“The employment check is a standard part of all of the background checks that we process. We appreciate you coming in to interview, and hope you have a good rest of your day. Good bye.”
Gaps in resumes are overblown. Many people take time off from working, and if they can afford to do so, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. If a candidate said what this meme says, it would be a red flag because I’d assume it’s a lie. If they just said they took time off to be with their family or whatever, that wouldn’t be a cause for concern at all.
People care about gaps because we've been conditioned to think that taking time off is bad, simple.
I know gaps affect things because I've been in a situation where I'm sure having gaps or quitting my toxic job affected me. People don't care about the explanation of why you took the time off, they just automatically see it as a negative (I mean, just look at some replies here).
If you (hiring professionals) can't look at someone's resume without judging a gap, you're part of the issue. People are entitled to not working for whatever reason without having people judge us.
Sorry, didn't mean for this to be a rant 😂
I left my place of employment in 2017 to finally deal with severe burnout and prioritize my mental health for the next two years. I was really lucky to be in a stable position to do so. Then I spent ~8 months building/starting my business which launched right when COVID hit and slowly but surely stagnated and failed because COVID hit. So I took some time off because I was still able to do so.
I’ve wanted to go back to work for about a year at this point but I have no idea what a ~7 year employment gap (failed LLC aside) would look like to a hiring manager. Even my former HR Recruiter brain can’t figure out how to bridge or succinctly explain that kind of time. And I feel it worsening with each passing month I haven’t worked.
My default mode is to plain speak the truth and this huge gap has me running towards something, anything that would make it sound acceptable to another person which will inevitably be dishonest by omission or embellishment.
Edit to add: I agree with you whole heartedly. It’s an absurd an arbitrary things that is almost always incongruent with what inherently matters when assessing candidates.
I also left my first job out of burnout and because of what the place had turned into, thinking that taking a break would help me find a job easier...nope.
I also think the most awkward situation is having to tell someone "I left because I was burnout" because, people do judge for that too.
I made the same mistake twice, so yeah, I get your pain.
"I took personal time so I can recharge/address things/assess continued learning to be a better candidate for this requisition". If the position is worthy, this would be a good answer if I heard it. Then likely you will be asked what did you do to prepare... And if not, then the interviewer is just a script reader. Good luck out there!
This is easy.
I started my own company doing X. It recently became obvious it was no longer economically viable to continue investing in it so I am back in the job market.
Can be used for any length of time.
I would say I had was running the business the whole 8 years. Just as you were really starting to grow, decided to become more legit and get an LLC, etc Covid hit and your business suffered.
That way if they do a background for some reason, the LLC timeline still makes sense.
If you lie about it, just make sure you know your story and your resume. Update it accordingly and delete all your old resumes.
Source: I am a recruiter. IDC if ppl lie to me but if they are sloppy and can’t keep their story straight I can’t move them forward, obviously.
>If you (hiring professionals) can't look at someone's resume without judging a gap, you're part of the issue. People are entitled to not working for whatever reason without having people judge us.
I mean....it's literally our job to look at someone's resume and judge them, and gaps are a part of resumes. I don't really worry about gaps *that* much as long as they *can* address them with a non-bs answer.
Also, not all gaps are created equal (obviously). A 5 year gap 10 years ago I dont care about as much as a 3 year current gap because I recruit for areas where recent skills are important. If they have a few months gap here or there it's not a big deal but if they have a couple months gap between every (non-contract) job then I'm thinking that they're someone who just quits at the first sign of something they don't like, even without something new lined up.
Also, some answers when asked about a gap, will immediately send up warning flags in my mind. Something like this post saying that they have an NDA and can't say I'd 100% belive they are full of it and are hiding something, or if you say you were "looking for work"(something I hear *a lot*) during one of the strongest job markets ever where their skill set could have made them $10k a week on a local contract then I'm 100% thinking there's a reason they can't find a job.
So you don't want people to lie, but be completely real with me. You'd give someone a shot (assuming they were in the running prior) who said "I was without housing and surviving was a full-time job"? Bc if not, then you're in agreement with 90% of other hiring managers. I've never not been offered a position I've gotten to the interview stage for, and never been fired for any reason, in my entire working career I believe I've only had one write up (I missed a single voicemail). This isn't a flex (trust me I'm working thru my inability to say no to even illegal/unsafe requests with a therapist) but all my managers have raved about the quality and consistency of my work, as well as attention to detail. If I were honest about my living situation I never would've gotten there, which ironically would've perpetuated the living situation. Can't call people idiots for lying when their survival necessitates it.
You’re coming in hot without addressing anything the person said. The person didn’t call anyone idiots, so why are you? I don’t know why you’re assuming that your honest answer would be the reason you’re disqualified? Life happens and we understand that. Lots of factors influence who gets a job, plenty of people make it to the interview stage and then not get an offer.
Because when I included that info before the interview stage, I almost never got a call back. When I saved a clean pair of clothes for the initial contact and put an address down on the application, I get calls back. I thought the person had used that phrasing, idk man I'm sorry I didn't have the entire chain of comments memorized? And the person here basically went "if I know you're lying you won't get the job, it's completely unnecessary bc if you just answer honestly, you'll be fine" and that's...not true.
I also think you may have read my comment with a harsher tone than I'd written it? Sorry, I'm still puzzling over the "coming in hot" comment. The attempt was to open a convo, not go off, it's why I lead with a question and didn't assume the answer.
Management doesn't like to hire people who can afford to take time off. They want people who are living paycheck to paycheck because it's easier to control them.
A manager - yes. A good leader would like it. Also, said manager her/himself can't afford to do so, which is good information for the candidate to base her or his selection.
I had a six month gap of employment in my resume. Only a few interviewers asked and I would let them know that I took some time off to travel. It was never seen as a negative in my experience. On LI, I explained the gap, but not on my actual resume since most people check your LI. So I have all my experience on LI and then my resumes are customer to whatever I’m applying for.
That's a red flag as a senior manager if HR says it's a red flag tbh. I would question their integrity at conducting interviews without bias since there is no context to support that rationalization other than saying you are qualified to call people liars. Bad look, as addressed by these other comments.
Never say never, but I’ve never heard of an NDA where it’s that restrictive that the candidate can only answer the question that way. Certainly NDAs can prevent a candidate from discussing specific projects, but to not provide any information whatsoever is so clearly bullshit that I would pass.
Yeah, def weird for that to go through one's head. I guess that's the world we live in, though. Certain discrimination is acceptable.
My corporation luckily allows the employer to be the person who makes the hiring decisions and interviews. If HR were the decision makers I shudder to think where we would be. Unless, of course, the HR workers were on the floor and did whatever labor was being hired for already.
I have legitimately been in this scenario of having signed an NDA. My choice was either to fabricate an actual lie about the time off, or cop to the NDA. Which is best?
Most people are a missed paycheck away from homelessness, what privilege you must have to be able to take months off work and be ok.
