21 People On Twitter Engage In A Viral Discussion Pointing Out How Having To Explain Resume Gaps In A Job Interview Is “Infuriating”
Job interviews are a stressful deal, especially when you’re going back to the workforce after taking a break, for whatever reason that may be. Now, we all have our struggles in life and no path is the same. The same goes for taking a gap from whatever activity in your life, be it university or a job—we all have our reasons, and they’re all valid.
Apparently, some people who are going to job interviews find the questions about resume gaps “infuriating.” The discussion began on Twitter when one young woman shared her opinion about the need to explain resume gaps in a job interview.
More info: Twitter
A thread on Twitter has gone viral where people point out that asking about resume gaps in interviews is unethical
Image credits: unknown
Assuming you have experience in attending job interviews (because not everyone does), which question do you find the most annoying? Unethical, maybe? Apparently, for some people, it’s the request to explain gaps in your resume.
The now-viral discussion was sparked by a young woman on Twitter under the username @skhndh. In her tweet, she shared how she finds the request to explain the gap in her resume “infuriating.”
“Maybe something catastrophic happened? Why do you have to share intimate personal details to justify non-productive/non-labouring periods of your literal human existence,” her tweet continued. The post was met with wide approval, having amassed over 179k likes in just a few days.
The now-viral discussion began on Twitter
Image credits: skhndh
Many people were quick to agree with the original post
Image credits: Trashy_In_Pink
When discussing gaps in resumes, most people were on the same page—they felt like the question is not something they enjoyed answering due to their own, personal reasons.
“I don’t really want to explain…” one Twitter user wrote, sharing how their resume gap was due to a “total mental breakdown.” Another woman shared how her gap came from the time her parents died within a 3-month period. According to her, having to explain it in interviews feels “gross and exploitive.”
One Twitter user went even further and described the request to explain the gap as “ableist.” “Like no I don’t want to explain my history of major depression to you so you can further discriminate against me,” they continued in their tweet.
Image credits: BTBagley5
“Having to explain it in interviews is gross and exploitive”
Image credits: KrissyPeterssen
Image credits: laura_mccaslin
“This [crap] is so ableist”
Image credits: vegfeminist
One Twitter user felt that the policing of personal lives in job interviews might go to even more extreme lengths. “This will soon trickle down to ‘why is there a gap in your dating life?’ OR even ‘why is there a gap in your married life (read: child-bearing)’ you need to move along a timeline that has been set by the society and you need to be answerable to them if you are not,” they wrote sarcastically.
Image credits: Vrushal86921519
“Puts you in the situation of either lie to protect your privacy or tell the truth and risk prejudice”
Image credits: Marvinhumanoid
Image credits: OtterSeaborne
Image credits: adideshpande27
Others shared tactics on what to do when you’re told to explain the resume gap
Image credits: LaShaylaMonique
Some people in the discussion had ideas about how to handle the “infuriating” question.
“I think candidates should flip it and start asking how long the job has been vacant and why,” one young woman tweeted. Another user was pretty blunt: “Lie!” they wrote. “Employers don’t want to hear about your depression/mental health or sickness because it makes you look unreliable.”
One young woman, however, had different ideas of how to go about the request to explain the gaps. “The best way to handle this question is to explain your situation and follow it up with the skills you’ve acquired during that period. If you have internet access, you can do online courses and mention that to show that you’ve been productive,” she wrote. Her thought wasn’t met very enthusiastically on the viral Twitter thread.
Image credits: xocamilarose
Image credits: merelycat
Some shared their sad experiences related to professional gaps
Image credits: ComfySuccubus
Image credits: sarit_yael
Image credits: tigrvix
Image credits: milleronthewall
While some people shared how they handled the question previously in their lives
Image credits: BigBisc35707532
Image credits: BoredPrez
Image credits: bigbybrimble
What do you think? Do you find potential employers’ requests to explain gaps in your resume unethical or annoying? If so, how would you handle it (or maybe you have in the past)? Share in the comments down below!
I do hate one question even more, "where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?"
Answer: "In a much better place than I am now."
Happy and successful.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
WilvanderHeijden easy
I think we can safely assume that almost everyone got that question wrong in 2014 ...
I used to say : "No one can predict the future, so I take it how it comes. I could win the lottery. I could get hit by a bus. What ever happens it won't be from not putting all my effort into what I am doing in my life and what ever benefits I get from that I will be happy knowing I have earned it" It has landed me a job quite nicely. Now I'm disabled... Who would have predicted that?
Easy for me to answer. In 5 or 10yrs, I'll either be dead since I'm not allowed healthcare, or stuck in wheelchair and still alive and still no healthcare. If the question has to do about a job. Then nope, I still won't have my first job. There ain't a soul on this planet who'll hire a stay at home mother of 2.
One of my coworkers was a stay at home mother of 4 for ten years before re-entering the workforce with my company.
I got such bad vibes from one interview for a job I no longer wanted I just said "a million miles from here" - that ended things quite abruptly.
“Drowning in a pile of handsome men.”
I was asked that once (in a German company, because they have to copy every sh*** Americans do). I answered: on your seat. I got the job.
Jill haha
This answer to the gap question is entirely necessary. I interviewed a guy with a gap - said he'd been travelling. Turned out he'd been in prison. If it's too personal, just say "I decided to take some time to myself". You can't expect them to just ignore it altogether.
Back in 2015, when asked "where do you see yourself in 5 years", I responded "what? Do I look like I have 2020 vision?"... ha ha, but at the end of the day, EVERYONE asked that question in 2015 got it wrong... who would have guessed what the world is like now.
This comment has been deleted.
"Off deferred deposition hopefully" is the wrong answer
I always say hopefully in your position.
I bet everyone in 2015 hot that one wrong...
Why? It’s a more honest question that makes a little more sense for them to ask. It’s definitely not worse than “why didn’t you have a job? You have to have had a job every day or we can’t give you a job!” Work culture is stupid as fûck. You can tell the truth to your question. “Spending time with my family and hopefully earning more and being more productive.” That’s pretty much what anyone would want.
Jill lol
Lol.. Replacing you as head boss 😆😆
Why do they think they have to give intimate details? A gap could be explained as a personal or family matter. That's all. I don't think the interviewer really wants to hear details.
Zophra Good response!
But be strategic and phrase it in a way to imply that it is a "thing in the past and won't happen again"
People are taking this waaaaay too seriously and personally. Maybe it was for personal issues or something you're not proud of, but that doesn't mean that the company is asking it BECAUSE they want to dig into your personal life or make you feel ashamed! Any decent company is empathetic to personal issues; family emergencies, layoffs, medical leave, moving for the sake of your spouse/family, taking a personal sabbatical, etc. This question (and the followup of what you did in that time) is mainly there to look for red flags such as really and truly doing nothing with themselves or showing no motivation to learn, or making up excuses/lies. It's not about what caused the gap, it's about how you handled it and made use of it. That's it, no reason to panic.
