Getting past time off

[beep]

After my wife gave birth to our son, we decided to take some time off work as we had both been contracting non-stop for ages.

Eventually we said whoever gets a contract first should go back to work - she immediately went back as one of her previous SAP clients called and offered her a position.

I went into house husband mode, but also took time to refurb a BTL house and get Prince2 while off.

Now we'd like to switch roles but agents don't want to know. A guy from Harvey Nash was very keen on me this morning for a BP role (where I've worked before), but upon seeing my time off he suddenly decides he's filled his allocation and just wanted to chat in case another role comes up......

I can guess many of your answers already (too many PM's, not enough roles, etc.) but have posted anyway hoping for a spark of inspiration.

Can anyone offer some advice (aside from train to be a plumber!)?

Cheers.

[RichardCranium]

Are you happy as a house husband? If so, just carry on and bring your own kids up yourself. Plenty of blokes I know would have loved the opportunity.

Otherwise, welcome to the bench.

[TykeMerc]

It's a matter of painting the gap in a creative (but truthful) manner.

You could fill it with a "Commercial Property Refurb project" which literally speaking is true.

[lukemg]

WHS except make it Project Managing a refurb... Still includes many of the fundamentals if you word it right and an interview will likely touch on it and move onto more relevant info.

[Hawkeye]

Definitely agree with the advice on saying you were managing a refurb.

I had a meeting with an agency this week and they questioned my two months out. In that time I did actually take an exam relevant to my work and also it was a small break to rest and recuperate.

She advised that anything over three months is difficult for her to argue or get past her clients.

[SueEllen]

Definitely agree with the advice on saying you were managing a refurb.

I had a meeting with an agency this week and they questioned my two months out. In that time I did actually take an exam relevant to my work and also it was a small break to rest and recuperate.

She advised that anything over three months is difficult for her to argue or get past her clients.

She obviously isn't the persuasive type.

I know plenty of contractors with 6 months or more gap on their CVs. Some due to more serious personal matters and others due to simple bad luck.

[nomadd]

I had a meeting with an agency this week and they questioned my two months out. In that time I did actually take an exam relevant to my work and also it was a small break to rest and recuperate.

She advised that anything over three months is difficult for her to argue or get past her clients.

The she's fooking useless. So find another agent. (My case: 22 years contracting, and at least 6, 6 month(+) breaks on my cv. And I still seem to be in business... )

Plenty of debate - and good advice - on this site already about handling breaks on the cv. Suggest the OP uses Search.

[PropertyCrashUK]

There are progressive organisations out there who see it as a plus that someone has taken time out - perhaps because of starting a family like yourself, perhaps because they were exhausted and needed a break or perhaps due to illness of themselves or a loved one.

Frankly, much of the above is what most people will experience at some point in their life so, as I say, the more enlightened hirers understand this.

The problem is the estate agents... I mean sharks who are agents who do not understand this... perhaps some of them are too young and are yet to understand these things. That agent mentioned about the 2 month gap - what a tw*t not just professionally but also as a human being.

It is much the same with contractors who might just want to work 2 or 3 days a week but agents get between client and contractor as the agents want to maximise their 5 day a week profit.

I am amazed that the Net is now so dominant and we have not yet moved past the need to have agents. I can only assume that most companies employ permananent managers who are too lazy to advertise direct.

I remember posting on here 10 years ago talking about how the net would get rid of agents and we are no further along now.

[TestMangler]

WHS except make it Project Managing a refurb... Still includes many of the fundamentals if you word it right and an interview will likely touch on it and move onto more relevant info.

I would use a bit of caution with that approach. I did a PM role for a boatbuilder for 6 months and it caused me no end of trouble when going back to banking. Had to take it off CV and put a 6 month gap in there instead ! Seriously !

[Wanderer]

Now we'd like to switch roles but agents don't want to know. A guy from Harvey Nash was very keen on me this morning for a BP role (where I've worked before), but upon seeing my time off he suddenly decides he's filled his allocation and just wanted to chat in case another role comes up......

Agents that do this piss me off and I give them a sharp shrift if they question the gaps in my CV (and there are many). Mostly I'm just taking time off, sometimes I'm unemployed and doing a bit of travel, study, DIY or to help out at home when my kids were young and my wife was unwell.

Usually when they ask about them in a negative way they are testing you to see what your reaction is (I always joke that, no I wasn't in jail). Really the only problem is envy in my opinion. Many fathers would love to have the opportunity that you have had but they are stuck in the grind of not seeing their kids from 8am to 7:00pm every day (or worse).

You just need to have a spiel to cover for what you've been doing. Alternatively you can write up the gap as director of "Beep Consulting Limited", even if you weren't doing any work for end clients during that time. Spin it to sound like you are a business person rather than a permietractor.