"I'm sure you are referencing the two years between my graduation from my undergraduate program before I entered my Master's program. I was engaged to be married, and we were excited to start our life. I took a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep, where I gained a wealth of experience in frontlines in the field. From there, we started a family, and I felt the time was right to enter the program I'm about to graduate from."

"Looking back, I'm happy with how my career has progressed. Where others may have taken lab leadership roles earlier in their career, I've loved the opportunity to master all aspects of the lab setting before embarking on a journey like you're offering here at Gilead Sciences. I'm confident that my years of experience will pay off if offered this role."

When an interviewer sees slow career progression on your resume, they will immediately want to determine whether this is by your choice, outside circumstances, or a lack of motivation to create growth. If your career has progressed slower than you wish, you should feel free to be honest with the interviewer when discussing this. If you are a new graduate and are being asked a question like this, your interviewer may notice that you have gaps in your education. Come prepared to discuss those gaps and what you were doing during them.