I think there seems to be a lack of knowledge on both sides of the table. Interviewers should keep their questions appropriate but asking about a gap isn't unreasonable. Expecting huge amounts of detail is. Questions should be based on skills, experience and knowledge that are relevant to the role. A few based on the persons CV or application where there are gaps or something unusual should be expected but people have lives, people sometimes don't need a job, or have families, travel, illness - none of these things should bar people from being employed & are sufficient answers in themselves. In the UK there are regulations around what people need to disclose and what can and can't be asked - regulations so no discrimination can take place. If someone has been in prison (if people are wondering if that's the gap) you only need to tell a future employer if the conviction is unspent or relevant to the job (because of children's safety - will get a criminal record check anyway).
I understand the rationale behind asking, I don't think that the question offers any usual information. What's the difference to the company between someone taking a year off to care for a sick child, to go backpacking across Europe, or staying home to work on their quilting hobby, or even just staying at home and doing nothing in particular because they wanted to take a break from working. The answer to the question tells the employer nothing about the employees motivation level after going back to work. I guess if the employee said "I took a year off to take an intensive programming bootcamp", that would be a good sign, but the employee would have almost certainly put that on his resume in the first place.
That’s literally the point. Doing nothing with yourself isn’t a red flag and it’s straight up none of your business. You’re so deep into the work culture you can’t understand life outside of it. I have like six year gaps in my resume because I made so much money I didn’t need to work and didn’t want to work. If I ever need to work as someone’s employee, they wouldn’t accept that. What did I do in my gap? Straight up none of your business. I fûcked my husband and traveled the world and spent three hours a day on skincare. So? What’s that to do on whether or not I’m good at processing loans? Get a grip, lady. You’re asking a question you know people are lying to you about anyway. In that case you can’t actually be worried about red flags, because you know all the answers are lies. It’s like you just want to see who has the most creative lie. Mine would be, “I had to go back home to Iran to help my family with blah blah” and make the plight sound sad since most Americans have no clue what’s happening in Iran anyway.
It should be taken seiously when you explain that several family members died and they ask for "proof", as mentioned in one of the posts above. No, in most cases they want to find a weak spot in your resumé to deny the job. There are not many "decent" companies out there, if you haven't noticed yet. I'm happy that where I live at least the law is protecting me, even encourages me to lie, if the company asks too personal questions.
It's called due diligence. Companies are increasingly being blamed when a hire doesn't work out for whatever reason and in some cases the employee has sued for a bunch of silly reasons. So employers are very cautious, obvious gaps need some explanation. You would be surprised how many employers are very understanding, and you do want to work for those ones
Agree! Or I've seen people who just quit a job with no plans and then spend months desperately looking for a new one. In some scenarios that is understandable, but if it's a pattern on a resume, then that could be a red flag for a person who makes hasty decisions or has a lack of foresight/planning ability. It wouldn't be a deal breaker necessarily but it would be a factor to consider for hiring.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Troux no
dredfurygaming good
Just say its was a family issue that I wont discuss with strangers out of respect.
As an HR recruiter, I do this question and I am not ashamed of it: it is not done to discriminate not to put someone in an uncomfortable position, it is to better understand your path, progresses and you as a person because all these things are important in a work environment. It's important to know if those reasons might be in conflict with the potential job you're applying for or if, instead, they taught you something valuable that can be very useful for the position. We are not there to try to f**k you or to try to deny you the job, on the contrary we want to find the best fit and we want to know everything that might help us understand which one is THE one.
Agreed. As an executive recruiter; layoffs, leaving a role/culture that wasn't a fit, or leaving for personal/family reasons didn't stop me from exploring their candidacy further when the skills, experience, and leadership qualities were there. Even good leaders can have 3-18 month gaps. We need a picture of what happened. When people became uncomfortable or defensive to the question, their later interview responses often reveal even more about their emotional intelligence (EI), coachability, and ability to work well with/lead a team. I don't need your personal details and life story, but I do need to know the professional risks and if the new environment will be a better fit (or not). If you are not able to formulate a calm and coherent response, you might not be ready to step into the new role and it could lead to a misstep for all sides who are invested in a future together. Take the time to practice telling your story, without lying!!! Lies will always hurt you more later on.
The same honest response should be provided when a prospective employee asks why the previous person left. I found out I was lied to about an open position after a month into a job. You don't think any prospective employee wouldn't have doubts, questions if they were told the previous person left because they were actually overworked and underappreciated or the workplace was too toxic for their wellbeing?
Unfortunately, this is the problem - painting everyone with the same brush and thinking you own them. You should be ashamed to ask that question and yes, it is done to discriminate against people. Everyone knows that HR people eventually, most of the time pick someone they know or someone who was recommended. And everyone knows that a lot of people are put through the ringer only because the company by law, has to interview outsiders. It’s funny how the discriminatory questions disappear if you interview someone you know or someone who is recommended.
That's exactly what happened to me once. Three months after starting the new job I found out that the division manager, a narcist, had created such a toxic work environment that the last person left after few weeks. Nobody at HR was able to give me a small warning or, God forbid, try to solve the issue with that manager's behaviour. They gave him a raise and found another victim, me.
You need to think of better questions to ask if you want to find out if someone is a good fit. The issue is that employers shouldn't be able to ask such personal questions in the first place.
Samel Mel -
My gaps are because of mental health issues or times when I had money and felt like taking time off. I see no reason why I should explain.
@Aidan Sivits: My superior at one of my jobs is like 35. He is a bachelor who doesn't do a lot besides visit family and video game. As such, after working for a couple of years he had a fair bit stashed in the bank and "retired" for two years. He spent that two years taking it easy and just doing what he wanted. When he ran out of money he applied and got in at my company. I'd like to add that he has an emotional steadiness that has really served him well. I think his emotional steadiness came from all his "me" time. So no, not everyone has to work, not if you work a decent job. We are not a reflection of our jobs, before anything we are a whole, complete and emotionally complex human. And for someone to lord it over you that you took time off from working, because you needed to or just because you could. Is weird and wrong.
Why is it a big deal to explain why he was out of work then? It sounds like he has been doing just fine. The question is asked to asses how they have handled themselves in the break.
AIDAN SIVITS follower
I bet ya that dude won't be able to retire since he seems to just look in the short term like so many do today.
The Dave easy
The Dave haha
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
mental health and work dont go together, take too many days off and your canned. Canada has AISH for people who cant work
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Everyone has to take money home at the end of the day and if you refuse to explain why you have been at home for long gaps at time your not getting a job.
When I eventually make it back to the working world, I will have a gap that is 10+ years long. I have no idea how to explain that I was in an abusive marriage and also had an injury that should have only lasted 3 years with 5 surgeries but due to the abuse, it lasted a hell of a lot longer. I get that I just told you all that but you aren't hiring me to do a job now are you?
Hi Mama Panda, so sorry you went through that. All a company wants to know is was the gap something that would affect your ability to do the job. If you told them what you've just told us, as someone who has hired a lot of staff, it wouldn't stop me employing you. I'd also not be worried if you'd said that you had no need of a job at the time. People don't always need a job. I didn't make people go into detail over their employment gaps. People travel, have familes, difficult lives. I even employed someone who knew they weren't getting a reference because they were blackmailed into embezzling money. Cue panic from HR but this man repayed me in loyalty a 1000 times over. All the employer wants to know is if you are reliable, hard working and can you do the job. Saying you had family problems that are over now would cover it and should discourage more detail being asked - if they're decent people. If not, think twice before working there! Hope you are okay now.
