- Whether to mention a pregnancy in a job interview
- A possible meeting protocol
- What are an end-user's responsibilities?
- Another take on opening PCs, or not
- Getting some process going
- Selling a more open environment to management
- Running an effective meeting
- Licensing rules for virtual machines
- The ROI of metrics
- Legal challenges to virtual machines
March 23, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Handling a resume gap
Dear Bob ...
I'm facing a problem that seems pretty tough to me. Long story as short as I can make it: my career was interrupted a few years ago by my becoming involved in a disastrous relationship.
Among other things, my now-ex deeply resented my having a career, enjoying my work, and so on, and I made some unfortunate decisions regarding her attitude. The biggest one, and the one that's giving me trouble right now, is that I stayed unemployed for 18 months in a frantic attempt to please her (and, I hoped, get her to change and let me go back to work).
I finally gave up, went back to work in August 2005, and, true to her word, she left me, which I have finally realized after quite some time was a blessing in disguise. (Hmm. In writing that, it strikes me as odd that it should have taken me so long to realize some things that are totally obvious when I explain them to
someone else.)
OK... pop psychology, therapy, and the like aside, since that's not pertinent here -- I'm planning/hoping to move to another city later this year. How do I cover the 21-month gap on my résumé? Obviously, I can't exactly say that I was in an abusive relationship with someone who wouldn't let me work, for more reasons than I can shake a stick at.
Especially with me being male.
Any suggestions you have would be welcome.
- Career-limited
Dear Limited ...
Don't be hard on yourself regarding getting yourself into the situation. Many bad relationships have a lot in common with boiling a frog (you know the story - if you raise the temperature slowly the frog never realizes it's being cooked, not that I have anything against frogs or have ever tried it).
I'm honestly not certain as to the best way to handle the resume gap. I'm also not sure it's the right question to ask. Without questioning your motives for wanting to relocate, I would suggest that you think hard about following an 18 month gap in your work history with a job search that starts only 16 months into your new position.
So I'd say your best bet is to do the kind of personal networking that doesn't require resumes at all, and to only accept a position where in the end, they've come to you. Otherwise, I think you'd be far better off sticking it out for at least another 18 months before you start looking for your next opportunity.
Entirely different suggestion: You might consider asking my friend Nick Corcodilos the same question. He hangs out at http://weblog.infoworld.com/headhunter/ .
- Bob
Posted by Bob Lewis on March 23, 2007 07:31 AM
RATE THIS ARTICLE:
-
- COMMENTS
Not true about the frogs:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/frogboil.asp
From the perspective of someone who reads a lot of resumes to hire people - (a)I very much agree with the advice about not making a switch again so soon if there's not some really compelling reason (one 'glitch' in a resume is easy to defuse; multiple glitches become exponentially alarming) and (b) you don't need to disclose all the interpersonal drama, you were in a personal situation that afforded you the luxury of a professional sabbatical, or some wordlike that - period.
Maybe you can cite something you did constructive in that time, like learning a new skill, or immersion in a hobby? I would try to say SOMETHING about the time so it doesn't look like 18 months of some unethical/unprofessional activity that you're hoping people won't notice (another red flag for me), but you certainly don't need to shoot yourself in both feet by disclosing too much. Focus on what you can bring to the new employer (which might include a wiser, more rounded employee), not on what's gone wrong in the past.
|
Three books. Three ways to change the world, your life, or at least Bob Lewis' bank account. Leading IT: The Toughest Job in the World distills the world of IT leadership into eight learnable skills and gives you concrete, practical techniques for each one of them. Bare Bones Project Management: What you can't not do makes project management manageable, even for first-time project managers with no formal training in the discipline. ManagementSpeak: What managers say/What they mean … well, it won't help your career, and won't make you a better manager. Mostly, it will make you chuckle, guffaw, and maybe even chortle. Make friends - it's the perfect gift for anyone who has ever suffered through one of those meetings. Order your copies today! |
TOP STORIES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Remote Access: Maintain Security and Decrease the Burden on IT
- Beyond AntiVirus: Symantec Endpoint Protection
- What Every Enterprise Needs to Know About VDI
- Disaster Recovery in Minutes
- Protecting Microsoft(R) Applications
- Reduce Recovery Times and Tape Costs