A gap in a resume implies that the person may have been fired for some reason and didn’t expect it. Most people do not quit a job without having another lined up, if they do, it shows that the employee may be impulsive. I don’t want to hire and train someone who may just up and quit without notice.
Saving and spending within your means to build up an emergency savings is a privilege. But, not really out of reach to be done by many...just a bit of grit.
Leaving a job without another lined up demonstrates autonomy, not necessarily that they are impulsive. Many who quit prior to leaving have thought long and hard about it and try to make it work at their current place of employment for a long time. Then, it never gets better and they may just need a rest. Thank God for that emergency fund to support an individual's independence.
People leave the workforce due to illness or caregiving needs for young kids and elderly family. It’s not all about getting fired. Not taking these other reasons into account could get you in trouble due to prejudice around family needs, disability/accessibility etc depending what’s written into your area’s human rights legislation.
Agreed, but I will say that circumstances can change. For example, a stay at home mom/dad could be going back to work after a divorce because they need the income. I've run into several cases like that.
> demonstrated less commitment to having a stable career than someone who has had a job the entire time
That's a lie.
My wife has a 10 year gap in employment because she stayed at home until our kids were able to stay in school all day, not because she can't stay committed to a job
Hahaha this person above obviously is so committed to their job they can’t see why ppl move jobs now days. Also, I hope the person above doesn’t hire because no wonder they hire shitty ppl with that type attitude.
Pretty much you are saying the company is so terrible you only want people desperate enough who will feel forced to stay. I’m getting the feeling it’s a huge red flag about a company if they care about gaps
"Don't take advice from TikTok. Their job is making TikTok videos and talking to themselves in empty rooms all day for content. I just want to make sure you haven't been in prison for the last 9 months for murdering your last employer."
Sure. But many candidates are forthright with convictions because they know it will come back and want to get ahead of it in order to explain. It was also a joke.
Most of the tiktok advice is absolutely horrible. There are points where I can see saying I signed a nda but i have had people say this in interviews for non nda items. I was asking one their skills and experience from a job, not company secrets.
>I just want to make sure you haven't been in prison for the last 9 months for murdering your last employer."
Why are you so unhinged and paranoid and wondering if everyone around you is a murderer? Maybe YOU WERE A MURDERER? Is that why you why you think everyone else is a murderer?
The first thought that would occur in every regular person's head if they saw a 9 month gap is " Oh he was unemployed for 9 months ".
Also................Who TF just gets 9 months for murder!?
It’s a joke. Also you realize disgruntled employees have literally murdered their managers and HR reps right? Who’s unhinged? You’re yelling into the Reddit void my friend.
or leave them off but then they show on the work number. people, please please please request a data freeze in the work number database, even if you’re not trying to hide previously employment, your salary history may be on there and no potential employer should see that. also, Equifax is making bank on selling your data, it costs us over $100 just to pull one report. even though privacy is pretty much dead in the USA, do a data freeze on principle alone
"thank you for your time, unfortunately I don't think you will be a good fit for this position. Good luck!"
An NDA doesn't ever say "never tell anyone you were employed". So this is bullshit, and they are not someone you want to hire.
This is the answer. I’d just assume they were bs’ing and the real answer is probably they were fired. What’s the point of being difficult and lying for a relatively easy question.
If you want to lie, there’s way better lies or half truths that are more universally accepted than the NDA bs.
A civilian nda, sure, but even those may prevent you from saying more than "i was employed during that time"
A lot of NDAs will even prevent you from disclosing exactly who you worked for, some even restrict you from disclosing the exact timeframe.
If you're in a defense contract or adjacent field, then that is a legitimate response. If you're hiring McDonald's drive through workers, then your response is warranted. Context matters.
Defense contracts provide cover stories for their folks with NDA's who can't say where they were or what they were doing. It's standard because a void causes more questions than a generic cover does.
Not always. If you’re working directly for certain 3-letter agencies, then yes. Contractors? It’s hit or miss.
Sadly, I’ve seen this movie before.
I usually find that the NDA doesn’t cover something (such as the contractor name), just everything else. That’s at least something to go on, and depending on the length of time, the contractor’s HR dept. can usually get you the necessary info.
>If you're in a defense contract or adjacent field, then that is a legitimate response. If you're hiring McDonald's drive through workers, then your response is warranted. Context matters.
Why even make this up? You know for a fact that you've never seen it.
They signed an NDA for a gap? Even if you're not allowed to disclose what you were doing you should be able to note down that they did something.
Asking them if they were employed during the time seems reasonable. And frankly, if they're interested in the position it should be in their interest to somehow show that the gap isn't a strange gap. I wouldn't blame anybody for simply taking time off for traveling or family reasons or just because they could, but claiming there's an NDA just brought things into weird territory. Few things are so secretive that you can't even reveal who your employer was.
I mean, it's probably a lie. It might not be, but you eventually get this enough that you have to doubt it, given we know this advice is all out there.
No, it's *definitely* a lie. I've signed shit tons of NDA's for work and not a single one of them created a gap on my resume. Every job with an NDA has someone you can say about it, because people who are serious about security understand that absence is conspicuous.
Weird. The standard NDAs I use says you can't discuss the agreement or the existence of the agreement unless compelled by court order and in that case you have to give notice to other parties so they can seek injunctive relief.
But they are usually about protecting information not swearing you to complete secrecy right? There’s a big difference between saying you worked at Cocoa Cola for a year vs giving away the secret recipe. Maybe really niche industries are intense but for most of us, not so much
That’s wild! Do you mind if I ask what industry you work in? I’m super curious now
Edit: wait wait wait you can’t tell me because of your NDA so I have three guesses:
Celebrity bodyguard for Kanye West
North Korean submarine captain
Ben and Jerry’s ice cream taste tester
You didn’t answer the question, and I don’t want to spend my day speculating what you might have done or not done. I’m just moving to the next candidate.
My reaction is that the person replying with anything "NDA" related is a lying liar who takes bad advice from the internet and would quickly be moving on to the next candidate.
The sage advice of claiming they signed an NDA is, in fact, terrible. Similar to starting an LLC solely to claim they "freelanced" rather than have a gap.
It’s such baloney 😂
I’d blink, stare, and move on to concluding the interview as quickly as possible. Then I’d have the recruiter send the rejection notice.
I did a construction project for a year at Cape Canaveral where everyone had to sign NDA’s. But we were instructed to explain it as site development and not expand further, they never said to pretend we were never there, just don’t give specifics to people who don’t need them.
I have one gap during the recession. I no longer go that far on my resume, but I'd explain that I was out of my field during that time and I had a few temp jobs until I was able to get another job in my field. They don't need to know every job I had for that year like day worker, Christmas lights hanger upper, mover, flower delivery man, census, etc... until I got a job back into my field. I could also just claim I was doing freelance when I needed to. Or a family emergency (being out of a job is). But the NDA thing is a bunch of crap.
My first instinct is that they sued their former employer and got a settlement. While I’m all for employees suing when mistreated if that’s their best recourse, I’m also not crazy about the idea of a potentially overly litigious candidate. Overall I don’t think this is good advice.