I don't have a job to offer, but if you say you were in a relationship without need for a job, that's all they need to know. They just want you to have an answer. They don't want the details. It's the tone of the answer, not so much the content (unless it's prison, maybe)
Anne -
Wow. A lot of people in here would absolutely fail job interviews. Remember, it’s not your answer, it’s HOW you answer. Saying “none of your business” is your right, but dont expect to be hired.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Ben Smith haha
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
mazuikotori like
I think that as a potential employer, it's reasonable to want to know about any gaps. It's their job to find the most suitable candidate and the reason for the gap might be the difference between hiring someone or not. As a potential employee, I can either sell myself and say I used the time to better myself or similar, or I can decline to answer the question. None of this presents a problem to me - we all have rights and we all make choices. Some choices lead to not getting a job.
Wow. People are taking this question WAY too personally. Employers aren't asking the question because they are attempting to pry into your personal life, they are asking because they are afraid the reason is "I got fired because my boss caught me stealing so then I lived off of the embezzled funds for a year" or "actually, I quit the job because they expected me to show up on time and had a hard time finding a new company that wasn't totally lame. You're cool if sometimes I don't come in until noon, right?" Seriously, if you calmly and professionally give a concise answer, you'll be fine. "I had an illness that has since resolved" or "I had some family obligations at that time but then I was eager to return to the workforce" or even "I took that opportunity to broaden my skills in X, which is why I believe this job is a great match for my skills"
If you have been convicted of a crime, that’s what a background check is for. Companies are definitely prying if they ask such questions.
Background checks are expensive (I work in the non-profit world and assure you that we only spend the money for roles that have direct patient contact). But I never mentioned convictions; a disturbingly high number of companies would prefer not to report these crimes in the first place, so there's never an arrest, much less a conviction.
The embezzlers and lazy people will just lie to you, so what's the point?
Lazy people are unlikely to have spent the time to prepare a good answer, so you'll probably hear a more honest answer than you'd think. Also, people are more likely to tell a version of the truth than a bald-faced lie, so both kinds of people may talk about how unfair their old bosses were (which is a red flag even if you aren't sure which lie they might be telling)
Wouldn't their previous employers inform you if they left their last job in bad circumstances?
1) Put the year starting to year ending of a job, not the year and month. At least where you can get away with that. That helps a lot. 2) Don't ever lie, but do learn how to tell the truth more creatively: 'There was a health crisis with a family member, and I took some time off because I was needed to help with it' (the family member was me - don't need to say that!). Or 'I needed to take some time to step in for a family member who was unable to care for themselves (haha - I had a baby!). Or 'I was doing the groundwork to launch a business, but in the end decided I prefer to be working as a team' (yeah, rite - I was job searching and looking for any way to make some extra bucks!) All are basically true. So don't lie, but do be creative.
YES!! I will say that online applications make it harder to eliminate the month from the timeline. But lying about the time spent in jobs is a bad idea. Basically, if a hiring manager calls your former workplace, the ONLY information the company can share is your dates of employment and (I think) your salary.
The one that kills me is when the HR program they’re using asks for not just the month, but the DAY of the month you started a job. I’m sorry, but I really don’t remember the exact date I started a job after ten+ years have gone by.
Kathryn Baylis ?
Brilliant!!
the reason for the gap may actually be a reason to hire or not hire someone. you may have a gap to pursue education or training, or you may have been in prison or drug rehab. in a perfect world with perfect people, it would not matter. in the real world, you do not want a convicted armed robber working for a bank or a drug addict working in a pharmacy. our choices in life do have consequences, sometimes lifelong. other things, such as taking time to take care of the elderly or children shows responsibility and compassion, valued characteristics. health issues are different. mental health issues may affect employability depending on the job. and it is not necessarily discrimination. you would not hire a blind cab driver.
So drug dependence isn't a health issue? What neatly defined category would you place it in? A lifelong consequence of a person's choice to play the role of a hedonistic layabout? Get real. ...and the implication that a stint at an inpatient rehab should be considered a major red flag? "Let's see here, candidate K decided to take a massive step towards becoming a more productive human resource — er, I mean member of society — by seeking help for a private issue that is poorly understood and widely condemned by nearly everyone except the professionals who actually study addiction. Clearly her attempt at achieving sobriety is an indication that she is not to be trusted for the rest of her life! She should have kept that addiction private behind locked doors like the overwhelming majority of working addicts!" Again, get real.
Here here!
Blackheart +
Blackheart follower
Had an interview last week where they asked me about my current work gap. We are in a pandemic. Tens of millions of people lost their jobs. What do YOU think that gap is?! (Answer I actually gave: "I was working on my writing career.")
zims ?
Just say personal reasons and leave it at that. They press you for more details, say it's none of their business thanks for the interview and get up and leave.
I have a gap of almost a year in my resume, Why? 50% of companies would not hire me due to lack of experience 50% of companies said I was "too highly qualified" to work for them. (Well, actually, only about 20% replied at all, but out of those who did state a reason)
Let me guess, the ones saying lack of experience were “entry level” jobs—-something that anyone going into HR/Recruiting needs to have defined and explained thoroughly to them. Tattooed on their brains that you don’t go into an entry level job already experienced—-that you’re supposed to get that experience from the entry level job itself! And companies also need to understand that they’re going to have to pony up some money for training, period. They can’t go on expecting people fresh out of school to train themselves. It’s no wonder so much gets messed up, if people aren’t trained tso they actually understand their jobs. (Sorry to vent—-pet peeve.)
The gap would be looking for work. I had been out of work for almost a year, that looked bad as they'd question why I wasn't able to secure a job yet!
True story, alas. "Why do you only have part-time employment from this year to that?" ........ I was in medical school. "What did you do in taht time?" ..........I was in medical school. See? Graduated! "Where od you see yourself in five years?" ..........nowhere near this BS "Why are you not practicing as a physician?" ........because I realized that I cannot handle the deaths of children from preventable diseases like measles, and I'd haev to either become a sociopath to function as a doctor, or stay human, and use the MD to inform research and advocacy for patients. ........ and no, I didn't get that job.
I'd hire you!
Thank you. :-)
I have had a continuous work line since age 24 (when I graduated from university and started work) - cue a recent side gig: "I see no gaps. No children then, eh?" in the most 'all women should breed' kinda voice you can imagine. Can't win for losing ...
This is going to be on a load of resumes because of the pandemic. I wonder how employers are going to justify asking this question when things get back to quasi-normal (we have to realize they will never be the same as they were). I was exposed to COVID at my last job. It was early on (April), and companies still did not understand the importance of full quarantine after exposure (ordered by my doctor), and insisted I come into the office. I had to resign to quarantine, rather than go into work and potentially infect everyone else I came into contact with (a lot of people). That’s on my resume, how I explain it in interviews now, and how I will continue to do so in the future—-until someone finally hires me. I’m not even getting interviews right now, which is a huge blow to my confidence, even though I fully understand the glut of similarly qualified people who are also looking for work.
