Gaps
Why do employers have such a fixation on gaps in employment?
I got a call yesterday from someone regarding a job I applied for. Some sort of techncial employer for a computer assembly job. Aside from asking me about skills and what I did recently, I notice he kept asking about the gap in solid employment I had from 1994 - 1999 More or less a period of 5 years when you discount temp work.
You mean to tell me you weren't working at all?
Yeah, that's right, why should that be of any great shock, some people go that long or longer. It's called circumstance. Get it?
( actually that's not what I said out loud )
I can understand because it's a techncial job, this guy probably expected every resume' to be clean as a whistle with nothing but technical employment opportunities one after another, but my resume' isn't that, of the seven stints of work, there's only one computer related which only lasted for three weeks, aside from the fact that it was well over 10 years ago and aside from the fact that it was temporary.
Nevertheless he called me anyway, so I think by merely looking at my resume' and cover letter he saw something aside from the gap, yet when he called, that's what he kept asking about.
Seems rediculous to me, but whatever.
Its not that they were concerned you weren't working. They were concerned that you *were* working, but did something so unspeakable at that job that you'd rather have a five year crater in your work history than let anyone speak to your former employer.
So while it may seem that they are pouring salt in your wounds, they just want to be sure that your not trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
That's a rediculous response.
So rediculous, I should sue you for the psychological damage in having to waste my time reading it.
This situation like the other recent ones present multiple lines of thought, I find it funny idiots on this message board keep making the same lame excuses for stupid employer behavior.
If I was an employer so anal and cynical about looking for employees, not considering anything less than very stringent criteria, I wouldn't have any reason or excuse in contacting a prospective applicant like me.
I'm looking for computer assemblers? If people my age ( 34 ) and older apply, it's only logical to assume those resume's better have at least one two two recent work stints, not the kind of resume' I have where not only have I just the one in 1994, but it wasn't even meant to last much longer than it did.
It tells me and it should also tell you, this guy is looking for a pool of employees no matter the solid or shaky background. Your response is rediculous in the sense that you're making up just another stupid excuse for why this employer acted the way he did. I see right through the fluff.
xttwo, dear boy, don't you see that you keep bringing up the same "lame" stories over and over again. Until you come up with something new, you're going to keep getting the same responses in return.
You continue to give us excuse after excuse for not getting a job. THAT is what is getting really ridiculous. (Note the correct spelling of ridiculous.)
Post breaks TOU and was removed.
It was directed at readers who might have the same question, but aren't asking just to be a jack@ss.
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Its not that they were concerned you weren't working. They were concerned that you *were* working, but did something so unspeakable at that job that you'd rather have a five year crater in your work history than let anyone speak to your former employer. So while it may seem that they are pouring salt in your wounds, they just want to be sure that your not trying to pull the wool over their eyes. | |||||||
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The comment wasn't directed at me? No, of course not. How stupid of me to take notice of seven different references to the person ( me ) in question.
x,
bodwen's reference to "you" wasn't referring to you per se, xxtwo, it was referring to you in general as in you a member of society, you as in anyone who happens to be reading this post who has a gap in his/her resume. Stop taking things so personally that weren't meant to be personal. I have a 20 year gap in mine while I was a housewife and mother. Potential employers always looked at me and wondered why I wasn't employed all those years. The truth being that my husband would not allow me to work and every time I did manage to find a job he would force me to quit.
I also have a 7 year section on my resume that looks like a job hopping spree. It wasn't of course, but because I was unable to find a full-time job anywhere I had to settle for 5 part-time jobs. But do you think for a moment that anyone cared to ask me why there were so many employers listed? Nope. They tend to assume the worst about people. But maybe it's because they have already seen the worst that an employee can be and they just don't want to waste the time or money training someone who isn't going to be a good fit.
So yes, no matter how good of an employee you will be, an employer will focus on all the things he/she doesn't want to see on a resume. They get side tracked by the insignificant things instead of focusing on what's really important. And that crap doesn't stop once you're hired.
One job that I worked ended and I turned in the company to the FBI for insurance fraud. I didn't win any Brownie points by doing that and by not putting them on my resume I created a 6 month gap that was the focus of attention for a long time.
You know, for all the responses you give on my threads, you write enough life history text to fill a book.
Ever consider writing an autobiography?
Just make sure it's not Bill Clinton size. ( 900 pages )
I've thought about it before. I have even started writing my own book, but not an autobiography which would most likely be very boring for most. I just add the personal information when I feel it is needed or clarifies a point I'm trying to make. Like even though I make a good living now, I'm still in deep debt and yes the creditors are always at my feet, nipping away at any money I might have had. I live from paycheck to paycheck. My credit rating sucks because I'm so out of whack with my debt to income ratio. I can't get loans either. Unless I want to pay 35% in interest, which I don't.
There is a place that publishes books without a down payment from the author, and if I can find that information again, I will send it along to you.