How to deal with questions on 9 month Bench time..?

[meridian]

New contract for me (finally!!) after 10 months out. The 10 months were 3 months deliberately not looking, 4 months benched, 3 months in a contract that didn't even pay the rent but had some useful training.

I adjusted the cv a bit so that my previous contract finished a month later, and fobbed off the agents when asked about the low-paying role by saying that "my current rate is irrelevant to the roles i'm applying for".

If I didn't get my new contract my plan was to do online training. I'm also a tester by trade (SAP). There are companies out there that provide relatively cheap user access (as opposed to configuration) to SAP modules, so the grand plan was to use their services, write up UAT test strategies and scripts for my library and train myself at the same time on other modules for my CV, and put it on the CV as a contract for my own company.

Come to think of it, that'll also be the first thing I do when the next bench period comes along.

[newblood]

Anyway no excuse for not being up to something to show for your time.

I've stuck VirtualBox on my machine and have been trying out different software evaluations and training kits.

Worked my way through Microstrategy (it's a free 30 day evaluation of their entire BI Kit)

and just downloaded Betas, for Windows 2008 Standard OS, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. All installed nicely within a VM. Im just working through the Microsoft Exams for SQL and learning SSIS.

You get 180 days free evaluation time at the moment with these.

I would then put that down on your CV.

Well that is the knowledge element. This is different than the work gap. With longer gaps - you need to to do both - learn / and come up with working stories.

[northernladuk]

Do what i do - LIE . That is what you are going to realize at the end anyway.
I am 1.5 years out although looking for 7 months only.

What a load of tulip. I hope the comes back and bites you big style and I know it does! A colleague applied a bank (that is taking a lot of contractors on at the mo) and lied about just this topic. He had to go throught the basic credit check and employment check and failed cause he lied. Walked off site, in the middle off the office, didn't get paid as he hadn't submitted time sheet blah blah

Ok sit there happy in your job you got it from lying.. good on you... you got lucky!!!

You can be creative, I don't have a problem with that but an outright lie? Thats for idiots. It is illegal to lie on a CV. There is no need if you use a bit of thought and be honest.

My advice would be to mention career break/training/family but do NOT put anything that just isn't true on your CV..

thats my honest opinion.

[thunderlizard]

You can get away with anything other than "I was desperately and uselessly searching for a job". Just make it sound like you really enjoyed the time off - after all most permanent staff would love to be able to take 9 months off and won't blame you for taking it. I have a humungous gap about every 3 years because that's the way I like to break up my time.

[newblood]

What a load of tulip. I hope the comes back and bites you big style and I know it does! A colleague applied a bank (that is taking a lot of contractors on at the mo) and lied about just this topic. He had to go throught the basic credit check and employment check and failed cause he lied. Walked off site, in the middle off the office, didn't get paid as he hadn't submitted time sheet blah blah

Ok sit there happy in your job you got it from lying.. good on you... you got lucky!!!

You can be creative, I don't have a problem with that but an outright lie? Thats for idiots. It is illegal to lie on a CV. There is no need if you use a bit of thought and be honest.

My advice would be to mention career break/training/family but do NOT put anything that just isn't true on your CV..

thats my honest opinion.

What employment check with contractors ? References check ? I mean besides public clients and agents themselves ( and perhaps contracts with security clearances ) , companies themselves don't check how long you contracted previously ? ( with some exceptions , of course )

And yes you are right. But right is just one side of life.

[newblood]

You can get away with anything other than "I was desperately and uselessly searching for a job". Just make it sound like you really enjoyed the time off - after all most permanent staff would love to be able to take 9 months off and won't blame you for taking it. I have a humungous gap about every 3 years because that's the way I like to break up my time.

If you have humongous gaps - you are an exception. With normal people like me - mentioning 6 months and up of a gap - that is the end of the discussion , at least in this economic situation. But I don't see why it be different in the future..

[thunderlizard]

OK maybe not humungous - 7 months is the biggest. And it's in the context of 11 years contracting, the last 9 of them in my industry niche. That's another thing I mention - there are only a few dozen companies that need what I do anyway.

[BolshieBastard]

I never understood this agent's obssession of gaps on a contractor's cv. We, normally, choose to work when and where we want.

But its strange this then becomes one of 'why didnt you work for 3, 4, 5 or even 6 months'? You can almost hear their brain continuing the question 'are you not very good? Couldn't you keep in 'employment?'

Hmmmmm.

[ronanm]

I was benched for 9 months last year too. In that period, I couldn't get any work but did some stuff on rentacoder, did a Java course (lasted 2 weeks). I put on my CV I was a Freelance Contractor and mentioned some of the projects that I had been involved with. I've never been asked what I did for that period even though the rentacoder stuff took about 2 weeks max.

[MarillionFan]

I never understood this agent's obssession of gaps on a contractor's cv. We, normally, choose to work when and where we want.

But its strange this then becomes one of 'why didnt you work for 3, 4, 5 or even 6 months'? You can almost hear their brain continuing the question 'are you not very good? Couldn't you keep in 'employment?'

Hmmmmm.

And of course, if you tell the agent you are presently in a contract, you go to the bottom of the pile because of a notice period!