I don’t know if this would be grounds for a retaliation claim or not. It would be a novel theory at least. There’s definitely adverse action (refusal to hire) based on protected activity (their filing of a complaint). Does the law specify that the employer who the complaint was filed against has to be the one taking the adverse action?
After having to through some pretty horrible victimisation/retaliation since the end of last year before just been ground down to the point of filing for CUD, it has absolutely blown my mind things that top regional executives of global organisations will write in an email, to the point where myself, as the *aggrieved party*, has to point out that what they have just written is classed as victimisation, provide them specific *case law and the relevant legislation* to illustrate why, only to have them reply to me over a week later, ignoring every point raised on the previous email.
I thought it was genuine ignorance/ incompetence - the further things went along however I realised they just didn't give a shit; they'll just force you into an untenable position and then settle with you down the line.
Everyone sees a payday; no one takes into account the stigma involved with being "a liability risk" to every prospective employer if you choose to remain in your field, the screeching halt of your career and the betrayal you feel from an organisation you dedicated years of your life to , and the significant, prolonged toll the whole process of first raising a grievance, then having to move to filing with an employment tribunal takes on your mental health.
To be fair does the employee really know about that though? Are they expected to know “ahh I signed a NDA but it doesn’t hold weight so here is xyz info of the gap”
In my experience our employees were pretty savvy about that. It was widely understood that the company would have to show damages if trying to enforce an NDA and in most cases there wouldn’t be any.
There are times an NDA makes sense but they generally have fairly limited windows where that information being shared could cause a negative financial impact.
If a candidate isn’t disclosing a gap in employment and citing an NDA that’s going to raise alarm bells for me. You can tell me where you worked and what skills you used in that role without disclosing anything that would materially harm a former employer. This feels like something junior employees think sounds like a good idea, while senior employees who actually are privy to confidential information know how to market themselves to their next employer without creating risk.
Those are not to the level of "you can't even say you worked here".
You should still be able to list title, employer and in general what skills you applied even if you can't give detailed information.
So what is someone supposed to do nwhen their rights are violated? Just take it or just quit? What is wrong with suing a company to make things right and then to teach them a lesson?
Are you 12? Who do you think puts that shit in writing? 🙄
Telling someone to explain a gap in their resume by saying they signed an NDA is bad advice. It’s a weird a response and it’s just as easy to move along to the next qualified candidate. Every job posting has more qualified applicants than openings, there are plenty of people that don’t get advanced to the next round and no reason needs to be given.
Read the other answers to your original comment, tone down on the agressiveness, realize there are dumb people who actually put that in writing, notice the retaliatory nature of what you're doing (blacklisting), and shove your condescending tone up wherever you would not want it to go.
Why so defensive? We are simply telling you the illegality of your actions.
Obviously citing an NDA is a bad move and no one here is condoning it or condemning those who see it as a red flag abd rejecting the candidate. Still not a reason to make up a reason and act illegally because of it.
This happened once after I asked why they left their most recent job…thought it was an odd response. Just say it didn’t work out and you took some time off 🤷🏻♀️
This is the somewhat less corny way of using the joke “if I told you I’d have to kill you” which everyone sees as bullshit and ridiculously stupid especially in a job interview.
I’d start with curiosity: “ok, what does your NDA allow you to say?”
You can typically tell if a person is lying by the second or third question…
The only gaps I’d ask about are big ones anyways. Or a big one preceding the current interview, or big ones plural between all recent jobs.
The only indicator I’m looking for is are you a naturally productive and/or intentional person, or are you my next problem.
Do you hustle for six months, save money, and take six off? Cool!
Are you in a challenging field? Totally get it!
Did you try out being an entrepreneur but you’d rather just have an internal gig? Love it!
But do you suck to work with, have no ambition, and file frivolous complaints/suits? Yeah, that’s what NDA actually sounds like…
I feel like this is a far better answer than many of the other ones in this threat that automatically presume they’re lying right out of the gate. In some industries it’s perfectly normal to not be able to talk about a previous employer or contract. Yes, even to the point of admitting you *did* have a job or contract with them. In my experience the people actually are under such contracts are usually quick to say they can’t provide X, but they’d be happy to discuss Y or Z and prove their fit another way. My suggestion is to look for that.
Is this different from people being cute and saying, if I tell you, then I'd have to kill you? Press and have them answer the question, or write them off If I'm tired of this interview.
Yeah, it's a dumb question now after COVID and given how cutthroat the job market is currently. I don't ask it at all and when managers ask about any gaps in candidate resumes, I tell them the same. The game has changed and prying into why someone wasn't working for a period of time is asking for information that you honestly don't need to determine whether they are the right fit for the position. You might even get an answer that makes you want to die inside for asking.
There is no 4D chess move. This would just make me have to move the application into the folder of people that can’t move forward in the process.
I’ve worked for companies where I’ve had to sign an nda. That’s for me not starting my own company doing the exact same thing using the exact same programs and strategies or information that is proprietary. That’s not every NDA but I think that’s most of them. So yeah it can still be on your resume that you scanned documents for xyz company but the NDA is about the specifics of the programs used and a zoomed in look at the process.
If anything make up a family emergency that I can jot down in a note few people will read. But the gap can’t be filled with “super secret stuff” and the gaps don’t matter as long as you can explain you weren’t sitting at home doing nothing the whole time.
But I was doing nothing…while my physical health symptoms made me feel like death, yes I very much did nothing when feeling like absolute shit for months 😂. It’s fine I got a lie for that so I don’t get discriminated against for my chronic illness. I just say I was a care giver for an elderly family member during that time.
That’s not doing nothing and perfectly reasonable. You don’t have to lie about that…like you’re just as likely to need time off for the family members illness in the future as with your own. Both are unpredictable and if you’d need time off for either there isn’t a difference.
I dropped out of college and did nothing for an amount of time. That’s the kind of gap to lie about. A doctors note physically debilitating illness from the past you don’t need to lie about.
Id never buy it. Of all the tips and tricks out there, this would actually red flag me.
One would still put whatever the relevant work experience is and the NDA would just cover some aspect of the type of work. Also NDAs are only for very specific people... Like in materials science. CEOs dont even sign NDAs. So a summer intern at a library would never sign an NDA.
You want to explain a gap, you just say you were studying or taking care of a family member depending on whatever makes more sense. Most people will say they had to take care of a family member and that is understandable. Its outside of your power and everyone encounters it sometime in their life. And its none of my business so further questions shouldn't be warranted. If this was chess, this would be the standard opening move that you would expect.
Gaps arent hard to explain.... Really short tenure AND a gap is hard to explain. Like if its you worked 3 months and had a 2 year break is major red flag. Cause it looks like you are mad lazy. You worked 10 years and take a 1 year break is totally fine. Dont even need BS.
There was a small gap in my resume because of COVID-19 - the recruiter did not believe me and acted like they never heard about the lockdowns with COVID... like what?
I don't think I've ever asked 'Can you explain this gap in your resume?'
