Your journey
Survive → Recover → Rediscover → Prepare → Apply → Work → Grow
You choose where you are. Moving back a stage is not a setback — it is honest, and it keeps the next step realistic.
I've been out of work
Time away from paid work is not empty time. Caring, parenting, volunteering, community work and running a home all build skills employers need — the trick is naming them accurately, without exaggerating.
Your gap
Tick anything that is genuinely true of you
Only tick what you have actually done. Accurate beats impressive — and it holds up at interview.
Your privacy
You decide how much of the reason for your gap to share — with us, a coach or an employer. "Family responsibilities" is a complete answer.