Answer to the question "what have you been doing since your last contract"

[Belle]

I've been on the bench for five months having contracted for 12 years with only one other (3 week) bench time. A part of these 5 months was intentional holiday, and the rest has been looking for a new contract in what has turned out to be a very dire market. Now I'm being asked what I have been doing since my last contract and seen as "school drop off/pick up, taxi service, homework with my children for the first time in 12 years" won't really cut it, are there any suggestions of acceptable answers I can give the agents who ask?

[BolshieBastard]

I've been on the bench for five months having contracted for 12 years with only one other (3 week) bench time. A part of these 5 months was intentional holiday, and the rest has been looking for a new contract in what has turned out to be a very dire market. Now I'm being asked what I have been doing since my last contract and seen as "school drop off/pick up, taxi service, homework with my children for the first time in 12 years" won't really cut it, are there any suggestions of acceptable answers I can give the agents who ask?

How about looking for suitable contracts in a dire market!?

[northernladuk]

Career break.... Family Time..... Personal Time.......Personal Project

Take your pick.

[nomadd]

I've been on the bench for five months having contracted for 12 years with only one other (3 week) bench time. A part of these 5 months was intentional holiday, and the rest has been looking for a new contract in what has turned out to be a very dire market. Now I'm being asked what I have been doing since my last contract and seen as "school drop off/pick up, taxi service, homework with my children for the first time in 12 years" won't really cut it, are there any suggestions of acceptable answers I can give the agents who ask?

Working for private clients. All this work is subject to strict NDAs, so I can't discuss the details or ever put it on my cv. Sorry, Mr Nosey Agent.

Works for me.

[SimonMac]

Taking time off (as this is usually the truth).

I contract to allow me to earn a lot of money in a short period of time, I work hard for the duration of the contract so I can then take some a break and spend time with my kids.

[MyUserName]

Is there a specific reason why you might not want to tell the truth?

[bobspud]

Is there a specific reason why you might not want to tell the truth?

For some odd reason many clients expect to see CV's full with no one ever taking time out. I have a 5 month gap back in 2008 and I still get a lot of dumb questions about it.

[ChimpMaster]

For some odd reason many clients expect to see CV's full with no one ever taking time out. I have a 5 month gap back in 2008 and I still get a lot of dumb questions about it.

5 months is quite a short gap... surely you could just pad it out if necessary? I'm not implying that anyone would need to hide anything, just that it would avoid the persistent naiive questions from agents/employers.

[SueEllen]

5 months is quite a short gap... surely you could just pad it out if necessary? I'm not implying that anyone would need to hide anything, just that it would avoid the persistent naiive questions from agents/employers.

I wouldn't bother.

I just tell the truth i.e. I was on holiday or whatever.

The fact that you were on holiday for that time and now have come back to working means you are unlikely to go off for long holiday (or whatever you were doing) when you in the contract.

Obviously it's different if was a family commitment and the person is a child or hasn't fully recovered.

[MyUserName]

For some odd reason many clients expect to see CV's full with no one ever taking time out. I have a 5 month gap back in 2008 and I still get a lot of dumb questions about it.

Oh, I see.