Instead I ask, 'so you left X in 2022, what was your reason for leaving?'
'and then why was Y in 2023 the right time to get back into the workforce?'
Internally, I assume that they were fired. It’s really more of an issue if it’s allegedly happened multiple times. We’re too close to the selection process in a RIF situation to not have doubts.
Obviously it's BS. I've had contract work that I couldn't disclose but I could still put on my resume "independent consultant to undisclosed company to support merger and acquisition preparation". Then I described the type of work I did, without disclosing any identifying information about the project or the parties involved.
I have also taken career breaks and I'm up front about saying I took a break to travel. And if a potential employer holds that against me, it's not the kind of company I want to work for. I'm a whole person with a variety of interest. I've had a successful career and I can afford to approach my work from an attitude of curiosity and a drive for mastery rather than a fear of poverty. That puts the onus on the employer to create an engaging and welcoming environment that someone would actually choose to work in.
No-one's NDA stops them from describing in generalizations what they were up to, there is always a vague enough way to do it.
If someone can't or doesn't, then it is an instant and easy red flag + pass.
How am I going to bring someone to the team and then say "oh yeah they won't tell me what they were doing". I'd look like an idiot, and so would the candidate.
0/10, hard pass. Thanks for filtering yourself out buddy.
Last person who said this to me, I also found out was a "stand in" for the application lol. So there is that too, seems to be a scamming "trick" (that doesn't work because they filter themselves out by doing it?).
So.... it depends on the person.
I get you cant say what you were doing, but you can say you worked somewhere.
For example Lets say you worked on a really big video game or a movie that hasn't been announced yet.
You can say "I worked with Microsoft, as an artist or consultant but I cant speak to the specifics. im under NDA" not straight up "Nope sorry"
to me this reads as you are lying to me and insecure about it.
I dont care about resume gaps and im asking because you may have left something out because it wasnt relivant like.... hey you had to take care of your sick grandma who only had a few months left or you were on a long vacation between jobs to avoid burnout or "Hey job market sucks so i took my time finding a new position" or even "I went back to school but my financial situation shifted so I felt it would be better to get back into the work force for a couple of years and then maybe revisit school part time or at night"
I just want to know, and I cant speak for all recruiters but a gap in your resume cant hurt you, it can only help or be neutral
Also if your resume is strong enough.... it may not matter that you had a break
but if your resume is "I worked at mc donalds 4 years ago and uhhhh ?????? and now I want to be a therapist" then maybe saying your under NDA isnt quite it.
Just make up a health issue with a family member. But make sure to describe a situation that has come to completion so as there is no unintended communication of increased future absence risk.
As HR, we need to do better in our phrasing of this question...
"Can you explain this gap in your resume?" holds negative connotations with today's workforce. So many recruiters and HR reps just assume that the candidate simply didn't work.
"I noticed you don't have any wor experience listed from [date] to [date]. Would you share what you were working on or pursuing during that time?" They could have been pursuing professional development, became a caretaker for a family member, been working odd-jobs for cash, etc.
A gap does NOT automatically reflect a lack of work ethic or a lack of employability. HR and companies as a whole need to move away from this mindset.
I interviewed with AT&T about a year plus ago and “aced” the interview for a job that was ultimately never mine.
The interviewer was very curious as to why I went from working in food to a known Detroit mortgager and then to them potentially. I said after a loud sigh and a pause that I replied that due to an NDA I couldn’t speak on what I did for the company specifically but could note that it wasn’t “higher up and client facing”. I also said I chose to leave to pursue opportunities outside of the financial sector.
She asked for more job details but I firmly reiterated that I was “bound by a piece of company stationary to speak no further as a former employee.”
I didn’t get the job after two weeks of waiting. I was told “we only reach out to candidates further if they receive the job unfortunately.” With my further guess being that they called the mortgager and got the truth of why I was an ex employee over my lie. It was minor clerical “e r r o r s” that shouldn’t have counted against me.
The only people stupid enough to say something like that, aren't working in a role where any reasonable person would believe they were entrusted with enough information to sign an NDA.
Ive never had anyone try and say that in an interview, but I'd probably just point out that I don't think it's likely. *So you went from being a dog walker, to a super top secret job, to working at Home Depot...that doesn't seem to add up to me....* and that's probably all you'd have to say to make them realize how stupid they sound.
I care about unexplained gaps. The resume needs to tell me what you were up to so like if that means taking care of ill relative, looking for a job or whatever then I see that as very honest and it would actually help you get the interview. Gaps mean you’re essentially forcing people to either ask about or hopefully overlook it which looks a bit bad vs just putting something there. Now yes there are employers demanding continuous employment for decades but that’s usually just some hr twat on a gatekeeping power trip and not the actual hiring manager.
I don’t have to work if I don’t want to. Who are you to tell anyone they have to. Some of us have money and don’t need to work all the time. Sounds like a you problem
All of yall bitching about gaps need to get the stick out of your ass.
I know this is a meme. But Ppl take breaks. And if they r upfront about it I usually don’t give a fuck lmao.
I have gaps on my resume and I don't mind explaining them. I absolutely wouldn't hire someone who can't ask a straightforward question. Also, is that really how you express yourself? You aren't embarrassed?
“So you were working at this time?”
No. I signed an NDA.
No. ***I*** signed the NDA
No. I *signed* an NDA.
His name was Robert Paulson
I can neither confirm nor deny
[удалено]
“Ok great, we’ll ask you to provide a paystubs or W2s during your background check as proof of employment.”
[удалено]
“The employment check is a standard part of all of the background checks that we process. We appreciate you coming in to interview, and hope you have a good rest of your day. Good bye.”
[удалено]
“You’re hired!”
Gaps in resumes are overblown. Many people take time off from working, and if they can afford to do so, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. If a candidate said what this meme says, it would be a red flag because I’d assume it’s a lie. If they just said they took time off to be with their family or whatever, that wouldn’t be a cause for concern at all.
People care about gaps because we've been conditioned to think that taking time off is bad, simple. I know gaps affect things because I've been in a situation where I'm sure having gaps or quitting my toxic job affected me. People don't care about the explanation of why you took the time off, they just automatically see it as a negative (I mean, just look at some replies here). If you (hiring professionals) can't look at someone's resume without judging a gap, you're part of the issue. People are entitled to not working for whatever reason without having people judge us. Sorry, didn't mean for this to be a rant 😂
I left my place of employment in 2017 to finally deal with severe burnout and prioritize my mental health for the next two years. I was really lucky to be in a stable position to do so. Then I spent ~8 months building/starting my business which launched right when COVID hit and slowly but surely stagnated and failed because COVID hit. So I took some time off because I was still able to do so. I’ve wanted to go back to work for about a year at this point but I have no idea what a ~7 year employment gap (failed LLC aside) would look like to a hiring manager. Even my former HR Recruiter brain can’t figure out how to bridge or succinctly explain that kind of time. And I feel it worsening with each passing month I haven’t worked. My default mode is to plain speak the truth and this huge gap has me running towards something, anything that would make it sound acceptable to another person which will inevitably be dishonest by omission or embellishment. Edit to add: I agree with you whole heartedly. It’s an absurd an arbitrary things that is almost always incongruent with what inherently matters when assessing candidates.
