Been out of work for a while? You're finished!

[FatLazyContractor]

If the market everywhere is pants, I go to Dublin, I always get a job there, usually over the phone. Work a few months while the market picks up where I want to work. I also leave my last job, as current job, until I find another role.

Temple bar?

[SueEllen]

This is definately true. A couple of months is okay, but anything longer than that and you can halve your chances as each month goes by.

The "reason" for big gaps that seems to wash with clients is that you decided to look after the children for a while whilst your partner worked. This means you weren't looking for work, so in the client's mind your not a failure in the marketplace.

• Travelling - though make sure you have actually visited the countries in the past few years
• Study - though make sure you have some certificate that shows this

Are also valid excuses.

Just don't get a life threatening illness or have someone in your family have it.

[DimPrawn]

• Travelling - though make sure you have actually visited the countries in the past few years
• Study - though make sure you have some certificate that shows this

Are also valid excuses.

Just don't get a life threatening illness or have someone in your family have it.

Travelling - So you just up sticks and piss off? What if the workload gets too much you will just bugger off somewhere nice? Next candidate please.
Study - So you would rather read about IT than do it? Some kind of academic dreamer. Not a doer. Next candidate please.

[beemarman]

[QUOTE=DimPrawn;2204166]This is definately true. A couple of months is okay, but anything longer than that and you can halve your chances as each month goes by.

The "reason" for big gaps that seems to wash with clients is that you decided to look after the children for a while whilst your partner worked. This means you weren't looking for work, so in the client's mind your not a failure in the marketplace.[/QUOTE/]


Does this also apply if you've been out of work due long time illness?

For me it was Cancer, been out of work for nearly 2 years due to fighting the damm thing. Now 2 yrs clear and ready to go back to the job market. What chances do I have of getting a job without fibbing on my CV?

[FatLazyContractor]

Does this also apply if you've been out of work due long time illness?

For me it was Cancer, been out of work for nearly 2 years due to fighting the damm thing. Now 2 yrs clear and ready to go back to the job market. What chances do I have of getting a job without fibbing on my CV?

Can you first try to get into a Permie job and then retrain etc before jumping into contracting again ?

[beemarman]

Can you first try to get into a Permie job and then retrain etc before jumping into contracting again ?

Not easy in this market, as a gap in CV is still frowned upon even in the permie market.

One agency told me I'll be better off contracting because they don't do checks like Permie jobs would do, so can modify my CV a bit to cover the gaps for contract work. I did keep my skills up during the time I was off, so no issue with my ability to do the work.

Will just keep trying. Something would come along.

[FatLazyContractor]

Will just keep trying. Something would come along.

Good attitude and hope you find something soon!

[DimPrawn]

Illness is a big no no.

Clients want drones that never stop working, are never ill, never put family first, never think about anything other than client co bottom line.

Hiring manager will be thinking, what if this person is suddenly ill again mid project? Next candidate!

Or putting it another way, the world is full of s with manager after their job title...

[ContractorHardman]

One agency told me I'll be better off contracting because they don't do checks like Permie jobs would do, so can modify my CV a bit to cover the gaps for contract work.

That is very dodgy advice from an Agent. Banks and Financial Services are especially fussy when it comes to checks on employees as a failure to do checks on "Non-employees" or "Third Parties" is a breach of financial regulations. I have heard of contractors being asked for travel tickets to prove gaps and people being turned down for roles after the title on their CV didn't match their job title provided by the company they contracted at.

[Bee]

"A field experiment conducted by Northeastern University showed that a recently unemployed applicant with no industry experience was actually more likely to be called for job interview than someone with directly applicable experience who had been out of work for more than six months"

"If you happen to lose your job at an especially unfavourable time and then fail to find a new position before the dreaded six month mark, your prospects diminish damatically from that point on - regardless of how qualified you may be"

The Rise of Robots, Martin Ford

Yes you are finished.

If you need to take care of someone or whatever you want to do for months or years, they think you are a lazy.
You can have a good CV but they are always insisting in your gap.

Agents are lazy and they think you are.

The only advice is, don’t give up.

Good luck.