What do I say about a two-year gap in an English interview?

Answer with the four moves rather than a story: state the fact, name the category of reason, name one thing the time produced, then connect it to this role. Rehearse it in the three shapes the question arrives in: What have you been doing since your last role?, Why is there a two-year gap here? and What have you been up to? If it comes back a second time, use the same words rather than a new reason.

The question often returns a second time in a softer form, and the second answer has to match the first. Write the four moves as four lines before the interview, keep the sheet with you, and re-read it once in the waiting room instead of trying to recall it under pressure. If your CV already shows the break as a career-break entry with dates, say the same two things your CV says: the category of reason and what the time produced. If the interviewer pushes for a detail you have decided not to give, repeat the same sentence in the same tone rather than adding a new explanation, because a second, different reason is what makes an answer sound assembled.

Answering 'What Have You Been Doing Since...?' in an English Interview →