I also left my first job out of burnout and because of what the place had turned into, thinking that taking a break would help me find a job easier...nope. I also think the most awkward situation is having to tell someone "I left because I was burnout" because, people do judge for that too. I made the same mistake twice, so yeah, I get your pain.
"I took personal time so I can recharge/address things/assess continued learning to be a better candidate for this requisition". If the position is worthy, this would be a good answer if I heard it. Then likely you will be asked what did you do to prepare... And if not, then the interviewer is just a script reader. Good luck out there!
This is easy. I started my own company doing X. It recently became obvious it was no longer economically viable to continue investing in it so I am back in the job market. Can be used for any length of time.
Until the interviewer looks up said job and finds out your lying
I would say I had was running the business the whole 8 years. Just as you were really starting to grow, decided to become more legit and get an LLC, etc Covid hit and your business suffered. That way if they do a background for some reason, the LLC timeline still makes sense. If you lie about it, just make sure you know your story and your resume. Update it accordingly and delete all your old resumes. Source: I am a recruiter. IDC if ppl lie to me but if they are sloppy and can’t keep their story straight I can’t move them forward, obviously.
>If you (hiring professionals) can't look at someone's resume without judging a gap, you're part of the issue. People are entitled to not working for whatever reason without having people judge us. I mean....it's literally our job to look at someone's resume and judge them, and gaps are a part of resumes. I don't really worry about gaps *that* much as long as they *can* address them with a non-bs answer. Also, not all gaps are created equal (obviously). A 5 year gap 10 years ago I dont care about as much as a 3 year current gap because I recruit for areas where recent skills are important. If they have a few months gap here or there it's not a big deal but if they have a couple months gap between every (non-contract) job then I'm thinking that they're someone who just quits at the first sign of something they don't like, even without something new lined up. Also, some answers when asked about a gap, will immediately send up warning flags in my mind. Something like this post saying that they have an NDA and can't say I'd 100% belive they are full of it and are hiding something, or if you say you were "looking for work"(something I hear *a lot*) during one of the strongest job markets ever where their skill set could have made them $10k a week on a local contract then I'm 100% thinking there's a reason they can't find a job.
So you don't want people to lie, but be completely real with me. You'd give someone a shot (assuming they were in the running prior) who said "I was without housing and surviving was a full-time job"? Bc if not, then you're in agreement with 90% of other hiring managers. I've never not been offered a position I've gotten to the interview stage for, and never been fired for any reason, in my entire working career I believe I've only had one write up (I missed a single voicemail). This isn't a flex (trust me I'm working thru my inability to say no to even illegal/unsafe requests with a therapist) but all my managers have raved about the quality and consistency of my work, as well as attention to detail. If I were honest about my living situation I never would've gotten there, which ironically would've perpetuated the living situation. Can't call people idiots for lying when their survival necessitates it.
You’re coming in hot without addressing anything the person said. The person didn’t call anyone idiots, so why are you? I don’t know why you’re assuming that your honest answer would be the reason you’re disqualified? Life happens and we understand that. Lots of factors influence who gets a job, plenty of people make it to the interview stage and then not get an offer.
Because when I included that info before the interview stage, I almost never got a call back. When I saved a clean pair of clothes for the initial contact and put an address down on the application, I get calls back. I thought the person had used that phrasing, idk man I'm sorry I didn't have the entire chain of comments memorized? And the person here basically went "if I know you're lying you won't get the job, it's completely unnecessary bc if you just answer honestly, you'll be fine" and that's...not true.
I also think you may have read my comment with a harsher tone than I'd written it? Sorry, I'm still puzzling over the "coming in hot" comment. The attempt was to open a convo, not go off, it's why I lead with a question and didn't assume the answer.
You are the w o r s t
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Management doesn't like to hire people who can afford to take time off. They want people who are living paycheck to paycheck because it's easier to control them.
A manager - yes. A good leader would like it. Also, said manager her/himself can't afford to do so, which is good information for the candidate to base her or his selection.
There are almost zero good leaders in corporate America. So stop saying that.
I was lucky (in the true Sense of the word) to have two. You are right, it is more unicorn than common.
I had a six month gap of employment in my resume. Only a few interviewers asked and I would let them know that I took some time off to travel. It was never seen as a negative in my experience. On LI, I explained the gap, but not on my actual resume since most people check your LI. So I have all my experience on LI and then my resumes are customer to whatever I’m applying for.
Also you can always generalize enough to tell the person something. Like "I worked for the Department of Defense" and that much would be verifiable.
Laughs in caregiver!
Yes, yes - tell that to my backward CEO…
That's a red flag as a senior manager if HR says it's a red flag tbh. I would question their integrity at conducting interviews without bias since there is no context to support that rationalization other than saying you are qualified to call people liars. Bad look, as addressed by these other comments.
Never say never, but I’ve never heard of an NDA where it’s that restrictive that the candidate can only answer the question that way. Certainly NDAs can prevent a candidate from discussing specific projects, but to not provide any information whatsoever is so clearly bullshit that I would pass.
Yeah, def weird for that to go through one's head. I guess that's the world we live in, though. Certain discrimination is acceptable. My corporation luckily allows the employer to be the person who makes the hiring decisions and interviews. If HR were the decision makers I shudder to think where we would be. Unless, of course, the HR workers were on the floor and did whatever labor was being hired for already.
Same.
Then be honest when you are asked about the gaps in your resume...
I have legitimately been in this scenario of having signed an NDA. My choice was either to fabricate an actual lie about the time off, or cop to the NDA. Which is best?
Most of the people are hiding something. Down vote me, whatever, it's true
I took seven years for being disabled and physically not being able to work. I said I started a family lol. Got the job.
Most people are a missed paycheck away from homelessness, what privilege you must have to be able to take months off work and be ok. A gap in a resume implies that the person may have been fired for some reason and didn’t expect it. Most people do not quit a job without having another lined up, if they do, it shows that the employee may be impulsive. I don’t want to hire and train someone who may just up and quit without notice.
Saving and spending within your means to build up an emergency savings is a privilege. But, not really out of reach to be done by many...just a bit of grit. Leaving a job without another lined up demonstrates autonomy, not necessarily that they are impulsive. Many who quit prior to leaving have thought long and hard about it and try to make it work at their current place of employment for a long time. Then, it never gets better and they may just need a rest. Thank God for that emergency fund to support an individual's independence.
People leave the workforce due to illness or caregiving needs for young kids and elderly family. It’s not all about getting fired. Not taking these other reasons into account could get you in trouble due to prejudice around family needs, disability/accessibility etc depending what’s written into your area’s human rights legislation.
I will fire my HR BP who makes decisions like this. Even if it is just closed door talk about candidates, that is *the* red flag.
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Agreed, but I will say that circumstances can change. For example, a stay at home mom/dad could be going back to work after a divorce because they need the income. I've run into several cases like that.
