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If you were seeking to fill a position, would recent gaps in employment be a mark against candidates
With the current recession and thousands of people losing their jobs, it seems to me that employers should be a little less critical of people who haven't had a job in several months...or more...as lots of people are jobless through no fault of their own. I'm wondering if people think this is a legitimate reason to not consider someone for a job.
asked by Miss Nomi 4 months ago
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Ambition398 says
Typically, it can be a red flag but with so many people out of work right now, I don't see them having that attitude right now. If you do have gaps, you may want to briefly explain them in your cover letter. But be sure not to overdo it.
John Fracchia says
From a career development perspective, it can be a flag to some employers. That said, there are legitimate reasons why people have gaps on their resume including: starting a family, taking care of a sick parent, the state of the job market. The key is being able to address gaps in an interview. If you find yourself in a gap period, my recommendation is to do things that continue to build your skills. Volunteering is often a good way to accomplish this. You build skills and can say in an interview, "While I was looking for a job, I used my skills as a volunteer with . . . and we accomplished . . ."
Make sense?
dabeaner says
No, it's not a legitimate reason for an employer to not consider someone for a job who has job gaps. But, then, most employers, like people in general, are idiots. So what are you going to do?
Of course, you could always say, "Yes, I haven't worked for three months. So where were YOU three months ago when I was starting to look for a job then?" ;)
BTW, that is why I became a temp contract worker when I was working in the real world (as opposed to this virtual world). But even then, employers were starting to interview potential contractors just like "permanent" (until they fire you) employees.
Jobs suck. Your own thing, internet or real world - RULES!
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