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Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

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Re: Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

#31

Post by anentropic »

badams2527 wrote: post #25
WWLink wrote: post #20

I always wonder what the HR person would get all upset over a gap for? Can someone tell me about the time they rejected a candidate because they had a gap in their employment? lol :D I mean why do they care. If I save up money and take a year off every few years? That just means if I get bored of them I'll walk out. It sounds like the kinda thing people care about because they're told to, but they don't actually have…

Have you been part of the hiring process before? It's very time-consuming, stressful, and hard to make a choice. From the interviewers perspective, there's a higher chance that the person who hasn't worked for 12+ months simply isn't good enough to find a job, and it could be a waste of their time/resources to interview them instead of the person who has been consistently working.

> there's a higher chance that the person who hasn't worked for 12+ months simply isn't good enough to find a job

surely that can't really apply if the same person held good jobs for a reasonable length of time either side of the gap though?

Re: Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

#32

Post by geocrasher »

The things you do between roles define you as a person and make you interesting. Use them as such. Tell the truth: I was sick, had enough savings to heal up and take some time off, and now I'm fresh and ready for the fight. I also did X Y Z and A B C, had some fun. Play time's over, and I'm looking to work hard.

If they can't appreciate that, then they wouldn't appreciate you in general. A self-solving problem.

Re: Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

#33

Post by geocrasher »

jobgaps wrote: post #21
LargeWu wrote: post #14

Just tell the truth. Medical is a perfectly valid reason. Tangent: What does it say about hiring culture that a gap of 3 months is a potential deal breaker? Like anybody who would ever deign to not be employed by choice is unhirable. God forbid that people are defined by anything other than having a career working for others. A person's worth is not defined by how much economic value they create.

Do you think the vague `medical` needs further elaboration? I sure do know my medical is not related to mental health. Is it reasonable to somehow indicate that or it should be better left for an interviewer to inquire?

Really they should accept that as it is and move on. You may want to reassure them that the medical issue is resolved, assuming it is, and you too, move on. If you're in the US, then they aren't even allowed to ask more questions. You're not obligated to even mention it was medical, for that matter.

Re: Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

#35

Post by ravenstine »

I always just tell the truth. I'd rather work for a company that doesn't think it's bad that I chose not to work for 9 months. (I've even been asked by curious interviewers how I was able to take that much time off)

When I was last interviewing, I just said that I took time off to work on side projects and refresh my mind. I never had a problem. My work experience was just a little more than yours currently is.

Re: Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

#37

Post by matz1 »

chrisseaton wrote: post #29
matz1 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not a lie. Sure someone could misinterpret it but it is not a lie.

The reason I think it's a lie is that the intention is that someone will misinterpret it.

Then its not a lie because there is no intention for someone to misinterpret it.

Re: Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

#38

Post by UI_at_80x24 »

wcchandler wrote: post #3
toomuchtodo wrote: post #2

"I required time off to provide care for a loved one". No further explanation beyond that is owed.

And that loved one can be yourself.

This comment needs more attention. In fact you made me tear-up a little.

Taking the time and effort to care for yourself is worth the effort because you are worth it.

Re: Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

#39

Post by jobgaps »

SamWhited wrote: post #5

I'd just tell the truth, I've taken off plenty of time and I generally just put it on my resume to save them having to ask: "took of some time for health related reasons and then decided to use my savings to spend some time with my passions" or whatever it is in your case. If this is a problem for a hiring manager, that's probably a red flag for you as well. I hope it doesn't end up being a problem for you; it's neve…

Thanks! I'm still a bit hesitant to add a section describing the nature of the hiatus to a list of previous work experiences.

Seems a bit unprofessional to me as if the work experience is sorted in descending order — the gap is gonna be at the top.

So i'm at crossroads here: risk and add the medical section or prepare an answer if a follow up question even occurs. With former i'm blatantly throwing it to the face, with the latter i'm more moderate.

Re: Ask HN: How to explain job gaps on the resume?

#40

Post by dougmwne »

WWLink wrote: post #20

I always wonder what the HR person would get all upset over a gap for? Can someone tell me about the time they rejected a candidate because they had a gap in their employment? lol :D I mean why do they care. If I save up money and take a year off every few years? That just means if I get bored of them I'll walk out. It sounds like the kinda thing people care about because they're told to, but they don't actually have…

Getting hired is a competition. If you're up against another person who is laser focused on their career to the exclusions of all other hobbies or priorities in their life, then that person is more likely to get a call then you are if you just took a year off to do whatever. Companies get many resumes for each opening and they just can't call everyone. At some point you will start getting filtered out vs people who are a better fit "on paper."

However, hiring decisions are not just made on the skill suitability of candidates. If you are an interesting person with enough passion for life to go live it for awhile up against a person who has done nothing with their life for the last 10 years but code for 14 hours a day, you are going to have an advantage. People hire people they like and want to spend time with. That's the reason why technical interviews are mandated by many companies, because companies know without them it's a popularity contest.

Go live your life and chase your passions. It's much better than the alternative.

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