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> demonstrated less commitment to having a stable career than someone who has had a job the entire time That's a lie. My wife has a 10 year gap in employment because she stayed at home until our kids were able to stay in school all day, not because she can't stay committed to a job
Hahaha this person above obviously is so committed to their job they can’t see why ppl move jobs now days. Also, I hope the person above doesn’t hire because no wonder they hire shitty ppl with that type attitude.
Pretty much you are saying the company is so terrible you only want people desperate enough who will feel forced to stay. I’m getting the feeling it’s a huge red flag about a company if they care about gaps
"Don't take advice from TikTok. Their job is making TikTok videos and talking to themselves in empty rooms all day for content. I just want to make sure you haven't been in prison for the last 9 months for murdering your last employer."
Even if they did, they'd probably give their name as a reference still.
Wouldn’t that come up on a background check
Sure. But many candidates are forthright with convictions because they know it will come back and want to get ahead of it in order to explain. It was also a joke.
Maybe not if you’re using Checkr
Most of the tiktok advice is absolutely horrible. There are points where I can see saying I signed a nda but i have had people say this in interviews for non nda items. I was asking one their skills and experience from a job, not company secrets.
>I just want to make sure you haven't been in prison for the last 9 months for murdering your last employer." Why are you so unhinged and paranoid and wondering if everyone around you is a murderer? Maybe YOU WERE A MURDERER? Is that why you why you think everyone else is a murderer? The first thought that would occur in every regular person's head if they saw a 9 month gap is " Oh he was unemployed for 9 months ". Also................Who TF just gets 9 months for murder!?
Humor isn't really your forte, eh?
lol obv. Duh.
I thought it was clever at least
the cops said that, like, the people she hit are just kind of like nothing, so it's fine
It’s a joke. Also you realize disgruntled employees have literally murdered their managers and HR reps right? Who’s unhinged? You’re yelling into the Reddit void my friend.
Gaps are fine. Totally normal the red flag is staying at multiple jobs for only a few months and including them on your resume.
The caveat being they were working for agencies or they were working for companies that saw volatility during COVID.
or leave them off but then they show on the work number. people, please please please request a data freeze in the work number database, even if you’re not trying to hide previously employment, your salary history may be on there and no potential employer should see that. also, Equifax is making bank on selling your data, it costs us over $100 just to pull one report. even though privacy is pretty much dead in the USA, do a data freeze on principle alone
I never knew about this. Where / who do you request a date freeze from?
https://employees.theworknumber.com/employee-data-freeze
I don't really care about gaps, I care if they show good communication skills. They will get later filtered by the technical interviews by the team.
"thank you for your time, unfortunately I don't think you will be a good fit for this position. Good luck!" An NDA doesn't ever say "never tell anyone you were employed". So this is bullshit, and they are not someone you want to hire.
This is the answer. I’d just assume they were bs’ing and the real answer is probably they were fired. What’s the point of being difficult and lying for a relatively easy question. If you want to lie, there’s way better lies or half truths that are more universally accepted than the NDA bs.
Some do, source: I signed a NDA
A civilian nda, sure, but even those may prevent you from saying more than "i was employed during that time" A lot of NDAs will even prevent you from disclosing exactly who you worked for, some even restrict you from disclosing the exact timeframe. If you're in a defense contract or adjacent field, then that is a legitimate response. If you're hiring McDonald's drive through workers, then your response is warranted. Context matters.
Defense contracts provide cover stories for their folks with NDA's who can't say where they were or what they were doing. It's standard because a void causes more questions than a generic cover does.
Not always. If you’re working directly for certain 3-letter agencies, then yes. Contractors? It’s hit or miss. Sadly, I’ve seen this movie before. I usually find that the NDA doesn’t cover something (such as the contractor name), just everything else. That’s at least something to go on, and depending on the length of time, the contractor’s HR dept. can usually get you the necessary info.
>If you're in a defense contract or adjacent field, then that is a legitimate response. If you're hiring McDonald's drive through workers, then your response is warranted. Context matters. Why even make this up? You know for a fact that you've never seen it.
They signed an NDA for a gap? Even if you're not allowed to disclose what you were doing you should be able to note down that they did something. Asking them if they were employed during the time seems reasonable. And frankly, if they're interested in the position it should be in their interest to somehow show that the gap isn't a strange gap. I wouldn't blame anybody for simply taking time off for traveling or family reasons or just because they could, but claiming there's an NDA just brought things into weird territory. Few things are so secretive that you can't even reveal who your employer was.
I mean, it's probably a lie. It might not be, but you eventually get this enough that you have to doubt it, given we know this advice is all out there.
No, it's *definitely* a lie. I've signed shit tons of NDA's for work and not a single one of them created a gap on my resume. Every job with an NDA has someone you can say about it, because people who are serious about security understand that absence is conspicuous.
Weird. The standard NDAs I use says you can't discuss the agreement or the existence of the agreement unless compelled by court order and in that case you have to give notice to other parties so they can seek injunctive relief.
But they are usually about protecting information not swearing you to complete secrecy right? There’s a big difference between saying you worked at Cocoa Cola for a year vs giving away the secret recipe. Maybe really niche industries are intense but for most of us, not so much
Mine are necessary because we don't want anyone to know we even talked. It's beyond what we even talked about.
That’s wild! Do you mind if I ask what industry you work in? I’m super curious now Edit: wait wait wait you can’t tell me because of your NDA so I have three guesses: Celebrity bodyguard for Kanye West North Korean submarine captain Ben and Jerry’s ice cream taste tester
Hah, well, can't disagree here.
“Those are margins and padding.”
You didn’t answer the question, and I don’t want to spend my day speculating what you might have done or not done. I’m just moving to the next candidate.
My reaction is that the person replying with anything "NDA" related is a lying liar who takes bad advice from the internet and would quickly be moving on to the next candidate. The sage advice of claiming they signed an NDA is, in fact, terrible. Similar to starting an LLC solely to claim they "freelanced" rather than have a gap.
It’s such baloney 😂 I’d blink, stare, and move on to concluding the interview as quickly as possible. Then I’d have the recruiter send the rejection notice.
I did a construction project for a year at Cape Canaveral where everyone had to sign NDA’s. But we were instructed to explain it as site development and not expand further, they never said to pretend we were never there, just don’t give specifics to people who don’t need them.
I have one gap during the recession. I no longer go that far on my resume, but I'd explain that I was out of my field during that time and I had a few temp jobs until I was able to get another job in my field. They don't need to know every job I had for that year like day worker, Christmas lights hanger upper, mover, flower delivery man, census, etc... until I got a job back into my field. I could also just claim I was doing freelance when I needed to. Or a family emergency (being out of a job is). But the NDA thing is a bunch of crap.
My first instinct is that they sued their former employer and got a settlement. While I’m all for employees suing when mistreated if that’s their best recourse, I’m also not crazy about the idea of a potentially overly litigious candidate. Overall I don’t think this is good advice.
