews."

[00:12:03]Like, I see people, you know, literally advising people to lie in their CVs and all. So, you guys can do what you want to do, but yeah. And if you have done things like, "I was upskilling. I was doing this." Have certifications ready.

[00:12:14]You know, have those, you know, different certifications accreditation projects Keep keep keep things ready. Keep Hey, if asked, I can present it.

[00:12:27]Okay? So, that is what I need to tell you. Okay, and you need to understand that if you want to take a gap in your career, take it.

[00:12:35]But, as I said, why did you take When are you taking it?

[00:12:38]Be mindful of that.

[00:12:40]How long is it going to be?

[00:12:43]Tentative, what are you going to do?

[00:12:45]And at the end of it, what do you have to show for it?

[00:12:48]Yeah, I can pass the exam. So, I'll pass the exam.

[00:12:51]Okay, and you should also have a fail-safe.

[00:12:54]A backup. Okay, this break is also not working out. What am I going to do?

[00:12:58]Please understand, folks, momentum is extremely important in corporate. And if you don't have momentum, you lose momentum, it causes problems. I explained what those problems could be.

[00:13:11]Let me know what you think. These are the realities of career gaps in India.

[00:13:14]Things have improved so much. All you need to do is be honest and structured.

[00:13:18]Everything will be fine. Do not worry.

[00:13:20]Just focus on your work, your entrances, or academics, whatever you want to.

[00:13:24]Right? That's all. Let me know what you think. Let me share your experiences with me in the comment section below.

[00:13:29]Like, comment, subscribe. This is Bolly Singh.