We've produced some new information which looks at ways of dealing with gaps in your employment history which have come about as a result of a criminal record.

If you've had to explain gaps on your CV, how did you do it? 

Let us have your ideas.

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I've been quite candid but at the same time rather coy. I have listed the work I have done whilst in prison (for education, guidance, virtual campus and chair of the prison council). I have listed my employer as the company contracted to deliver the education, as this is the organisation within which I was 'working', I also listed my accomplishments as a Shannon Trust organiser and mentor without mentioning the Shannon Trust.

I have provided two prison contacts as referees on my job applications and the coy part is allowing the information I have provided to be interpreted by the company to which I am applying. So saying, I also have a disclosure statement that I can hand to the organisation at the job offer stage (which hasn't happened yet).

In reality, my greatest and first barrier to employment is my age, the disclosure will be the second barrier to overcome.

I should make it perfectly clear that (a) I am following the guidance of the CRC on when I should disclose and (b) if the application process specifically asks about unspent criminal convictions, then I tell the truth and provide the information they want. I am not required to volunteer information unnecessarily and the time to disclose is when an offer has been made.

SInce I have come home I have shown on my CV that I am working as a self employed consultant. The nature of the consultancy work can be as simple as volunteering for charities. In conversations with recruiters I simply explain that I had a family matter that meant I had to stop working with my former employer and that I am now looking to return to full time work. Simple and clean with less detail gives you the ability to move on to skills, employment without the difficult questions.