There are going to be so many gaps on people's applications/CVs/resumes - lots of people losing their job, quarantining, being ill. Your reasoning is sound and shows consideration and common sense - things a decent employer should want! Don't feel bad about not getting interviews - you say it yourself, there are so many people out of work. I was trained to do equal opps interviews where people are scored based on the evidence they provide, at application, to meet person specs and job descriptions. Don't know what sort of job you are looking for or if they do this in your country (wherever you may be) but it's one way that people get weeded out. Eg skills required on person spec. Scores are: 0 if skill is not mentioned, 1 mentioned, 2 example of how the skill was used is provided. Then, typically, the top 10 scoring the highest would be interviewed. Might not be relevant but good luck anyway.
Looking forward to that question so when they ask why there is (currently) a 17-year gap in my work history I can say "7 years bringing up my daughter followed by 10 years waiting for a heart transplant" I did a test interview and said something similar (I was fighting with the DWP for disability) and the interviewer sat there silently for about 5 minutes not sure what to say. The interview was terminated
Honestly, I do despair - effing DWP. Anyone going through that and sitting in my office for an interview is going to impress me. Hope you won that fight.
All the trump men and women will have gaps on their resume soon. And I want them to be asked about it.
For those who were fired by Trump, it's pretty much a badge of honour. So far, at least one has been hired by Biden. For those fired by Biden, they'll might have to find like-minded folks to hire them.
Usually we interview women, because there are so few male accountants, and sometimes the question doesn't need to be asked, because the rest of the CV or letter of motivation answers it itself - had a baby, applied to complementary study, traveled around the world, blah blah.. I have a friend who was very very sick in recent history and she has working gap too. She too was feeling uneasy to explain why she didn't have a job for I think more than a year, when she was looking for a new job after she got better, because the reason was still very personal, painful and emotional and she didn't want to go into much detail so she had prepared some vague universal answer. Nobody looked at her any differently because of that, geez, we're not in the era of comunism when you had to have a job or you were the enemy of the state bound to be locked in jail.
Be vague on resumes about times but specific on skills and responsibilities. If your resume is long enough - just give years. If you worked with a staffing service, Then you were available and employed for the following companies form year to year. Also understand that you may be carrying baggage from the last person or persons. I had a job that they watched me very closely. Turns out that the last guy openly surfed porn at work unlit they fired him. Find out why the job is open. Look at the people who work there. Are they miserable? Look at the cars of the employees. Can people afford decent vehicles or aren't the paying people enough? I've had jobs that I didn't know had high turn over and would have like to know that up front. Look at Glass Door. I get from an employers perspective that they want stable people - but everyone has issues and personal problems.
Well.....my husband had a job recently and it lasted a month and he got fired for flipping checking his email-or attempting and it was blocked. He had no idea he couldn't. His last jobs let him so it was habit. No discussion. Company is a big $ company they were worried he was up to no good. So he left it off the resume as it was only a month and it was post lay off of another job. Well, background check revealed it on an offer so he is now waiting for the hiring manager to call today so he can explain, and not wait it out and possibly lose out on the job. We were buying our dream 2nd house in the process as we were 100% confident in the job. My parents now have to be on the loan to not miss out so we are really having a tough time now thanks to the stupid job error. Uggggvv
Say “I had to take care of a loved one” because you should love you and take care of yourself.
I mean there’s even a non-ableist side to it. Maybe you’re a good worker but you’re so s**t at interviews that you haven’t been able to get a job since you worked over Christmas at Macy’s two years ago. But I get interviewers want to know why you didn’t work for a while - like, were you in jail? Maybe you went back to college? Maybe they should ask “is there anything you feel like we should know about the gap in your work history?” That would be easier for interviewees to give a positive response.
Or just say it’s personal and leave it at that. Better yet, since most people have a brief explanation of a gap on their resumes, how about actually reading the damn thing—-that the interviewee spent a load of time and effort trying to perfect—- and you’d already know.
I have gaps, because in my home country students don't work. They don't work, because "full-time education" is actually full time and we don't have time between 36 hours of classes, homework, revision and mandatory placements.
Then 'was a student' is going to be perfectly fine. Most companies don't mind gaps that are explained by education.
Nomadus Aureus lol
If it was a health issue, physical or mental (including depression) then your answer should be "For medical reasons protected by HIPAA." End of story. If it was a job gap due to your being terminated or life events that kept you from working, say "There were circumstances beyond my control that are no longer preventing me from working." Any question can be answered with tact if you go in prepared and calm. The one exception is if you are legally required to disclose certain types of incarceration, because if you don't then a background check will do it for you.
Stephanie Did It haha
alliebrown099 -
To answer this question you don't have to divulge a whole lot of details. Just tell the interviewer enough information that they might move on. I was out of work twice in the last five years. When asked why I wasn't working I said it was because of family business and left it at that. I didn't feel like I needed to elaborate. However, in some cases, the interviewer needs to know. Especially if you have been to prison or were fired.
I knew someone that does hires. This is an important question and "looks bad" if a huge gap is apparent.
I have a few that i hate more. "Are you married?" "Do you have children?" "If you're a single parent, who helps you with child care?" In my entire career I've taken exactly 1.5 days of family responsibility leave, duck off and let me handle my s**t, I'm an adult.
Employers are not allowed to ask those types of questions in the UK thankfully.
They’re not allowed to ask them in the US also, but some sleazeballs still try.
Carrie de Luka no
Lord Mysticlaw easy
I hate this question too, it's almost always awkward to answer and brings down the rest of the interview. I think an acceptable way to approach it would be to acknowledge the gap, and ask which skills they kept up to date with, or if they have been doing some sort of skill refresher to prepare to re-enter the workforce.
JadeAngel Good response!
But isn’t it normal to ask questions about the cv and the candidate in general? If someone keeps changing their jobs every 6 months and I want to hire someone long-term I would ask about that too. Same goes for gaps. I don’t understand the big issue. You could just say I was traveling for a year or whatever and everyone is fine with it.
Of course it's normal to ask questions about the CV, I just think this particular question isn't that helpful for anyone. In my experience asking why someone has a gap in an otherwise good employment history typically results in a story about illness, death, bad market and/or raising a family. Travel is also possible, but really none of these reasons are important to me for hiring purposes, and why should they be? What good information do I get from asking this question? That's why I find it more productive to ask what they've done to keep their skills up and prepare to go back to work. You can avoid the awkward and get more information about what kind of work drive they have. If they want to volunteer an explanation, that's fine. Or you can hire them and chat about that personal stuff over coffee. Hopping jobs is a different scenario. Someone could be working contracts, or they might just be awful. So I would ask them why they left those jobs, because that's related info I need.
I'm definitely not in the Millennial generation -- and I still think that the demand to explain gaps in your resume is inappropriate. I was stunned the first time I was asked this question many, many years ago. After fumbling around the first time, I now respond with something like this: "If providing a satisfactory answer to that question is essential for this position, then it's probably not a good match for me." If the interviewer presses, then I thank them for their time and make my exit. Fortunately, now I work freelance and contract, so the question never comes up.
Agree fully. Just as an FYI though, you may mean the Gen Z. The oldest millennial now is 40. Youngest is close to 30. I believe 27. I'm 47 and I'm Gen X, but yeah. I fully agree with you on all you said.
