Employment gap after graduation

NovaLynnx
Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:10:07 +0000

If someone has a few long-term positions and only one gap, I usually do not focus on it. However, if someone has been out of school for 5 years, has had three different jobs and a few long gaps in between each (6+ months), I start to become suspect that there is a reason they cannot easily find - and keep - a job.

It also makes me wonder if they were employed during that gap, but had a bad experience and do not want us reaching out to that company for a reference check (which not all employers do, anyway). I’ve interviewed people with gaps who then start talking about a job they had last year that was not on their resume. When I ask for more specifics about that position and why they left, it usually turns into a sour impression.

Usually someone will not leave one job until they have another offer in hand. If they do leave and struggle to find employment for 6 months or more, then I start to question why they left their previous job. Were they involuntarily terminated? Couldn’t get along with their team? Not good at their job? Of course there are many other acceptable reasons for gaps - health problems, family situations, etc. - and I can usually get a reasonable feel for the individual’s character with a phone interview to determine if I want to continue with a formal interview. People can drop hints of what may have been going on without realizing it. The tone with which they refer to a previous employer, for example. Or long awkward pauses or stuttering as they struggle to come up with a way to word an unfavorable situation. Of course, some are just natural actors and professional interviewers regardless of how terrible their work ethic is.

It is usually good to notate why there is a gap so that we do not play guessing games with your future - don’t get overly specific, but you can notate a medical or personal leave, returning to school, new baby, etc.

I might add: these feelings are stronger with younger applicants. More experienced applicants have different battles to get through, including age discrimination, seeming “overqualified,” expecting higher salaries for their experience when companies would rather pay bottom dollar for a new graduate, etc.