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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?

#141

Post by gervu »

mltony wrote: post #130

I had a 5 years gap in my career - all medical. Recently, right after that gap, I was intervieweing with multiple companies - most of them didn't even ask me, even though I was worried as hell. In the end I got almost all job offers I wanted. The only notable exception that didn't even grant me a phone screen was Amazon, their recruiter told me that ML has advanced so much in those 5 years that all my prior experienc…

> ML has advanced so much in those 5 years that all my prior experience is totally irrelevant to them

Most people involved in hiring are either not involved with the work being hired for, and thus have no idea about that side of things. Or else they're total amateurs at hiring itself who have, by virtue of having some measure of authority over it, deluded themselves into thinking they are awesome at it.

Arrogance and bias will lose you an awful lot of qualified applicants.

It's not even that hard to work around that problem, if you're willing to shut up and listen. You can easily factor an objection as a concern instead of shutting them down entirely, which lets the applicant either show you that it isn't a major problem after all, or respond in a way that confirms that maybe it is.

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

#142

Post by [deleted] »

chrisseaton wrote: post #138
toomuchtodo wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your version says “I’m a liability”. My versions says “this person has had some struggle and has their priorities in order”.

We know it sounds better - that’s not in question. The point is that it’s less honest.

[deleted]

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

#143

Post by erichurkman »

Gaps are fine, and normal. Things happen (personal medical, family health, kids, breaks, personal pivots, ...). Be prepared to talk briefly about them if asked so you do appear to be caught off guard. Just keep it simple, consistent, and move on with the conversation.

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

#144

Post by grimjack00 »

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…

> but they don't actually have a reason why. I once heard an interview with a recruiter (don't recall what industry) who said something along the lines of companies don't want to hire currently-unemployed people "because of the risk." My reaction (having been laid-off over 6 months earlier) was "Risk? What risk? The risk that they'll take a lowball offer because they need a job?"

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

#145

Post by walshemj »

SolaceQuantum wrote: post #66
rconti wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure it is a potential dealbreaker. People just think it is. It's certainly not an issue in a hot job market.

I've certainly been asked about literally 3 months of gap. Exactly 3 months.

And unless its a second job (or you don't have any savings) taking several months to get the right job is the best thing to do.

Last time I took 5 months to get the right job and ended up with a job locally and not having to commute and a big pay rise.

I was also recuperating from a major operation about 4 months before I left me previous job

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

#146

Post by kubanczyk »

virtuexru wrote: post #117
scandox wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh gaps are usually pretty interesting. I once dug into a big gap (3 years) and went down quite a rabbit-hole with a candidate that was in every other respect excellent. But the gap: Let's just say it was the worst thing you can imagine.

Now I'm intrigued but I'm assuming something like jail/prison. :D

Nah, that's just the first thing you've imagined. I think: commander of concentration camp for disabled ponies and baby elephants.

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

#147

Post by redis_mlc »

jobgaps wrote: post #108
bduerst wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AFAIK misdemeanors have to be checked at the county level, and a lot of background checks skip them unless asked specifically (hence checking about the gaps).

Funny you mentioned that, i've seen a FB job posting mentioning they are ok with misdemeanor on the record. I wonder if there's a time they will okay a felony on file.

I believe the city of SF doesn't allow employment discirmination based on that in 2020, so FB would harmonize their hiring rules because they have an office in SF.

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

#148

Post by tropo »

bluGill wrote: post #54
inetknght wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just remember that the law (at least in the US) protects you from answering details - if they have been briefed at all about how to interview legally they will instantly back off that line of questioning. It's been my experience that interviewers do not back off of that question. It's news to me that it's a legally protected question.

See a lawyer for legal advice. They need to be very careful about probing. Personal reasons quickly leads to family status which is illegal to ask about. Likewise health can mean a disability that they are not allowed to ask about. For both of these it is important to remember the courts will judge with hindsight - given a sensitive situation was the cause of being out of work how can the deeper probing not be an eff…

It's perfectly legal to ask.

It is however an invitation for legal trouble, because it will change the presumption of discrimination. If the question isn't asked, then the employer doesn't know, and thus it isn't possible that the information could have been used in a way that harms a protected class. (like race, religion, over-40, Vietnam veteran, sex, etc.)

Yes, you can ask about all that stuff. You can ask if somebody is a Mormon or a Jew or whatever. Your boss will probably be unhappy, because then it becomes an uphill battle to show that you didn't use the answer to discriminate against a protected class.

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

#149

Post by tropo »

pfarnsworth wrote: post #61
jobgaps wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

It's illegal to ask further about medical, or any personal information like marriage status, etc. Medical is a good enough answer.

It is perfectly legal to ask, but that opens you up to accusations that you also discriminated. You no longer have the defense that you didn't know the information, and the court would want an explanation for why you were asking.

It's hard to imagine an illegal question under US federal law, but I suppose there could be one where the question itself is sexual harassment or an attempt at stealing trade secrets.

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

#150

Post by maxk42 »

I hire and manage developers for a living.

Why on Earth would you not just say exactly what you said here?

I'm sure you could phrase it a little better but, "I had a medical problem for 9+ months and then took several more months to rest after that" is not going to be viewed unfavorably in any way if your skills are up to date.

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