Thank you! Honestly, I took a gap period b/c my dad died and mom needed help and my sister had just died, and really, they wanted to know if I was going to be "pulled away by family" in future. WHAT FAMILY?! I blurted, then added, "They're dead. I can't go to their funerals TWICE." And I was given the job, weirdly enough.
You gave a reasonable response to the question and their asking 'if you were going to be pulled away by family in future' is a stupid, stupid question. Really sorry you lost your family, but any company that thinks people aren't going to need leave if family are sick or die is weird. Would those people not go to their family's aid in time of crisis? Ugh. Refusing to answer is always suspicious but lots of detail is not necessary and companies shouldn't overly probe. In the UK there are a lot of rules about what you can and cannot ask and a lot of training available to help people know what is and isn't appropriate for the employment process. Asking about a gap is not unreasonable but 'I had a family, or I didn't need a job' are perfectly valid answers. The ability to do the job is what the focus should be on.
Anne Easterling +
I find this whole concept is bullshit- I find their asking is bullshit and i find being perturbed is bullshit- basically answer with- hmm- life- and move on. If they are dead set on digging, you wouldn't be a good fit their anyway so consider they weeded themselves out.
Social scientists have done studies on this... saying that you were caring for your children or an ill family member is actually really bad. Especially if you're a man. You'd do better to say, "I got fired and couldn't find another job." Because if you tell them that you were caring for your family, you're basically saying, "I prioritize my family over my job." And they do NOT want to hear that.
You have to pee in a cup for a job interview??
Resumes are creative writing. I owned businesses and when looking for work realised no one wants to hire someone that previously owned or were Management in the past, they decide for you that you would not be happy working for others or would not stay, or worse be after their job...all wrong. As far as the gaps, I would love to see everyone from now on reply "Blockbuster" and when asked why it was not included, say that you were so passionate about your role in the company, and you felt a great loss when it closed, who can they call to validate it .
Definitely hurts women more. Children and sick parents...
It is not at all unreasonable for a company to ask about a long gap in employment history.
Write in "Free Lance / list of clients available" or "Classes / advanced seminars" in any blank spaces. You do not need to disclose details of your personal life. Don't volunteer personal information.
So, prejudging a company that they will discriminate against you if you explain the gap is doing EXACTLY what your accusing them of doing. Would you really want to work for someone who does that anyway?
I took a few years off to take care of family. I kinda feel like I have to convince them I didn't go to prison during that period even though I have had a background check ran. It gets frustrating.
"I was kidnapped by ISIS while working as a Red Cross refugee camp." should shut anyone up.
The unfortunate, hard truth is that companies look down on people who take long leaves of absence, especially to take care of mental health which is extremely important. My take on it is, you will not change the world, so if your job options are limited, you lie, lie, lie and then lie some more. They lie to you about many things as well. If you have options, try to find a company who will take care of your needs and will not look down if you should need to leave for a little while. Unfortunately, empathy and compassion are not on the list of priorities for most U.S companies.
I think people should walk out of such interviews. That would show those companies. Better yet, be self employed, maybe as an instagram influencer or perhaps as nomadic, independent contractor in Southeast Asia. Nobody will question your resume gaps.
Zillyboy follower
Zillyboy love
I love being european. I have never been asked to explain a gap in my CV. And I live safe in the knowledge that if I ever were I would respond 'none of your buisness'
Employers lie to employees all the time, so lie away.
I have 8 months gap in my CV. When I was asked about it, I told them that I was looking for a job, the right fit as it were and I finished my first book and published it in that time since due to work I had not had a chance to wrap up my first book. That being said, I find recruiters for the most part to be total morons, who know f**k all about the role they are recruiting for and to top it off, I despise the typical interview questions lifted off the internet, the likes. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" and bullshit like that. I was in the army for 16 years. I preferred getting shot at than going on job interviews.
When I went back to college, after I was married and our son was 9, one of the questions they asked me was what have you been doing since you graduated from high school? There was about half a page left to answer in. l I wrote "none of your business." And yes, I got in.
I first read it as 'ab-leist', not 'able-ist' so I actually looked it up. "Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require 'fixing' and defines people by their disability." "ableist = treating people unfairly because they have a disability (= an illness, injury, or condition that makes it difficult for them to do things that most other people can do). Examples of ableist language include “crazy,” “lame,” and “dumb"." (dictionary.cambridge.org)
I haven't had a job in 8 years.. The reason? Because my husband allows me to stay home without having kids and doesn't harp on me either. I'm a house wife. .. When or if I go looking for a job.. Its either because he's dead, divorced me or I need a hobby. I hate the fact that "mental illness or illness" isn't allowed as an answer either.. Also for all other people, they hate my guts because I don't work. Lol. For me though I have lack of independence and I'm bored. Also wow do people hate that my husband pampers me. Omg!! It's like f*ck off and mind your own business. It's between my husband and I.
Personally I find it a bit more annoying, though still none of my business, if people don't need to work and take a job from someone who needs it and are desperate. That's just my opinion and people work for more reasons than just needing money - as you say independence and boredom. Though there are other avenues - volunteering is a valid choice. I expect there are a number of people jealous that you have the choice really.
Lie. They don't deserve the truth. They want someone who is productive at all times? Lie. No one is like that. I don't have to explain my depressions and relapses. My life was a mess and it's no one's business.
In the past, fewer people had serious time gaps because more people worked at the same place for years and years, or because they weren't able to take off enough time to show an obvious gap, and because it was uncommon to do so in any case. Others had jobs that didn't require CVs. Perhaps there should be a code phrase.
Most of these people should just grow up.
Most of the Human Resource department think that they are perfect and everyone is looser, not necessarily that if person not good in interview so he or she is dumb, everyone have a unique hidden quality, some people get nervous or maybe not comfortable with the questions or may the way questions get asked, some human resource employee are very crucial and have strong tone of voice and rough personality or worst personally and make other nervous, but again everyone deserves the job and can do anything they asked to do, not the people who bring high scores are the one who deserves the job is discrimination, also I find human resource directors very arrogant and have allot of attitude problem and they don't even reply you in a right way , they think we are slaves and can be kicked out anytime, same the way down town Hilton hotel human resource department scared of the union and make decisions unlawfully, the atmosphere of Tundra restaurant is the great example of it.
Fair Treatment follower
In other words, people with gaps on their resumes are whining about having to be adults and explain them. Get over it. You can bet if they were the interviewer they'd want to know, too.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Some people...
Christian Bradshaw Good response!
leandra-rhenisch ?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Jesus, there's a lot of entitled choosing beggars out there. What next? "How dare you ask me questions about my qualifications, that's discrimination and you made me feel bad. I'm going to tell everyone how gross you guys are on my insta." Grow up. Expect this question if you have a gap and prepare an answer that you can live with. God, the snowflake generation is f*cking exhausting sometimes.
You seem to be the one melting down here... why does other people wishing privacy bother you?
