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A resume gap is either: A: a job that ended so ignobly that you don't even want to acknowledge it existed B: you spent a long time out of the game and weren't

A resume gap is either: A: a job that ended so ignobly that you don't even want to acknowledge it existed B: you spent a long time out of the game and weren't getting experience etc during that time C: something prevented you from working/being a good candidate A gap is not the death knell it used to be, especially one in the past. That said, it's still nice to offer a vague reason - homemaking or health problems or something. So long as it's clear you didn't spend 3 years selling drugs and playing video games an employer probably won't care.

DimitriPetrova 3y ago
Even a gap of a few months?
- legitster 3y ago
  I wouldn't consider just a few months to be a "resume gap". The rule of thumb is at least 6 months.
  - futureshock 3y ago
    I started to notice gaps after a year as a mild signal. A gap of 5 years was a strong signal and nearly every candidate I talked with had some level of hireability issue beyond the gap. Even a mother that decided to stay home till her kids were in school was going to have a difficult re-entry to the rigid expectations of the working world. After someone had be back in the workforce for a year or two and had some mildly plausible explanation for their 5 year gap, I stopped noting it as a downside. But experience older than about 12 years was often not factored in, so a person with a recent 5 year gap will just have less recent and relevant experience than someone who had worked 12/12 previous years.
    - legitster 3y ago
      My brother in law had something like a 5 year gap. He had a mental breakdown and went on disability. He's doing great now, but that first boss he had after coming back to work was a saint, putting up with so much emotional baggage and spent personal time coaching him out of giving up. So, yeah, if you are taking on someone who has been out of the workforce for a long time, you take on lots of risk. But once they are back in the workforce and getting good referrals, the gap shouldn't matter as much. (And seeing it first hand: if you are having mental health problems, staying home and playing video games for 5 years will NOT make it better).
      - dougmwne 3y ago
        Your brother in law’s situation is quite common. It’s exactly why this is a reliable signal on a resume to avoid or at least not be in the dark on candidates with baggage. There are very few saintly bosses out there ready to rehabilitate someone’s work ego and professionalism. As a recruiter, it was my job to find the warts on an otherwise excellent candidate so that the hiring manager could at least make an informed decision. Missing something big with a candidate reflected poorly on my attention to detail.
whateveracct 3y ago
> spend 3 years selling drugs and playing video games I get your point, but it's hilarious to see these two on equal footing as "things employers would reject you for"
- supertrope 3y ago
  Employers need worker bees to keep delivering widgets or widget service. Any deviation from the happy path is highly suspicious. If you sell habit forming drugs that improve corporate earnings (caffeine, methylphenidate) it’s not called selling drugs anymore. It’s labeled pharmaceuticals or consumer staples / discretionary. If you’re generating free cash flow making games then suits perk up. The presence of money can nullify a lot of stigma or counterculture friction. C.R.E.A.M.

DimitriPetrova 3y ago

Even a gap of a few months?

legitster 3y ago
I wouldn't consider just a few months to be a "resume gap". The rule of thumb is at least 6 months.
- futureshock 3y ago
  I started to notice gaps after a year as a mild signal. A gap of 5 years was a strong signal and nearly every candidate I talked with had some level of hireability issue beyond the gap. Even a mother that decided to stay home till her kids were in school was going to have a difficult re-entry to the rigid expectations of the working world. After someone had be back in the workforce for a year or two and had some mildly plausible explanation for their 5 year gap, I stopped noting it as a downside. But experience older than about 12 years was often not factored in, so a person with a recent 5 year gap will just have less recent and relevant experience than someone who had worked 12/12 previous years.
  - legitster 3y ago
    My brother in law had something like a 5 year gap. He had a mental breakdown and went on disability. He's doing great now, but that first boss he had after coming back to work was a saint, putting up with so much emotional baggage and spent personal time coaching him out of giving up. So, yeah, if you are taking on someone who has been out of the workforce for a long time, you take on lots of risk. But once they are back in the workforce and getting good referrals, the gap shouldn't matter as much. (And seeing it first hand: if you are having mental health problems, staying home and playing video games for 5 years will NOT make it better).
    - dougmwne 3y ago
      Your brother in law’s situation is quite common. It’s exactly why this is a reliable signal on a resume to avoid or at least not be in the dark on candidates with baggage. There are very few saintly bosses out there ready to rehabilitate someone’s work ego and professionalism. As a recruiter, it was my job to find the warts on an otherwise excellent candidate so that the hiring manager could at least make an informed decision. Missing something big with a candidate reflected poorly on my attention to detail.

whateveracct 3y ago

> spend 3 years selling drugs and playing video games I get your point, but it's hilarious to see these two on equal footing as "things employers would reject you for"

supertrope 3y ago
Employers need worker bees to keep delivering widgets or widget service. Any deviation from the happy path is highly suspicious. If you sell habit forming drugs that improve corporate earnings (caffeine, methylphenidate) it’s not called selling drugs anymore. It’s labeled pharmaceuticals or consumer staples / discretionary. If you’re generating free cash flow making games then suits perk up. The presence of money can nullify a lot of stigma or counterculture friction. C.R.E.A.M.