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i have an 8 month gap and i've never been asked about it, even when it was an active gap. i wasn't unemployed but i was working in an unrelated industry.
the only thing that would matter to me as an employer is whether they have the skills for the job.
the problem is that HR people are moralizing little dweebs who don't have the intelligence to accurately review a person's skills because they don't have skills themselves. imagine a PhD in a hard science or engineering who has been unemployed for a year and has spent his time playing pickup basketball the whole time, aside from applying for jobs. the last person i would want to review the candidate and make any judgment on him is a HR person since HR can't even begin to understand the breadth of knowledge and skills the PhD has. instead the HR person would do silly, completely irrelevant things like make judgments about whether the PhD sent a thank you email, had a typo in his cover letter, and whether he spent his unemployed time volunteering at a homeless shelter versus playing xbox.
annerk"If the answer is "looking for a job, volunteering at the food bank, and improving my computer skills" then DING DING DING we have a winner."
Amen; there needs to be multiple, productive uses of the time, and I think the key word in your sentence is the word I bolded and underlined. .
But wouldn't they only be asking that because they have already been turned off? I mean if they see a 7 month gap I would think they know that the person has been looking for a job which is the reason they are at the interview since they submitted their resume.
Just like when a person goes on a blind date and when the other person first sees them and don't like what they see, they are going to nitpick and point out things that is wrong because they already checked out of the date. Same thing with a job interview if someone shows up looking crazy. No one has never asked me on a interview...."what was you doing at this time period?"
i have an 8 month gap and i've never been asked about it, even when it was an active gap. i wasn't unemployed but i was working in an unrelated industry.
Me either, never ever been questioned about a gap.
Do you all put volunteer and other unrelated jobs or activities on your resume to fill the gap? the last thing on my resume is my part time, not career related job, and 3 places I've volunteered. If anyone reads to the end of my resume, they'll see what I've been doing.
I mean if they see a 7 month gap I would think they know that the person has been looking for a job which is the reason they are at the interview since they submitted their resume.
Assumptions - and you know what's said about them ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by TVandSportsGuy
I was unemployed for 5 months and when I interviewed for a job, I was not asked what have I been doing the last 5 months. Do you really think a person would reject a positive and upbeat job candidate because of some white space?-lol
And how many interviews did you go on before you found a job?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ker38
who cares what a person does during the gap?
i couldn't care less if they played xbox all day.
If you're an employer and this works for you then that's fine. Some employers do care, though. I've owned two businesses and, as manager of another was responsible for hiring. In all cases where applicants had employment gaps I asked the reason why.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeachyMJ
Aren't you a career counselor? Can't you answer your own questions?
I had a long gap when I was a stay home mom and when I went back to work I was flexible and took a job with less pay and no one asked me to explain what I was doing those years.
I was active in volunteering and I am always learning new computer programs or involved with continuing education. If you are ashamed you are only hanging around playing xbox and eating Doritos than shame on you. Employed or not there is always something NEW to learn to make you an interesting person.
I would say that to all unemployed people, you can listen to free podcasts from colleges, learn free programs, and thus have something more to say in an interview than I have been spending 5 months looking for a job. How boring. Even if you were talking to a person in a social setting and told them that, regardless of looking for a job, people would think you are dull and uncreative.
Try to stop over thinking everything or when you do interview, you will sound like you are mind reading!
Assumptions - and you know what's said about them ...
And how many interviews did you go on before you found a job?
If you're an employer and this works for you then that's fine. Some employers do care, though. I've owned two businesses and, as manager of another was responsible for hiring. In all cases where applicants had employment gaps I asked the reason why.
One would think.
You have been warned that I have no interest in talking to you on this board so the next time I will report you for being rude and harassing me. Leave me alone please, not going to say it again
if u think volunteering or learning a new computer program makes you an "interesting person", you have been seriously misled. doing those things is just puritanical make-yourself-feel-better-you-are-doing-something.
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