Gaps in a CV aren't necessarily related to qualifications.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
privacy.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
smol doggo like
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
You like the fact that you have to be accountable, then you will never work at decent jobs. If you are honest with your boss then he/she will understand (unless its jail time) dont like that fact that they want to know then to back snowflakes....to many millennial's have excuses for life if i was hiring you , you better explain or you dont get the job...period..dont care about the reason, just answer the question like an adult
Millenials are ages 27 to 40. They're adults who are long in career, some are grandparents. Perhaps you mean Gen Z.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
sure what ever gen you wish..all have excuses these day.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
ONLY this generation would bitch an moan about this. NO you dont get to be just vibing, get a fukin job and work. I see far too many girls in their teens an 20s wanting help with money and giving sad bullshit excuses. I was poor and struggling in my 20s, trying to make enough and everything was cheaper in the early 2000's
"This generation"? Frankly, I hate these questions too because *we know* they are manipulative. I had gaps because I target my résumés because temp work isn't always the skillset that I'm highlighting (most employers who advertise "temp to hire" lie). I've also had gaps because I didn't want to reveal being homeless and having jobs wherever I could couch surf. So rather than judge when you haven't experienced it, why don't you grow up and listen.
As a thought - maybe try combining the temp roles in one cumulative job role as personal temp consulting? Then the gaps are filled on your resume limiting the opportunity to ask the question as it is also clear they were not intended to be permanent positions. I don't know your full story, but I've seen this appear effectively on resumes I've reviewed so wanted to share the idea.
@Auburn I did that. It was relatively helpful.
That is a very sexist statement.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I come to this site thinking I'll eventually see where the bottom of the stupidity barrel is. I have yet to see it though. How precious does a person need to be to actually be offended that an employer would want to know what you've been up to the last few years? My effing god, how pathetic are these crybabies.
Unicycling Patriot -
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Its sad that family members have died but Im not going to hire someone who hasnt worked in almost a year. Its not ableist its facts. The workplace in america is extremely competitive and im going to hire someone who has been working recently not someone who is in a not stable mental condition and has little expierence. Also peeing in a cup is standard Im not going to employ people who do drugs often and recently.
You get the employees you deserve.
Ooh, isn't that nicely put!
My guess is he gets very good ones. Strict criteria. Wouldn’t you agree?
I do hate one question even more, "where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?"
Answer: "In a much better place than I am now."
Happy and successful.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
WilvanderHeijden easy
I think we can safely assume that almost everyone got that question wrong in 2014 ...
I used to say : "No one can predict the future, so I take it how it comes. I could win the lottery. I could get hit by a bus. What ever happens it won't be from not putting all my effort into what I am doing in my life and what ever benefits I get from that I will be happy knowing I have earned it" It has landed me a job quite nicely. Now I'm disabled... Who would have predicted that?
Easy for me to answer. In 5 or 10yrs, I'll either be dead since I'm not allowed healthcare, or stuck in wheelchair and still alive and still no healthcare. If the question has to do about a job. Then nope, I still won't have my first job. There ain't a soul on this planet who'll hire a stay at home mother of 2.
One of my coworkers was a stay at home mother of 4 for ten years before re-entering the workforce with my company.
I got such bad vibes from one interview for a job I no longer wanted I just said "a million miles from here" - that ended things quite abruptly.
“Drowning in a pile of handsome men.”
I was asked that once (in a German company, because they have to copy every sh*** Americans do). I answered: on your seat. I got the job.
Jill haha
This answer to the gap question is entirely necessary. I interviewed a guy with a gap - said he'd been travelling. Turned out he'd been in prison. If it's too personal, just say "I decided to take some time to myself". You can't expect them to just ignore it altogether.
Back in 2015, when asked "where do you see yourself in 5 years", I responded "what? Do I look like I have 2020 vision?"... ha ha, but at the end of the day, EVERYONE asked that question in 2015 got it wrong... who would have guessed what the world is like now.
This comment has been deleted.
"Off deferred deposition hopefully" is the wrong answer
I always say hopefully in your position.
I bet everyone in 2015 hot that one wrong...
Why? It’s a more honest question that makes a little more sense for them to ask. It’s definitely not worse than “why didn’t you have a job? You have to have had a job every day or we can’t give you a job!” Work culture is stupid as fûck. You can tell the truth to your question. “Spending time with my family and hopefully earning more and being more productive.” That’s pretty much what anyone would want.
Jill lol
Lol.. Replacing you as head boss 😆😆
Why do they think they have to give intimate details? A gap could be explained as a personal or family matter. That's all. I don't think the interviewer really wants to hear details.
Zophra Good response!
But be strategic and phrase it in a way to imply that it is a "thing in the past and won't happen again"
People are taking this waaaaay too seriously and personally. Maybe it was for personal issues or something you're not proud of, but that doesn't mean that the company is asking it BECAUSE they want to dig into your personal life or make you feel ashamed! Any decent company is empathetic to personal issues; family emergencies, layoffs, medical leave, moving for the sake of your spouse/family, taking a personal sabbatical, etc. This question (and the followup of what you did in that time) is mainly there to look for red flags such as really and truly doing nothing with themselves or showing no motivation to learn, or making up excuses/lies. It's not about what caused the gap, it's about how you handled it and made use of it. That's it, no reason to panic.
I think there seems to be a lack of knowledge on both sides of the table. Interviewers should keep their questions appropriate but asking about a gap isn't unreasonable. Expecting huge amounts of detail is. Questions should be based on skills, experience and knowledge that are relevant to the role. A few based on the persons CV or application where there are gaps or something unusual should be expected but people have lives, people sometimes don't need a job, or have families, travel, illness - none of these things should bar people from being employed & are sufficient answers in themselves. In the UK there are regulations around what people need to disclose and what can and can't be asked - regulations so no discrimination can take place. If someone has been in prison (if people are wondering if that's the gap) you only need to tell a future employer if the conviction is unspent or relevant to the job (because of children's safety - will get a criminal record check anyway).
I understand the rationale behind asking, I don't think that the question offers any usual information. What's the difference to the company between someone taking a year off to care for a sick child, to go backpacking across Europe, or staying home to work on their quilting hobby, or even just staying at home and doing nothing in particular because they wanted to take a break from working. The answer to the question tells the employer nothing about the employees motivation level after going back to work. I guess if the employee said "I took a year off to take an intensive programming bootcamp", that would be a good sign, but the employee would have almost certainly put that on his resume in the first place.
That’s literally the point. Doing nothing with yourself isn’t a red flag and it’s straight up none of your business. You’re so deep into the work culture you can’t understand life outside of it. I have like six year gaps in my resume because I made so much money I didn’t need to work and didn’t want to work. If I ever need to work as someone’s employee, they wouldn’t accept that. What did I do in my gap? Straight up none of your business. I fûcked my husband and traveled the world and spent three hours a day on skincare. So? What’s that to do on whether or not I’m good at processing loans? Get a grip, lady. You’re asking a question you know people are lying to you about anyway. In that case you can’t actually be worried about red flags, because you know all the answers are lies. It’s like you just want to see who has the most creative lie. Mine would be, “I had to go back home to Iran to help my family with blah blah” and make the plight sound sad since most Americans have no clue what’s happening in Iran anyway.
It should be taken seiously when you explain that several family members died and they ask for "proof", as mentioned in one of the posts above. No, in most cases they want to find a weak spot in your resumé to deny the job. There are not many "decent" companies out there, if you haven't noticed yet. I'm happy that where I live at least the law is protecting me, even encourages me to lie, if the company asks too personal questions.
