51–60 of 86 posts
From the recruiters POV, that should be sufficient. The only concern would be that you might want to do that again in the next couple of years, so assure them that this is not the case.
Its a red flag. If you are capable of taking of for an year, whats stopping you from taking off again. No one wants to hire someone who will leave after sometime. And there are probably other hires who dont have this red flag.
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.
That being said, the red flag is how recruiters see this. And no argument on the internets will change this perception. Recruiters spend a lot of time and money hiring tech workers - the last thing they want is any indication that the guy is not 'stable'. Its a demand/supply problem.
The only 'solution' to this problem is if everyone starts taking sabbaticals and it stops being a big deal.
So in the interview (I only did one…) I talked about how I wanted to take a break to try new styles of software dev and learn things that you don't often learn in corporate environments to be a better dev etc. If your potential employer cares about "passion" (shudder) you can spin it pretty well, because you're clearly so passionate about software dev you want to forgo salary so you can concentrate on being a better dev.
FWIW while I did do a bunch of things like that (learnt clojure!), I also spent nearly a month watching YouTube 8hrs a day… you just fail to mention that bit in interviews ;-)
A recruiter's prime objective is to spend the least amount of time to get the person the highest paid job. That's how they get paid. I'm actually very annoyed that companies use recruiting firms so much, they are terrible and don't actually get you good candidates, just qualified candidates.
A person like that comes out as someone who knows what he knows. and hence can take risks.
on the downside, most HR folks never get this. so sending resume/CV has lower chances of conversion.
A better way I have found is to go referral way. Find people or network with people in space and get referrals. Have them connect me directly with hiring manager. This opens up channel for discussion.
All the best. Hang in there!
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.
A red flag that work and being productive is not your top life priority. Obviously, an employer would prefer to only hire people obsessed about work if possible.
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.
I've also been unemployed for about year (wife was ill), but I used that time productively and took it as an opportunity to retrain.
I look for someone who's self-motivated.