"Gaps in employment"

[d000hg]

They can stop taking salary and claim JSA, then issue a dividend for the missed salary

[northernladuk]

They can stop taking salary and claim JSA, then issue a dividend for the missed salary

And wear their badge of failure with pride.

[SueEllen]

What I am curious to know is if I worked for a Consultancy such as KPMG and worked in a city based bank (for example), would there be any vetting and would it be so rigorous? In this example the trip to Afghanistan may well slip under the radar...

The vetting depends on the client.

The consultancy will also basically tell you to withdraw multiple times if you have issues with your credit file, a criminal record, have a substance abuse habit, etc. through out the process.

[itjobs]

Nobody is going to hang you for telling the truth. Just be honest but polish the words if possible. Saying that "I was looking for a job for 12 months" is worse than saying "I was trying my ambition for the last 12 months and failed".