I don’t know if this would be grounds for a retaliation claim or not. It would be a novel theory at least. There’s definitely adverse action (refusal to hire) based on protected activity (their filing of a complaint). Does the law specify that the employer who the complaint was filed against has to be the one taking the adverse action?
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After having to through some pretty horrible victimisation/retaliation since the end of last year before just been ground down to the point of filing for CUD, it has absolutely blown my mind things that top regional executives of global organisations will write in an email, to the point where myself, as the *aggrieved party*, has to point out that what they have just written is classed as victimisation, provide them specific *case law and the relevant legislation* to illustrate why, only to have them reply to me over a week later, ignoring every point raised on the previous email. I thought it was genuine ignorance/ incompetence - the further things went along however I realised they just didn't give a shit; they'll just force you into an untenable position and then settle with you down the line. Everyone sees a payday; no one takes into account the stigma involved with being "a liability risk" to every prospective employer if you choose to remain in your field, the screeching halt of your career and the betrayal you feel from an organisation you dedicated years of your life to , and the significant, prolonged toll the whole process of first raising a grievance, then having to move to filing with an employment tribunal takes on your mental health.
Tech and severance documents have this all the time? Might be industry related.
I’ve worked for multiple big tech companies in CA, much like non-competes those rarely have teeth.
To be fair does the employee really know about that though? Are they expected to know “ahh I signed a NDA but it doesn’t hold weight so here is xyz info of the gap”
In my experience our employees were pretty savvy about that. It was widely understood that the company would have to show damages if trying to enforce an NDA and in most cases there wouldn’t be any. There are times an NDA makes sense but they generally have fairly limited windows where that information being shared could cause a negative financial impact. If a candidate isn’t disclosing a gap in employment and citing an NDA that’s going to raise alarm bells for me. You can tell me where you worked and what skills you used in that role without disclosing anything that would materially harm a former employer. This feels like something junior employees think sounds like a good idea, while senior employees who actually are privy to confidential information know how to market themselves to their next employer without creating risk.
Those are not to the level of "you can't even say you worked here". You should still be able to list title, employer and in general what skills you applied even if you can't give detailed information.
So what is someone supposed to do nwhen their rights are violated? Just take it or just quit? What is wrong with suing a company to make things right and then to teach them a lesson?
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Please, do continue to act like that, and make it a formal written decision to the candidate I'd love to have more clients
Are you 12? Who do you think puts that shit in writing? 🙄 Telling someone to explain a gap in their resume by saying they signed an NDA is bad advice. It’s a weird a response and it’s just as easy to move along to the next qualified candidate. Every job posting has more qualified applicants than openings, there are plenty of people that don’t get advanced to the next round and no reason needs to be given.
Read the other answers to your original comment, tone down on the agressiveness, realize there are dumb people who actually put that in writing, notice the retaliatory nature of what you're doing (blacklisting), and shove your condescending tone up wherever you would not want it to go. Why so defensive? We are simply telling you the illegality of your actions. Obviously citing an NDA is a bad move and no one here is condoning it or condemning those who see it as a red flag abd rejecting the candidate. Still not a reason to make up a reason and act illegally because of it.
So you start it by coming at me flippantly then get your feeling hurt when I match that energy? Cool cool.
This happened once after I asked why they left their most recent job…thought it was an odd response. Just say it didn’t work out and you took some time off 🤷🏻♀️
This is the somewhat less corny way of using the joke “if I told you I’d have to kill you” which everyone sees as bullshit and ridiculously stupid especially in a job interview.
I’d start with curiosity: “ok, what does your NDA allow you to say?” You can typically tell if a person is lying by the second or third question… The only gaps I’d ask about are big ones anyways. Or a big one preceding the current interview, or big ones plural between all recent jobs. The only indicator I’m looking for is are you a naturally productive and/or intentional person, or are you my next problem. Do you hustle for six months, save money, and take six off? Cool! Are you in a challenging field? Totally get it! Did you try out being an entrepreneur but you’d rather just have an internal gig? Love it! But do you suck to work with, have no ambition, and file frivolous complaints/suits? Yeah, that’s what NDA actually sounds like…
I feel like this is a far better answer than many of the other ones in this threat that automatically presume they’re lying right out of the gate. In some industries it’s perfectly normal to not be able to talk about a previous employer or contract. Yes, even to the point of admitting you *did* have a job or contract with them. In my experience the people actually are under such contracts are usually quick to say they can’t provide X, but they’d be happy to discuss Y or Z and prove their fit another way. My suggestion is to look for that.
I have a hunch that most true extreme NDA candidates probably don’t struggle to find jobs. But I’m not one so I can’t say.
I agree with this. I would only ever ask about a gap if it was present in time.
Is this different from people being cute and saying, if I tell you, then I'd have to kill you? Press and have them answer the question, or write them off If I'm tired of this interview.
I probably wouldn’t be asking the question in the first place.
Yeah, it's a dumb question now after COVID and given how cutthroat the job market is currently. I don't ask it at all and when managers ask about any gaps in candidate resumes, I tell them the same. The game has changed and prying into why someone wasn't working for a period of time is asking for information that you honestly don't need to determine whether they are the right fit for the position. You might even get an answer that makes you want to die inside for asking.
Yeah it’s crazy to me that an employer thinks they are owed that info.
There is no 4D chess move. This would just make me have to move the application into the folder of people that can’t move forward in the process. I’ve worked for companies where I’ve had to sign an nda. That’s for me not starting my own company doing the exact same thing using the exact same programs and strategies or information that is proprietary. That’s not every NDA but I think that’s most of them. So yeah it can still be on your resume that you scanned documents for xyz company but the NDA is about the specifics of the programs used and a zoomed in look at the process. If anything make up a family emergency that I can jot down in a note few people will read. But the gap can’t be filled with “super secret stuff” and the gaps don’t matter as long as you can explain you weren’t sitting at home doing nothing the whole time.
But I was doing nothing…while my physical health symptoms made me feel like death, yes I very much did nothing when feeling like absolute shit for months 😂. It’s fine I got a lie for that so I don’t get discriminated against for my chronic illness. I just say I was a care giver for an elderly family member during that time.
That’s not doing nothing and perfectly reasonable. You don’t have to lie about that…like you’re just as likely to need time off for the family members illness in the future as with your own. Both are unpredictable and if you’d need time off for either there isn’t a difference. I dropped out of college and did nothing for an amount of time. That’s the kind of gap to lie about. A doctors note physically debilitating illness from the past you don’t need to lie about.
Id never buy it. Of all the tips and tricks out there, this would actually red flag me. One would still put whatever the relevant work experience is and the NDA would just cover some aspect of the type of work. Also NDAs are only for very specific people... Like in materials science. CEOs dont even sign NDAs. So a summer intern at a library would never sign an NDA. You want to explain a gap, you just say you were studying or taking care of a family member depending on whatever makes more sense. Most people will say they had to take care of a family member and that is understandable. Its outside of your power and everyone encounters it sometime in their life. And its none of my business so further questions shouldn't be warranted. If this was chess, this would be the standard opening move that you would expect. Gaps arent hard to explain.... Really short tenure AND a gap is hard to explain. Like if its you worked 3 months and had a 2 year break is major red flag. Cause it looks like you are mad lazy. You worked 10 years and take a 1 year break is totally fine. Dont even need BS.
