career break on the CV?

[northernrampage]

you'll get interviews even if honest

I've had 14 mths off to care for someone and study.

Started looking very slowly again in May. Only applied for a couple of permanent jobs I really wanted as got exams next week, 2 of those I got interviews for (the companies I went for would have had a lot of people applying, and they picked me despite the career gap). Didn't get the jobs though as my interviewing skill are dire.

I've just managed to get a freelance interview tomorrow through a friend of a friend. I've been honest on my CV and just said took a short career break to study and care for someone, but if I don't get this one I'm tempted to remove the caring bit as think it seems a bit maudlin.

No-one has even mentioned anything at interview, but I think a lot of people don't even read your CV properly half the time. Only negative thing I've had is one agent trying to lower my rate. And I don't think my career gap stopped me getting the jobs, it was me going "erm" and looking nervous.

[JoJoGabor]

Be honest!!!! Thats my advice because.....

I have two friends who followed the sun for a year and in BOTH cases they covered it up by extending both the job they did before and the job they did after and BOTH of them got caught out while doing checks. I believe in both cases it was a financial check (I think) which required them to submit information to prove they hadn't been in jail or something or something while not working, which obviously then differed to their CV. Lying on CV's baaaaaaaaad...

Obviously you only get caught if they check and am sure plenty of people will tell you they got away with it for decades etc...

A career break isn't a bad thing so can't see that it would overaly damage your case anyway.

Exactly the same happened to me, I extended one role on my CV to cover travelling up, then the full 5 year vetting came through, gulp - had to withdraw. Then changed CV to be completely and put it out there again, no issues securing my next gig, which I had to go through vetting for again.

In this day and age, you must be completely honest, all financial services firms now go through these vetting procedures. in hindsight, companies aren't that bothered about career breaks as long as you still know your stuff, I had to explain 2 major travelling trips ( 6 months each) and 2 snowboard seasons, without issue

[RedTag]

I don't see what the big issue is. Everyone knows what the climate is like and we're all human. if you're benched because your contract was terminated due to the crunch or you took a few months off, there's no issue.

The blokes doing the hiring couldn't give a toss (I'm one of 'em) as long as the gap doesn't set off any alarm bells by either being far too long (relative to the tech you work with and how quickly it moves) or suspect in some other manner.

[Brussels Slumdog]

Not much has changed

Just got back from a ten month round the world trip after too many years contarcting and prem as a developer

....

This was a good strategy during the current financial crisis. You probabily
have not lost the chance to gain any new skills as not much has been happening while you were away.
What looks better on your CV? A gap of 10 months or a 10 months stupid contract on a more junior lower paid role which added no value to your CV.
I believe that every contract should increase your skill level and taking
up a contract doing something simple that you did 5 years ago is damaging
in the long run
The whole point of contracting is to work when you want and where.
A gap in your CV during an Economic boom might look suspect.

[shoes]

None of their business, surely! Can you do the work they need doing or not, that's their only concern. And to those talking about clearance, you've been an employee of your Ltd for the last x years, no need to disclose what clients your Ltd company had over that time.. If you were an employee consultant at EDS you'd just put that wouldn't you, not 2 weeks here, 9 months there etc etc.

[TiroFijo]

I would extend your last job to cover all or most of the time you took off, just have someone at your last place ready to cover for you if in the rare chance they might get called up for a reference.

There are people on and off this BB who ave been benched for months on end due to the current market who I'm sure will not have any probs getting a contract again when the jobs start comming back. I was benched at the end of 2001 for almost 5 months when I got a long multi year contract.

Unfortunately I have been seeing the long lists of skills that they clients seems to think they can get now due to the downturn, it always happens during a recession. I had one telephone interview where I had a one hour java skills tests (emailing me code during the interview) which I did very well in. I was then invinted down to a f2f where there was anothet test waiting for me testing on everything in JEE not just the java stuff then they had 3 people in the room at the same time firing techie question after techie question for another 2 hours after that. I also had to draw stuff on a white board about how I would implement this, that and the other. I've never seen anything like it before.

Too be honest with crap rates and the likely hood of months on the bench between contracts I hardly think contracting is worth it anymore. I've been contracting since 2001 and when you factor in the above you are really not earning that much more than a permy these days. Just look at all the benched threads here and of course RC's thread also.

[dude69]

Agent told me my banking experience was worth zero as the banks only want 'current' experience and I'd been off for 12 months.

[nomadd]

None of their business, surely! Can you do the work they need doing or not, that's their only concern. And to those talking about clearance, you've been an employee of your Ltd for the last x years, no need to disclose what clients your Ltd company had over that time.. If you were an employee consultant at EDS you'd just put that wouldn't you, not 2 weeks here, 9 months there etc etc.

Exactly.

I've just completed the "5 year vetting sheet" for my current new gig. I crossed out everything on the 2nd , 3rd and 4th pages, which asked about "employment history, periods of unemployment, reasons for leaving, terminations, dismissals, etc."

I filled in only the last page, which asked if I had been "self-employed or a Director of a limited compnay." I just simply wrote my ltd company name and stated I'd been employed by them continuously for the last 20 years. Only references I agreed to supply were two "character" references - i.e. two people I'd worked with at prior sites. All of this didn't prove to be a problem.

Nomadd

[RedTag]

Exactly.

I've just completed the "5 year vetting sheet" for my current new gig. I crossed out everything on the 2nd , 3rd and 4th pages, which asked about "employment history, periods of unemployment, reasons for leaving, terminations, dismissals, etc."

I filled in only the last page, which asked if I had been "self-employed or a Director of a limited compnay." I just simply wrote my ltd company name and stated I'd been employed by them continuously for the last 20 years. Only references I agreed to supply were two "character" references - i.e. two people I'd worked with at prior sites. All of this didn't prove to be a problem.

Nomadd

Sounds like Hays...

[BolshieBastard]

Honesty pays. If you've had a break be honest. I had a 14 month break due to starting up another completely different non IT related business.

Put this on the cv and had no problems whatsoever.