You explain the two years you spent caring for a parent. The interviewer's tone shifts. The conversation keeps going, but something has already changed.
If you've felt that moment, the quiet recalibration in someone's eyes the second you mention a gap on your resume, you're not imagining it. It's real, it's documented, and it's one of the most persistent biases in modern hiring.
Let's talk about why it happens, what the research actually shows, and more importantly, what you can do about it.
Where This Bias Actually Comes From
This isn't a new prejudice. It's an old one wearing a modern suit.