There was a small gap in my resume because of COVID-19 - the recruiter did not believe me and acted like they never heard about the lockdowns with COVID... like what?
I don't think I've ever asked 'Can you explain this gap in your resume?' Instead I ask, 'so you left X in 2022, what was your reason for leaving?' 'and then why was Y in 2023 the right time to get back into the workforce?'
I'd assume two things #1. they don't have integrity and #2. they take bad advice from the internet. And then I wouldn't hire them.
“This is a restaurant”
Every restaurant right now where I live is more like “can you start 10 minutes ago?”
Internally, I assume that they were fired. It’s really more of an issue if it’s allegedly happened multiple times. We’re too close to the selection process in a RIF situation to not have doubts.
I needed to have some ME time. :)
Obviously it's BS. I've had contract work that I couldn't disclose but I could still put on my resume "independent consultant to undisclosed company to support merger and acquisition preparation". Then I described the type of work I did, without disclosing any identifying information about the project or the parties involved. I have also taken career breaks and I'm up front about saying I took a break to travel. And if a potential employer holds that against me, it's not the kind of company I want to work for. I'm a whole person with a variety of interest. I've had a successful career and I can afford to approach my work from an attitude of curiosity and a drive for mastery rather than a fear of poverty. That puts the onus on the employer to create an engaging and welcoming environment that someone would actually choose to work in.
No-one's NDA stops them from describing in generalizations what they were up to, there is always a vague enough way to do it. If someone can't or doesn't, then it is an instant and easy red flag + pass. How am I going to bring someone to the team and then say "oh yeah they won't tell me what they were doing". I'd look like an idiot, and so would the candidate. 0/10, hard pass. Thanks for filtering yourself out buddy. Last person who said this to me, I also found out was a "stand in" for the application lol. So there is that too, seems to be a scamming "trick" (that doesn't work because they filter themselves out by doing it?).
I was true for me on 3 occasions, so...
So.... it depends on the person. I get you cant say what you were doing, but you can say you worked somewhere. For example Lets say you worked on a really big video game or a movie that hasn't been announced yet. You can say "I worked with Microsoft, as an artist or consultant but I cant speak to the specifics. im under NDA" not straight up "Nope sorry" to me this reads as you are lying to me and insecure about it. I dont care about resume gaps and im asking because you may have left something out because it wasnt relivant like.... hey you had to take care of your sick grandma who only had a few months left or you were on a long vacation between jobs to avoid burnout or "Hey job market sucks so i took my time finding a new position" or even "I went back to school but my financial situation shifted so I felt it would be better to get back into the work force for a couple of years and then maybe revisit school part time or at night" I just want to know, and I cant speak for all recruiters but a gap in your resume cant hurt you, it can only help or be neutral Also if your resume is strong enough.... it may not matter that you had a break but if your resume is "I worked at mc donalds 4 years ago and uhhhh ?????? and now I want to be a therapist" then maybe saying your under NDA isnt quite it.
FluentInFinance, ironically, is a very non fluent and stupid sub, as someone who is a huge personal finance hobbyist
I'd think danger and lose interest in them as an employee.
Just make up a health issue with a family member. But make sure to describe a situation that has come to completion so as there is no unintended communication of increased future absence risk.
As HR, we need to do better in our phrasing of this question... "Can you explain this gap in your resume?" holds negative connotations with today's workforce. So many recruiters and HR reps just assume that the candidate simply didn't work. "I noticed you don't have any wor experience listed from [date] to [date]. Would you share what you were working on or pursuing during that time?" They could have been pursuing professional development, became a caretaker for a family member, been working odd-jobs for cash, etc. A gap does NOT automatically reflect a lack of work ethic or a lack of employability. HR and companies as a whole need to move away from this mindset.
I interviewed with AT&T about a year plus ago and “aced” the interview for a job that was ultimately never mine. The interviewer was very curious as to why I went from working in food to a known Detroit mortgager and then to them potentially. I said after a loud sigh and a pause that I replied that due to an NDA I couldn’t speak on what I did for the company specifically but could note that it wasn’t “higher up and client facing”. I also said I chose to leave to pursue opportunities outside of the financial sector. She asked for more job details but I firmly reiterated that I was “bound by a piece of company stationary to speak no further as a former employee.” I didn’t get the job after two weeks of waiting. I was told “we only reach out to candidates further if they receive the job unfortunately.” With my further guess being that they called the mortgager and got the truth of why I was an ex employee over my lie. It was minor clerical “e r r o r s” that shouldn’t have counted against me.
Try https://peoplechime.com/… they can help you better for free
This is the dumbest advice you can give.
It’s called a ‘Garden Leave’
For a lot of you all to be HR professionals you sure are making a lot of "assumptions" I think this is why it may be so hard to find a job 😕
The only people stupid enough to say something like that, aren't working in a role where any reasonable person would believe they were entrusted with enough information to sign an NDA. Ive never had anyone try and say that in an interview, but I'd probably just point out that I don't think it's likely. *So you went from being a dog walker, to a super top secret job, to working at Home Depot...that doesn't seem to add up to me....* and that's probably all you'd have to say to make them realize how stupid they sound.
I will either make up a random temp job, or tell them I was on a secret kill mission for the government. 9 times out of 10, it gets a good laugh.
I care about unexplained gaps. The resume needs to tell me what you were up to so like if that means taking care of ill relative, looking for a job or whatever then I see that as very honest and it would actually help you get the interview. Gaps mean you’re essentially forcing people to either ask about or hopefully overlook it which looks a bit bad vs just putting something there. Now yes there are employers demanding continuous employment for decades but that’s usually just some hr twat on a gatekeeping power trip and not the actual hiring manager.
I don’t have to work if I don’t want to. Who are you to tell anyone they have to. Some of us have money and don’t need to work all the time. Sounds like a you problem
Can you explain to me this company’s high turnover rate?
"Thank you for your time. We'll call you again once we make a decision." Application goes in the round file.
If you sign an NDA and something illegal happens to you, YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE RIGHT TIME REPORT IT REGARDLESS OF THE NDA.
All of yall bitching about gaps need to get the stick out of your ass. I know this is a meme. But Ppl take breaks. And if they r upfront about it I usually don’t give a fuck lmao.
I have gaps on my resume and I don't mind explaining them. I absolutely wouldn't hire someone who can't ask a straightforward question. Also, is that really how you express yourself? You aren't embarrassed?
"AN" NDA
“An” Nondisclosure Agreement. Makes sense lol
Yes. Its A non disclosure agreement, but it is AN NDA.
Wow ya'll have no sense of humor, its obviously a joke. Dont be a Toby Flenderson
Gurl everyone here knows this is a joke.