It's called due diligence. Companies are increasingly being blamed when a hire doesn't work out for whatever reason and in some cases the employee has sued for a bunch of silly reasons. So employers are very cautious, obvious gaps need some explanation. You would be surprised how many employers are very understanding, and you do want to work for those ones
Agree! Or I've seen people who just quit a job with no plans and then spend months desperately looking for a new one. In some scenarios that is understandable, but if it's a pattern on a resume, then that could be a red flag for a person who makes hasty decisions or has a lack of foresight/planning ability. It wouldn't be a deal breaker necessarily but it would be a factor to consider for hiring.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Troux no
dredfurygaming good
Just say its was a family issue that I wont discuss with strangers out of respect.
As an HR recruiter, I do this question and I am not ashamed of it: it is not done to discriminate not to put someone in an uncomfortable position, it is to better understand your path, progresses and you as a person because all these things are important in a work environment. It's important to know if those reasons might be in conflict with the potential job you're applying for or if, instead, they taught you something valuable that can be very useful for the position. We are not there to try to f**k you or to try to deny you the job, on the contrary we want to find the best fit and we want to know everything that might help us understand which one is THE one.
Agreed. As an executive recruiter; layoffs, leaving a role/culture that wasn't a fit, or leaving for personal/family reasons didn't stop me from exploring their candidacy further when the skills, experience, and leadership qualities were there. Even good leaders can have 3-18 month gaps. We need a picture of what happened. When people became uncomfortable or defensive to the question, their later interview responses often reveal even more about their emotional intelligence (EI), coachability, and ability to work well with/lead a team. I don't need your personal details and life story, but I do need to know the professional risks and if the new environment will be a better fit (or not). If you are not able to formulate a calm and coherent response, you might not be ready to step into the new role and it could lead to a misstep for all sides who are invested in a future together. Take the time to practice telling your story, without lying!!! Lies will always hurt you more later on.
The same honest response should be provided when a prospective employee asks why the previous person left. I found out I was lied to about an open position after a month into a job. You don't think any prospective employee wouldn't have doubts, questions if they were told the previous person left because they were actually overworked and underappreciated or the workplace was too toxic for their wellbeing?
Unfortunately, this is the problem - painting everyone with the same brush and thinking you own them. You should be ashamed to ask that question and yes, it is done to discriminate against people. Everyone knows that HR people eventually, most of the time pick someone they know or someone who was recommended. And everyone knows that a lot of people are put through the ringer only because the company by law, has to interview outsiders. It’s funny how the discriminatory questions disappear if you interview someone you know or someone who is recommended.
That's exactly what happened to me once. Three months after starting the new job I found out that the division manager, a narcist, had created such a toxic work environment that the last person left after few weeks. Nobody at HR was able to give me a small warning or, God forbid, try to solve the issue with that manager's behaviour. They gave him a raise and found another victim, me.
You need to think of better questions to ask if you want to find out if someone is a good fit. The issue is that employers shouldn't be able to ask such personal questions in the first place.
Samel Mel -
My gaps are because of mental health issues or times when I had money and felt like taking time off. I see no reason why I should explain.
@Aidan Sivits: My superior at one of my jobs is like 35. He is a bachelor who doesn't do a lot besides visit family and video game. As such, after working for a couple of years he had a fair bit stashed in the bank and "retired" for two years. He spent that two years taking it easy and just doing what he wanted. When he ran out of money he applied and got in at my company. I'd like to add that he has an emotional steadiness that has really served him well. I think his emotional steadiness came from all his "me" time. So no, not everyone has to work, not if you work a decent job. We are not a reflection of our jobs, before anything we are a whole, complete and emotionally complex human. And for someone to lord it over you that you took time off from working, because you needed to or just because you could. Is weird and wrong.
Why is it a big deal to explain why he was out of work then? It sounds like he has been doing just fine. The question is asked to asses how they have handled themselves in the break.
AIDAN SIVITS follower
I bet ya that dude won't be able to retire since he seems to just look in the short term like so many do today.
The Dave easy
The Dave haha
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
mental health and work dont go together, take too many days off and your canned. Canada has AISH for people who cant work
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Everyone has to take money home at the end of the day and if you refuse to explain why you have been at home for long gaps at time your not getting a job.
When I eventually make it back to the working world, I will have a gap that is 10+ years long. I have no idea how to explain that I was in an abusive marriage and also had an injury that should have only lasted 3 years with 5 surgeries but due to the abuse, it lasted a hell of a lot longer. I get that I just told you all that but you aren't hiring me to do a job now are you?
Hi Mama Panda, so sorry you went through that. All a company wants to know is was the gap something that would affect your ability to do the job. If you told them what you've just told us, as someone who has hired a lot of staff, it wouldn't stop me employing you. I'd also not be worried if you'd said that you had no need of a job at the time. People don't always need a job. I didn't make people go into detail over their employment gaps. People travel, have familes, difficult lives. I even employed someone who knew they weren't getting a reference because they were blackmailed into embezzling money. Cue panic from HR but this man repayed me in loyalty a 1000 times over. All the employer wants to know is if you are reliable, hard working and can you do the job. Saying you had family problems that are over now would cover it and should discourage more detail being asked - if they're decent people. If not, think twice before working there! Hope you are okay now.
I don't have a job to offer, but if you say you were in a relationship without need for a job, that's all they need to know. They just want you to have an answer. They don't want the details. It's the tone of the answer, not so much the content (unless it's prison, maybe)
Anne -
Wow. A lot of people in here would absolutely fail job interviews. Remember, it’s not your answer, it’s HOW you answer. Saying “none of your business” is your right, but dont expect to be hired.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Ben Smith haha
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
mazuikotori like
I think that as a potential employer, it's reasonable to want to know about any gaps. It's their job to find the most suitable candidate and the reason for the gap might be the difference between hiring someone or not. As a potential employee, I can either sell myself and say I used the time to better myself or similar, or I can decline to answer the question. None of this presents a problem to me - we all have rights and we all make choices. Some choices lead to not getting a job.
Wow. People are taking this question WAY too personally. Employers aren't asking the question because they are attempting to pry into your personal life, they are asking because they are afraid the reason is "I got fired because my boss caught me stealing so then I lived off of the embezzled funds for a year" or "actually, I quit the job because they expected me to show up on time and had a hard time finding a new company that wasn't totally lame. You're cool if sometimes I don't come in until noon, right?" Seriously, if you calmly and professionally give a concise answer, you'll be fine. "I had an illness that has since resolved" or "I had some family obligations at that time but then I was eager to return to the workforce" or even "I took that opportunity to broaden my skills in X, which is why I believe this job is a great match for my skills"
If you have been convicted of a crime, that’s what a background check is for. Companies are definitely prying if they ask such questions.
Background checks are expensive (I work in the non-profit world and assure you that we only spend the money for roles that have direct patient contact). But I never mentioned convictions; a disturbingly high number of companies would prefer not to report these crimes in the first place, so there's never an arrest, much less a conviction.
The embezzlers and lazy people will just lie to you, so what's the point?
