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Ask HN: How do I explain a resume gap after taking a sabbatical?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I explain a resume gap after taking a sabbatical?

#31

Post by croon »

V-2 wrote: post #19
aaronbrethorst wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have more than one employer listed on your resume, what's stopping you from quitting the company that might hire you? No one wants to hire someone who will leave after some time for a new job.

It's not a good analogy the way you put it, because having more than one employer in and of itself is so very common that it's hard to be biased against it. However a dinstinctly high frequency of changing jobs, say in the 90th percentile among candidates (and how many people take sabbaticals?), now that could be a red flag already. And for exactly that reason - it implies the candidate is relatively likely to jump t…

> It's not a good analogy the way you put it, because having more than one employer in and of itself is so very common that it's hard to be biased against it.

Your parent compared one (1) gap year in a resume being a red flag for the explicit reason that they might leave again, to someone else having switched employers atleast once, for the exact same reason given by GP.

It's a totally apt analogy. Leaving is leaving.

Your further reasoning doesn't change this analogy. Many employment changes in a resume is no different to many gap years, in regards to the initially stated premise.

Re: Ask HN: How do I explain a resume gap after taking a sabbatical?

#32

Post by motohagiography »

Two questions: for any job with exceptional responsibility or skill required, has there ever been a candidate with a resume gap where the story behind it did not make them more interesting?

When you see a gap, what do you really think happened in it and what does it signify or mean?

Re: Ask HN: How do I explain a resume gap after taking a sabbatical?

#36

Post by V-2 »

croon wrote: post #31
V-2 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a good analogy the way you put it, because having more than one employer in and of itself is so very common that it's hard to be biased against it. However a dinstinctly high frequency of changing jobs, say in the 90th percentile among candidates (and how many people take sabbaticals?), now that could be a red flag already. And for exactly that reason - it implies the candidate is relatively likely to jump t…

> It's not a good analogy the way you put it, because having more than one employer in and of itself is so very common that it's hard to be biased against it. Your parent compared one (1) gap year in a resume being a red flag for the explicit reason that they might leave again, to someone else having switched employers atleast once, for the exact same reason given by GP. It's a totally apt analogy. Leaving is leaving…

I disagree. Taking a gap year is a bigger career disruption than simply changing employers. It's not by coincidence that one is much more common than the other.

The willingness to do former indicates lesser degree of dependence (or sense of dependence) on an ongoing employment than mere willingness to trade one job for another. That's why the "leaving is leaving" line of argument doesn't speak to me.

Re: Ask HN: How do I explain a resume gap after taking a sabbatical?

#37

Post by V-2 »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #27
V-2 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a good analogy the way you put it, because having more than one employer in and of itself is so very common that it's hard to be biased against it. However a dinstinctly high frequency of changing jobs, say in the 90th percentile among candidates (and how many people take sabbaticals?), now that could be a red flag already. And for exactly that reason - it implies the candidate is relatively likely to jump t…

You're right that constant job jumping, or several sabbaticals would be a red flag, but I don't think that a single year off would be. I was actually considering chasing another job last week, which would have better pay and more responsibilities, but decided not to, because I've only been in my current job for 6 months. It really isn't a good look if you're constantly jumping ship.

> You're right that constant job jumping, or several sabbaticals would be a red flag, but I don't think that a single year off would be.

Probably not - all I'm saying is that a single gap year doesn't carry the same weight as a one job switch decision. The conversion rate cannot be, and isn't one-to-one, so to speak; unless we're going ad absurdum

Re: Ask HN: How do I explain a resume gap after taking a sabbatical?

#38

Post by exodust »

jenscow wrote: post #16

When I'm hiring, I don't care about gaps - provided you've done something productive with yourself. Unexplained gaps (or just stating "sabbatical" / "unemployed") are a red flag. List it like a job, what you've done and achieved. How does that break make you different to the others? All else being equal, I'd hire the one who's took a break from their environment, learned new cultures, and made the most of live.

Just out of interest, why is an unexplained gap a "red flag"? A red flag for what exactly?

The chances that someone working for 10 years non-stop needs a break and might be burnt out, is higher than someone who worked for 10 years, had a break, and is now looking for work again.

Re: Ask HN: How do I explain a resume gap after taking a sabbatical?

#39

Post by awinder »

Out of curiosity how much experience did you have before the sabbatical?

If companies are actually filtering based on a year off (what recruiters say definitely deserves a filter), that seems like it could be super troublesome if not legally, then ethically for sure. That’s a filter that many parents would become trapped in.

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