Lazy people are unlikely to have spent the time to prepare a good answer, so you'll probably hear a more honest answer than you'd think. Also, people are more likely to tell a version of the truth than a bald-faced lie, so both kinds of people may talk about how unfair their old bosses were (which is a red flag even if you aren't sure which lie they might be telling)
Wouldn't their previous employers inform you if they left their last job in bad circumstances?
1) Put the year starting to year ending of a job, not the year and month. At least where you can get away with that. That helps a lot. 2) Don't ever lie, but do learn how to tell the truth more creatively: 'There was a health crisis with a family member, and I took some time off because I was needed to help with it' (the family member was me - don't need to say that!). Or 'I needed to take some time to step in for a family member who was unable to care for themselves (haha - I had a baby!). Or 'I was doing the groundwork to launch a business, but in the end decided I prefer to be working as a team' (yeah, rite - I was job searching and looking for any way to make some extra bucks!) All are basically true. So don't lie, but do be creative.
YES!! I will say that online applications make it harder to eliminate the month from the timeline. But lying about the time spent in jobs is a bad idea. Basically, if a hiring manager calls your former workplace, the ONLY information the company can share is your dates of employment and (I think) your salary.
The one that kills me is when the HR program they’re using asks for not just the month, but the DAY of the month you started a job. I’m sorry, but I really don’t remember the exact date I started a job after ten+ years have gone by.
Kathryn Baylis ?
Brilliant!!
the reason for the gap may actually be a reason to hire or not hire someone. you may have a gap to pursue education or training, or you may have been in prison or drug rehab. in a perfect world with perfect people, it would not matter. in the real world, you do not want a convicted armed robber working for a bank or a drug addict working in a pharmacy. our choices in life do have consequences, sometimes lifelong. other things, such as taking time to take care of the elderly or children shows responsibility and compassion, valued characteristics. health issues are different. mental health issues may affect employability depending on the job. and it is not necessarily discrimination. you would not hire a blind cab driver.
So drug dependence isn't a health issue? What neatly defined category would you place it in? A lifelong consequence of a person's choice to play the role of a hedonistic layabout? Get real. ...and the implication that a stint at an inpatient rehab should be considered a major red flag? "Let's see here, candidate K decided to take a massive step towards becoming a more productive human resource — er, I mean member of society — by seeking help for a private issue that is poorly understood and widely condemned by nearly everyone except the professionals who actually study addiction. Clearly her attempt at achieving sobriety is an indication that she is not to be trusted for the rest of her life! She should have kept that addiction private behind locked doors like the overwhelming majority of working addicts!" Again, get real.
Here here!
Blackheart +
Blackheart follower
Had an interview last week where they asked me about my current work gap. We are in a pandemic. Tens of millions of people lost their jobs. What do YOU think that gap is?! (Answer I actually gave: "I was working on my writing career.")
zims ?
Just say personal reasons and leave it at that. They press you for more details, say it's none of their business thanks for the interview and get up and leave.
I have a gap of almost a year in my resume, Why? 50% of companies would not hire me due to lack of experience 50% of companies said I was "too highly qualified" to work for them. (Well, actually, only about 20% replied at all, but out of those who did state a reason)
Let me guess, the ones saying lack of experience were “entry level” jobs—-something that anyone going into HR/Recruiting needs to have defined and explained thoroughly to them. Tattooed on their brains that you don’t go into an entry level job already experienced—-that you’re supposed to get that experience from the entry level job itself! And companies also need to understand that they’re going to have to pony up some money for training, period. They can’t go on expecting people fresh out of school to train themselves. It’s no wonder so much gets messed up, if people aren’t trained tso they actually understand their jobs. (Sorry to vent—-pet peeve.)
The gap would be looking for work. I had been out of work for almost a year, that looked bad as they'd question why I wasn't able to secure a job yet!
True story, alas. "Why do you only have part-time employment from this year to that?" ........ I was in medical school. "What did you do in taht time?" ..........I was in medical school. See? Graduated! "Where od you see yourself in five years?" ..........nowhere near this BS "Why are you not practicing as a physician?" ........because I realized that I cannot handle the deaths of children from preventable diseases like measles, and I'd haev to either become a sociopath to function as a doctor, or stay human, and use the MD to inform research and advocacy for patients. ........ and no, I didn't get that job.
I'd hire you!
Thank you. :-)
I have had a continuous work line since age 24 (when I graduated from university and started work) - cue a recent side gig: "I see no gaps. No children then, eh?" in the most 'all women should breed' kinda voice you can imagine. Can't win for losing ...
This is going to be on a load of resumes because of the pandemic. I wonder how employers are going to justify asking this question when things get back to quasi-normal (we have to realize they will never be the same as they were). I was exposed to COVID at my last job. It was early on (April), and companies still did not understand the importance of full quarantine after exposure (ordered by my doctor), and insisted I come into the office. I had to resign to quarantine, rather than go into work and potentially infect everyone else I came into contact with (a lot of people). That’s on my resume, how I explain it in interviews now, and how I will continue to do so in the future—-until someone finally hires me. I’m not even getting interviews right now, which is a huge blow to my confidence, even though I fully understand the glut of similarly qualified people who are also looking for work.
There are going to be so many gaps on people's applications/CVs/resumes - lots of people losing their job, quarantining, being ill. Your reasoning is sound and shows consideration and common sense - things a decent employer should want! Don't feel bad about not getting interviews - you say it yourself, there are so many people out of work. I was trained to do equal opps interviews where people are scored based on the evidence they provide, at application, to meet person specs and job descriptions. Don't know what sort of job you are looking for or if they do this in your country (wherever you may be) but it's one way that people get weeded out. Eg skills required on person spec. Scores are: 0 if skill is not mentioned, 1 mentioned, 2 example of how the skill was used is provided. Then, typically, the top 10 scoring the highest would be interviewed. Might not be relevant but good luck anyway.
Looking forward to that question so when they ask why there is (currently) a 17-year gap in my work history I can say "7 years bringing up my daughter followed by 10 years waiting for a heart transplant" I did a test interview and said something similar (I was fighting with the DWP for disability) and the interviewer sat there silently for about 5 minutes not sure what to say. The interview was terminated
Honestly, I do despair - effing DWP. Anyone going through that and sitting in my office for an interview is going to impress me. Hope you won that fight.
All the trump men and women will have gaps on their resume soon. And I want them to be asked about it.
For those who were fired by Trump, it's pretty much a badge of honour. So far, at least one has been hired by Biden. For those fired by Biden, they'll might have to find like-minded folks to hire them.
Usually we interview women, because there are so few male accountants, and sometimes the question doesn't need to be asked, because the rest of the CV or letter of motivation answers it itself - had a baby, applied to complementary study, traveled around the world, blah blah.. I have a friend who was very very sick in recent history and she has working gap too. She too was feeling uneasy to explain why she didn't have a job for I think more than a year, when she was looking for a new job after she got better, because the reason was still very personal, painful and emotional and she didn't want to go into much detail so she had prepared some vague universal answer. Nobody looked at her any differently because of that, geez, we're not in the era of comunism when you had to have a job or you were the enemy of the state bound to be locked in jail.